SerpApi.Org
Mark Pope needs to make a statement with the 2027 recruiting class.
After getting two homegrown, top-25 prospects in the 2025 class, and going o-fer on top-100 prospects in the 2026 class, Pope has already secured a commit from five-star Ryan Hampton and has cast a wide net to build the rest of the class.
One specific player the Wildcats are making a push for is point guard Reese Alston, the 3rd-ranked point guard and 8th-ranked overall prospect. He is also the son of former NBA player Rafer Alston, also known as streetball legend “Skip to My Lou.”
Alston has been on Kentucky’s radar since last summer, with the Wildcats extending an offer to him last October. As the summer grassroots circuits come to a close, they are making a strong push for him.
Playing in Puma’s Pro16 circuit, smaller than Nike’s EYBL or Adidas’ 3SSB, Alston takes notice of the coaches who are there to watch him play. Mark Pope was in attendance to watch him last week, and assistant Mikhail McLean, who attended the same high school as Alston (Houston Second Baptist HS), has attended multiple Puma Pro16 events this spring/summer.
This is shaping up to be a Kentucky-Louisville recruiting battle, as Pat Kelsey and his staff have made Alston a priority.
One thing to monitor with Alston, according to Joe Tipton of On3, is a potential reclassification. With a school like LSU in the mix, which is in dire need of players to fill their roster, he could join the trend of players reclassing for two-year college deals.
Alston took an unofficial visit to Kentucky last October and will take an official visit to Lexington this fall. As far as what he is looking for in his school of choice, a program that can develop him to be a better player on and off the court and help him reach his aspirations of playing in the NBA.
