Mark Pope and Kentucky make a big splash in the 2027 recruiting class
Mark Pope and Kentucky make a big splash in the 2027 recruiting class
Vance Meek, UK Wildcats WireSun, June 7, 2026 at 4:43 PM UTC
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Mark Pope and Kentucky make a big splash in the 2027 recruiting class
Mark Pope has had a reputation for being unable to close out top recruits with the Kentucky Wildcats. Players like Caleb Wilson, Christian Collins, and Tyran Stokes were all elite players who were predicted to commit, but ended up elsewhere. Going into 2027, Pope had yet to land a top 10 recruit, something Kentucky fans were becoming distraught about.
Recently, though, some things began to fall Pope's way. Malachi Moreno returned to Lexington for another year. Then, Pope finally landed an elite transfer, bringing in Milan Momcilovic, ranked by some as the top player in the transfer portal. Now, he has followed that up by getting a commitment from 2027 forward Ryan Hampton, as announced by him on Instagram.
Hampton is a 6'6", 190 lb wing out of Texas. He is currently rated five stars by 247Sports, and ranks as their No. 6 overall player in the 2027 class. His commitment comes after he had considered reclassifying to 2026 before deciding to stick.
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The announcement came on Sunday morning after spending the weekend in Lexington. Hampton credited Pope and Mo Williams for the commitment, telling On3's Joe Tipton, "They showed me a vision and a plan for me to reach my ultimate dreams and goals."
Hampton is now the highest-ranked recruit Kentucky has landed under Pope, and his biggest recruit ever. It's a massive win for him, and for Kentucky. He's a talented scorer, a terrific athlete, and has a sky-high ceiling. If Pope gets him to that ceiling, he will be a superstar. Welcome to Big Blue Nation Ryan.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky basketball gets commitment from 2027 forward Ryan Hampton
Source: “AOL Sports”
