Earlier this summer season, the NCAA Division I Council accredited a rise from 31 to 32 common season video games in faculty basketball starting with the 2026-27 season.
Kentucky coach Mark Pope would not suppose it is practically sufficient.
“I might like to get to 40,” Pope advised CBS Sports activities on Thursday’s Eye on Faculty Basketball podcast.
The second-year Kentucky coach has quite a lot of the reason why he thinks faculty basketball’s common season ought to inflate by as many as eight video games, which might additionally logistically require bumping up the beginning of the season to mid-October.
“One, our guys do higher academically through the season than they do out of the season,” Pope mentioned. “Two, when our guys go on to the NBA, they’ve performed a 31-game season. This was my expertise: Once I acquired to the All-Star break my first 12 months within the league, I felt like I would performed two seasons already and I nonetheless had 60 video games left to play, so I am undecided it is an ideal prep for the NBA.”
Pope additionally cited faculty basketball’s particularly excessive fee of alternative on rosters as a result of portal as a cause to extend sport stock, along with the plain carrot: extra video games is more cash to pay gamers on this new period of income sharing.
“Our groups flip over a lot — due to the present surroundings, which I am all in for it, it is all nice — however to present our groups an opportunity to undergo a pair evolutions in a single season that they used to undergo, they used to have one or two or three seasons to get by these evolutions of progress,” he mentioned. “Now we’re attempting to squeeze in a single season, we may use some extra video games. And our followers get to know these youngsters extra. Each single sport final 12 months, our followers, BBN, acquired to know our guys so a lot better. Our followers deserve it. And once you’re tying all this to income share, there’s no person’s that is going to complain — gamers, coaches, followers — about attending to 40 video games the place everybody capitalizes off the revenue-share mannequin.”
Pope is correct that the need to get more cash through ticket income and home-gate proceeds will result in extra video games in faculty sports activities. The rise to 32 beginning subsequent 12 months is barely the start. I am undecided we’ll get 40 on this era, however I feel a 34- or 35-game schedule in faculty basketball will probably be actuality by the flip of the last decade.
Altering the switch portal window
Everybody invested in faculty sports activities has an opinion on the switch portal. I requested Pope how he’d tweak that a part of the calendar. He spoke from the center, citing how final season’s Candy 16 run was barely dampened by the actual fact the portal got here open the Monday after the primary weekend of March Insanity, bringing slightly undesirable noise to his first tour as UK’s coach.
Pope mentioned, if the selection had been his, he’d transfer the opening of the portal to the Tuesday after the nationwide title sport — and drastically scale back the variety of days gamers can choose into the portal. It is at the moment a 30-day span. Pope needs to lop off 25 days.
“If I may change it, I might in all probability transfer it to the day after the nationwide championship sport and make it a very tight window, make it a five-day window,” he mentioned. “That method, everybody’s had time to judge, everybody’s had time to see, and simply make it a shorter window so we may get by the method. The method is already crazy-fast. However I say that additionally acknowledging that that reply raises a whole lot of points, too. There is no excellent reply. The primary factor ought to nonetheless be the primary factor, and the primary factor is giving these youngsters an unfettered alternative to go be a champion, and I nonetheless imagine that is the place these youngsters get the best expertise of their life that they’re going to always remember, is pursuing a championship with their complete hearts.”
In 2024, the portal opened the Monday after Choice Sunday, which prompted widespread backlash. This 12 months, it was pushed to the Monday after the primary weekend of the NCAA Match and that also wasn’t ok for a lot of within the sport. Discussions are ongoing about what to do. Most coaches I’ve spoken to want the portal to attend till the Monday after the Elite Eight on the earliest.
Nonetheless, do not take Pope’s musings as complaints. He is as boisterous as any high-major coach you may discover.
“To be a coach in faculty basketball proper now, and have the chance to navigate this madness, is definitely the good factor ever,” Pope mentioned. “It is extremely difficult. I do not suppose there’s ever been a greater time to be a coach.”
You’ll be able to watch Pope’s hour-plus sit-down on the Eye on Faculty Basketball podcast in full beneath, and make sure to subscribe to the channel.
As for the 2025-26 Wildcats, Pope talked about each participant on Thursday’s pod look, too. Kentucky was successful in his first season, beating eight groups within the high 15 of the AP rankings, tying an NCAA document. UK went 24-12 and acquired a 3-seed after grinding by the hardest convention in historical past. However gone are Jaxson Robinson, Koby Brea, Lamont Butler, Amari Williams, Andrew Carr, Ansley Almonor, Kerr Kriisa and Travis Perry. With them, greater than 65 factors per sport of manufacturing additionally departs. Kentucky had a top-10 offense final season. Here is the group that can attempt to match such firepower, with some perception from Pope on each participant.
Projected beginning lineup
1. Jaland Lowe | 6-3 | 188 | Jr.
The ground normal for this 12 months’s Kentucky squad is a switch from Pitt who averaged 16.8 factors and will flourish in a brand new system. He is the staff’s finest talker, constantly holds his teammates accountable and is able to step right into a tier of probably the most impactful all-around level guards in faculty hoops. Important to UK’s quest to repeat final 12 months’s success. Pope: “We expect he’ll take a large leap. He is been particular for us.”
