After a disappointing high school recruiting cycle the last time around, Mark Pope is looking to turn the tables with the Kentucky basketball class of 2027. The program has already landed five-star small forward Ryan Hampton, who committed to the Wildcats back in June. Now, Pope is looking to entice some of the nation’s premier big men to join Big Blue Nation next fall.
Kentucky played host to Uvwo two weeks ago, as the top center in the class of 2027 took an official visit to Lexington. The Nigerian native is one of the hottest commodities in high school basketball, as he is a consensus top-10 overall recruit. Scouts say Uvwo is one of the best defensive talents they have seen in years, with some outlets comparing him to the likes of Nerlens Noel and Anthony Davis.
Perhaps most interesting about the 18-year-old Uvwo is his basketball story, as he only started playing the sport three years ago. It was a meteoric rise after that. Two months after picking up a ball for the first time at 15 years old, he was called up to the Nigerian U16 National Team. Later that same year, he was noticed by the NBA Academy Africa and was selected to participate in the Basketball Africa League when he was 17.
Uvwo came stateside in late 2025 when he joined Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale, where he made an immediate impact. Uvwo averaged over five blocks per game in his first time on the Nike EYBL grassroots circuit, earning Nike EYBL Defensive Player of the Year honors. This included an iconic, viral game during the Peach Jam tournament where he put up an absurd 10 blocks.
Standing at 6’11” with a 7’7” wingspan, Uvwo’s incredible physical skill set and rapidly developing basketball sense helped surge him to the top spot among centers in the class earlier this summer.
Speaking to KSR after his visit, Uvwo said he “absolutely loved” his time in Lexington, but emphasized that he is still undecided and will conduct visits with other programs as well. Rumors suggested that Mark Pope pushed for a quick commitment similar to Ryan Hampton, but obviously, nothing materialized. Regardless of that fact, Kentucky seems to have made a good impression on the youngster and is firmly in the mix for his signature.
The Cats will play host to long-time target Paul Osaruyi this weekend, as he confirmed on his Instagram that he would be in Lexington. A top-20 recruit in the class, the Bella Vista Prep product is a four-star prospect who possesses a unique combination of size, explosiveness, power, and athleticism that doesn’t come around often.
Unlike the aforementioned Lewis Uvwo, Osaruyi has been on Mark Pope’s radar for a while. Osaruyi was officially offered by the Wildcats back in April, but he has expressed a long-term interest in Kentucky due to his Canadian ties and familiarity with Pope.
The fit seems to be good, as the Canadian native has spoken positively about his interactions with Pope and assistant coach Mo Williams. The prospect is also a close friend of Ryan Hampton, Kentucky’s sole commit in the class so far. Safe to say, Big Blue Nation’s ears will be perked up to hear how this weekend’s visit goes.
Joe Tipton of On3 reported this morning that Kentucky, BYU, Texas, North Carolina, and Creighton are carrying the most momentum for center Cherif Millogo. The 18-year-old is reportedly working on a visit to Lexington in October.
Millogo stands at an eye-popping 7’5” and 210 pounds, boasting a 7’9” wingspan. The prospect has solid movement skills for his massive frame, but is understandably a very raw talent with plenty of room to develop.
Millogo is the No. 2 overall recruit in the state of California and a consensus four-star recruit. He earned his offer from Kentucky back in late May.
Mark Pope isn’t messing around this time. After an embarrassing high school cycle this past year that saw him land only one recruit, he has his eyes set on bringing in some fresh young talent for the years to come.
Ryan Hampton is an exciting add, and it looks like a premier young big man is the next box Pope and Co. are looking to check.
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