# Mark Pope previews Kentucky's 2026-27 roster and highlights possible surprise players

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/inside-college-basketball-now-7390704/mark-pope-previews-kentucky-s-2026-27-roster-and-highlights-possible-surprise-players
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/inside-college-basketball-now-7390704/mark-pope-previews-kentucky-s-2026-27-roster-and-highlights-possible-surprise-players.md
Podcast: [Inside College Basketball Now](https://stenobird.com/podcast/inside-college-basketball-now-7390704)
Published: 2026-06-30T17:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/serve.castfire.com/audio/8261135/8261135_2026-04-15-033435.192.mp3?rssID=6266
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/serve.castfire.com/audio/8261135/8261135_2026-04-15-033435.192.mp3?rssID=6266
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/inside-college-basketball-now-7390704/episodes/mark-pope-previews-kentucky-s-2026-27-roster-and-highlights-possible-surprise-players
Duration seconds: 1436

## Resource

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope joins Inside College Basketball Now for an in-depth offseason conversation, covering everything from roster construction and player development to coaching against Rick Pitino and the expectations that come with leading one of college basketball's biggest programs. Pope opens up about why Kentucky is his "favorite job of all time," reflects on the challenges of last season in Lexington, explains how injuries reshaped the Wildcats' roster, and discusses why last year's team became a foundation for the program's long-term vision. Plus, Pope shares updates on Kentucky's offseason, the potential for a St. John's home-and-home series, his relationship with Rick Pitino, what he's expecting from key returners like Malachi Moreno and additions like Zoom Diallo and Milan Momcilovic, the Wildcats' non-conference schedule, and what real progress looks like entering next season. (0:10) Offseason plans (1:10) Finding balance in today's college basketball landscape (1:50) Why Kentucky is "the favorite job of all time" (2:25) Reflecting on the 2025-26 season (3:15) Biggest frustrations from last year (4:20) The St. John's game (5:20) Coaching against Rick Pitino (6:25) St. John's home-and-home series? (7:05) If Pitino returned to Kentucky... 7:45 Lessons learned from Pitino (8:50) Santa Clara victory and its impact (11:05) Ideal roster size in modern college basketball (12:45) Kentucky's roster outlook (13:45) Malachi Moreno's development (15:15) Zoom Diallo's next step (16:50) Milan Momcilovic's fit (19:35) Biggest surprise on next year's roster (21:00) Non-conference scheduling (22:35) What defines success for Kentucky next season?

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