Mark Pope discusses Kentucky’s plan for the final three scholarship seats.

Kentucky still has three scholarships open, and Mark Pope explains what he’s looking for in those final positions.

Since coming in Lexington last month, Mark Pope and the rest of the Kentucky staff have been relentless in their chase of the transfer portal. Pope has his work cut out for him after losing every member of last year’s roster, including the entire 2024 recruiting class.

He then added seven transfers and three high school prospects and has now put together a roster that ‘fits brilliantly’ together.

But, there are still three scholarships to use. Pope knows exactly how he wants to fill out the roster and explained that this week.

“We’re at ten scholarships right now,” Pope told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein this week. “I have two really, really important pieces that I have to add. Then the 13th scholarship is a floating piece. The way we envision it is It could be for a place for a young player. It could be a place for a senior player who is going to take a redshirt year. It could be a place for a project. It could be a place for a high-risk guy. That’s how we see it but, we’re really dialed in on filling these last two spots as a priority right now.”

Kentucky has currently targeted nearly every skill set through the gateway. However, it still lacks a true go-to scorer. Mark Pope is looking at a few individuals who match that profile, including a handful who are currently attending the NBA Combine this week. But for the time being, Kentucky’s 10-man roster includes the nation’s leading three-point shooter last year, Koby Brea, a former McDonald’s All-American in Brandon Garrison, Lamont Butler, who hit a buzzer-beating shot in the 2023 Final Four, and other players.

In the end, Pope added five players with at least four years of collegiate experience, with the exception of Garrison, who will be a sophomore. Pope’s roster is not simply ‘old’, but it also has a number of high-major players with extensive experience playing at the highest levels. “This is the first year of the project. But this squad we’ve put together has far more experience than the ones we had last year at BYU,” Pope said. “These men are proven performers. They’ve made many appearances in the NCAA Tournament and hit game-winning jumpers to go to the national championship game. Veteran players that have spent a significant amount of time at the highest levels. “This is the first year of the project. But this squad we’ve put together has far more experience than the ones we had last year at BYU,” Pope said. “These men are proven performers. They’ve made many appearances in the NCAA Tournament and hit game-winning jumpers to go to the national championship game. Veteran players that have spent a significant amount of time at the highest levels. On June 10th, players will begin coming on campus in Lexington.

Until then, Pope hopes to solidify his roster, which will fight for the top spot in the SEC next year.