Kentucky offers 2028 guard who says Mark Pope is "that guy"

Mark Pope has been criticized for his inability to land top recruits for the Kentucky Wildcats in seasons past. That through process may be changing this offseason, though. Kentucky landed five-star forward Ryan Hampton already and is in the running for several other elite talents.

While his recruiting ability is fair game, Pope has proven his ability as a coach, especially on the offensive end. That may be why 2028 recruit Brady Pettigrew recently called him "that guy in college basketball" after he was offered a scholarship by the Wildcats.

Pettigrew is a 6'3", 185 lb combo guard out of Illinois. He's currently rated five stars by 247Sports and ranks as their No. 19 overall player in the 2028 class, and could be climbing higher soon after a huge week at this year's Peach Jam. There, he averaged 23.6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. He got the offer from Pope soon after.

In an interview with Kentucky Sports Radio, Pettigrew had good things to say about Pope and Kentucky. Along with calling him "that guy", he said, "To talk to someone like him, that’s big for me. It lets me know I’m gonna be on go every time I step on the court."

A visit to Lexington will be the next step for Pettigrew. He also mentioned visits to the other blue blood programs, so it won't be easy for Kentucky to get his commitment. However, it sounds like they're in pretty good shape for now.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky offers 2028 guard who says Mark Pope is "that guy"