Mark Pope was trying to determine what kind of players would work best in his system during the last round of the transfer market, and it appears that he has done so.
Although many people think Coach Pope is only interested in players who are very good on the offensive end of the court, he actually wants the defense to improve significantly the following season.
The Wildcats’ defense was a weakness throughout the season, and even though it started to get better in the latter stages, a poor defensive performance sent the team home in the Sweet 16.
Coach Pope wants to add players that are well-rounded in all areas of the game because of this.
Aside from this, Coach Pope prefers players who can do it all. He may select a defensive specialist and a sniper who doesn’t play much defense.
KenPom’s top ten attack is great, but the Wildcats need a defense in the top 25 if they want this program to succeed.
The offense and defense of each of the four Final Four teams rank in the top ten in KenPom. Because of this, the coaching staff at Kentucky has set an offseason aim to become the best on both sides of the court.
Adding players that work as hard on defense as they do on offensively will be the first step in the transfer portal if the coaches can achieve this goal.
