No. 1 College Basketball Recruit’s Father Almost Brought to Tears by Kentucky’s Mark Pope.
The college basketball season wrapped up in early April after an exciting Final Four. Houston edged out Duke, while Florida defeated Auburn. Todd Golden and the Florida Gators emerged as NCAA Tournament champions.
It was a proud moment for the SEC, which sent 14 teams to the Big Dance. One team expected to contend again in the 2025-26 season is the Kentucky Wildcats. They have been active this offseason, working the transfer portal and recruiting trail under head coach Mark Pope.Jacob Polacheck of On3 Sports shared an update Saturday on one recruit Pope is pursuing: Baba Oladotun, the top-ranked player in the class of 2027.
In a recent conversation, his father was nearly moved to tears by Pope’s approach: “Everything that’s happening to him is very historic.Oladotun, a 6-foot-8 forward from James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, is the No. 1 recruit in ESPN’s class of 2027 rankings. While several programs have shown strong interest, Kentucky and Pope appear to be making the biggest impression.
I was blown away. It almost brought me to tears,” Ibrahim Oladotun said. “Everything that’s happening to him is very historic. That’s just remarkable. Kentucky basketball, bluegrass and all of that stuff are a big deal. It’s living the dream.”
Playing for Team Durant at the Nike EYBL, Baba Oladotun scored 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, adding four rebounds and four assists. His team lost a tight 74-71 contest, but his performance in front of Pope was noteworthy.