2. Otega Oweh | 6-4 | 215 | Sr.
A possible preseason All-American, Oweh wasn’t even a projected top-seven minutes man on Kentucky a 12 months in the past. Then he grew to become the staff’s main scorer (16.2 ppg) and totally investigated the NBA Draft course of earlier than coming again to Lexington. He’ll be a lot improved on protection and is anticipated to see a very good uptick in his 3-point fee.
Pope: “I feel he has an opportunity to be the highest defensive participant within the nation, probably the most versatile.”
3. Denzel Aberdeen | 6-5 | 190 | Sr.
He’d have been a starter at Florida … however may wind up as a starter at Kentucky anyway. Aberdeen commanded a fairly penny within the portal after placing up 7.7 factors for the nationwide champs. Now he is a laser-focused veteran who needs to capitalize on one other roster with gobs of expertise.
Pope: “Winner, winner, winner, winner.”
4. Mouhamed Dioubate | 6-7 | 215 | Jr.
A high-profile, intra-SEC switch. Kentucky plucked Diabate away from Alabama and within the course of made certain that its protection will probably be improved in 2026-27. The rugged energy ahead put up 7.2 factors and 5.9 rebounds in 16 minutes per sport. I am projecting him as a starter for now, however he could possibly be a man who performs anyplace from 14 to 25 minutes relying on opponent and rotations.
Pope: “Mo Diabate guarded each single place on the ground and had everybody on their heels.”
5. Brandon Garrison | 6-10 | 250 | Jr.
Garrison was within the high seven in minutes final season for Pope (17.3 per sport) and put up 5.9 factors per night time. If Kentucky goes to match or exceed its 3-seed entry level within the NCAAs, Garrison must take that subsequent big step. He is acquired an ideal aggressive streak that ought to unfold all through the staff.
Pope: “He does give us this unimaginable alternative to change 1 by 5 as a result of he is such an elite-level change defender on ball screens and away from the ball.”
Jack Dempsey/Getty Photos
Off the bench
Jayden Quaintance | 6-9 | 215 | So.
The Arizona State switch tore the ACL in his proper knee in March. His return is unsure, however Pope did not get rid of the likelihood Quaintance could possibly be again on the ground by the top of November. That mentioned, my learn: December is probably the most optimistic timeline. They are going to watch out. Though that is his second season in faculty, Quaintance continues to be simply 17. He is a bodily freak who was among the many finest in steals+blocks common final season (3.7 mixed), along with averaging 9.4 factors.
Jasper Johnson | 6-4 | 175 | Fr.
Ranked twenty fourth within the class of 2025, Johnson is a shoot-first combo guard who can electrify. I am desperate to see him and Lowe share the ground at occasions this season. If he can get to his shot and alter to taking part in towards greater D-I guards, he’ll discover himself on the ground in crunch time a lot this season. Pope: “He’s a harmful, harmful, harmful scorer.”
Malachi Moreno | 6-11 | 230 | Fr.
A conventional 5-man, Moreno ranked twenty seventh within the 2025 class (which will nicely show to be too low). He is acquired some grown males taking part in above him at that place, so he’ll must earn his burn, however he is acquired the chance to be a very nice participant for BBN within the coming years.
Pope: “I’ve seen him dominate 8 ft and in, offensively and defensively, on the highest stage of children his age in such an unimaginable method. Teaching him at USA Basketball was unbelievable.”
Collin Chandler | 6-5 | 202 | So.
Pope calls him probably the most aggressive individual in this system. He was a bit participant final season (2.7 ppg) however will see his minutes and influence enhance. On a bench loaded with risk and lineup mixtures, Chandler might nicely emerge as one of the crucial necessary reserves within the SEC.
Pope: “Off all my guys, I really feel like he cannot breathe if there’s not one thing on the road.”
Kam Williams | 6-5 | 190 | So.
A Tulane switch who averaged 9.3 factors final season and shot 40% from 3 on 4.5 makes an attempt per sport. Could nicely play his method into the beginning lineup if he maintains that capturing stroke and vaults himself to very important defender.
Pope: “By the top of the summer season, we had been like, is he going to be our high defender? Our second or third defender?”
Trent Noah | 6-5 | 220 | So.
He is among the best scorers within the historical past of Kentucky highschool basketball. Will once more be a bit participant, maybe somebody who can leap to five factors per sport, however as a sophomore his voice is rising extra behind the scenes. Pope praised his year-over-year maturation.
Reece Potter | 7-1 | 215 | Jr.
A neighborhood child who got here again dwelling. Potter performed in Lexington in highschool, then spent the previous two seasons at Miami College (Ohio), the place he shot 41% as a stretch 5 on a very good mid-major staff. Pope advised me he was one in every of two gamers who refused to go dwelling for the summer season break and has been residing within the health club.
Braydon Hawthorne | 6-8 | 175 | Fr.
Slender, loads of potential, may take a few years for all of it to come back collectively, however how about this Pope quote: “He is among the most original youngsters I’ve ever coached. I do not know what his ceiling is.” He additionally invoked Tayshaun Prince, which ought to flip heads in Lexington.
Andrija Jelavic | 6-11 | Fr.
A Croatian huge who performed for Mega Superbet and averaged 11 factors within the Adriatic League this 12 months. There’s slightly extra pink tape to clear, however the workers is hoping he is on campus within the subsequent few days. His influence is TBD, however even bringing in a foreign-born prospect together with his measurement and talent solely deepens Kentucky’s secure.