Mark Pope has to make a clear impact with the 2027 recruiting cycle.
He brought in two in-state top-25 prospects for 2025, then struck out entirely on top-100 talent for 2026. Now, he’s already landed a pledge from five-star Ryan Hampton and is casting a broad net to fill out the remainder of the group.
One prospect Kentucky is zeroing in on is point guard Reese Alston, who sits as the No. 3 point guard and No. 8 overall prospect in the class. He also happens to be the son of former NBA guard Rafer Alston better known as streetball icon “Skip to My Lou.”
The Wildcats have had Alston on their board since last summer and officially offered him in October. Now that the grassroots season on the Puma Pro16 circuit is winding down, Kentucky is turning up the heat in his recruitment.
Alston pays close attention to which coaches show up to watch him on the Puma circuit, which operates on a smaller scale than Nike’s EYBL or Adidas’ 3SSB. Pope was in the building to see him just last week, and assistant Mikhail McLean who attended the same Houston high school as Alston (Second Baptist) has been a regular at multiple Puma Pro16 events throughout the spring and summer.
This one is trending toward a Kentucky Louisville head-to-head battle, with Pat Kelsey and his staff also prioritizing Alston heavily.
One wrinkle to keep an eye on, per Joe Tipton of On3, is a possible reclassification. With LSU in the mix—and desperately needing roster bodies Alston could be among those opting to reclassify and sign two-year college deals.
Alston made an unofficial visit to Kentucky last October and is scheduled for an official visit to Lexington this fall. When it comes to what he wants in a program, he’s focused on finding a place that will develop him both on and off the floor and give him the best shot at reaching his NBA goals.
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