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AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
What would addition of Mark Mitchell mean for Kentucky basketball?
LEXINGTON — Mark Pope has made no bones about the fact Kentucky basketball 's roster for the 2026-27 season might not be a finished product. During his most recent sit-down with local media members last month, Pope said that while he "liked the way" the 14 current pieces fit together, the Wildcats wouldn't rule out using the 15th — and final — scholarship at their disposal.
That includes adding a player who, via the legal system, might return for a fifth season.
One option is Mark Mitchell , a star forward who has been prominently linked to UK.
CBS national college basketball writer Isaac Trotter recently said on the CBS Sports Network that he thinks Mitchell will play next season, and that Kentucky is in the mix.
“The team that I’ve heard a lot about is Kentucky," Trotter said on the show. "That is definitely in play. You think about a potential frontline of Milan Momcilovic, Mark Mitchell at the 4, then Malachi Moreno at the 5? Like that would be a really, really impressive unit right there for Mark Pope. ... I know (Mitchell) likes Missouri as well. So a potential return to Missouri is certainly in play, but point being said, I think Mark Mitchell is playing college basketball next season.”
A Kansas native, the 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward spent the past two seasons at Missouri after starting his college career at Duke . Mitchell was a five-star recruit in the 2022 recruiting cycle.
There's just one holdup at the moment: While the NCAA recently instituted an eligibility structure that gives athletes five years to play five seasons, it didn't grandfather in the Class of 2022 — of which Mitchell is a member. Other 2022 grads have filed lawsuits in various states to sue for a fifth season of eligibility, which would allow them to take the court for a college team during the 2026-27 campaign. Successful rulings in those cases also would pave the way for Mitchell to return this coming season.
So, what would Mitchell bring to the table if he joined the Wildcats?
How does Mark Mitchell fit into Kentucky basketball's 2026-27 roster?
Describing Mitchell as the "missing piece" for the entire roster perhaps overstates it. What's undeniably true is he'd be the "missing piece" of UK's projected starting five.
Four spots appear set in stone: Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins in the backcourt, Malachi Moreno at center and Milan Momcilovic at one of the forward spots. It's the other forward position, the 4, that's up in the air. Two players are competing for the spot: Justin McBride and Ousmane N'Diaye .
The former has had a transient existence in college hoops , playing for three programs (Oklahoma State, Nevada and most recently, James Madison) in three seasons. The latter is an international addition , a native of Senegal who has played professionally in Europe (stints in Germany, Italy and Spain).
In his only power-conference experience, McBride appeared in 24 games, with no starts, at Oklahoma State in 2023-24. He averaged less than seven minutes per game off the bench. N'Diaye has height (he's 7 foot), but his slight frame (210 pounds) might not be ready for UK's meat grinder of a schedule : 18 SEC games, plus high-profile nonconference matchups against Louisville, Kansas, Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia.
Mitchell has no such limitations.
Far from it.
He has started 133 college games and is a proven performer in the SEC .
In his two seasons with Missouri, he earned all-conference honors both times. During the 2024-25 campaign, he led MU in points per game (13.9) along with 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Mitchell was even better last season, upping his per-game averages in every category: 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists.
Talented as Mitchell is, he doesn't necessarily address what Pope views as his team's most glaring weakness.
"Everybody's gotten so big and so physical, and that's not us right now," Pope said during an interview with Field of 68's Jeff Goodman that posted Monday, Aug. 10 . "We are long and fast and skilled, which (are) the teams that I love to coach; we have one of those teams. I've been blessed, especially on the offensive side of the ball, where you just get 15 minutes into the game, and you have coaches on the other end throwing clipboards in the air because you chase dudes around for 17 seconds and still didn’t get it done. We have that type of team."
Pope went on to note the 2026-27 Cats "have some length," but are "going to be challenged in terms of just the brute strength and physicality."
Mitchell would further fortify that length. And he'd be another playmaker — not that Kentucky needs any reminder, as Mitchell poured in 32 points (matching his career high) in an SEC Tournament loss last season. Would he address the heft Pope believes the team still needs? No.
But if you have a chance to bring a two-time all-league performer aboard?
Mark MitchellKentuckyCouldMissouriLEXINGTONMark PopeDuringPopeWildcatsOneCBSIsaac Trotter
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