What is Kentucky's dream scenario for the rest of the offseason?

The Kentucky Wildcats and coach Mark Pope have had a disappointing offseason in a year where Pope's job may be on the line. They missed on every top 100 recruit they targeted, and then whiffed on the top transfer portal options as well, leaving the roster looking underwhelming in the eyes of most fans and analysts.

The Wildcats roster stands at 12 players right now, with three spots remaining for Pope to fill. They have some very clear needs, including more shooting, depth at center, and a guard capable of scoring 18 to 20 points per night. Maybe it's a long shot, but there is a path to filling those spots.

First up is the recruitment of Milan Momcilovic. The former Iowa State star entered the transfer portal, but is also testing the NBA draft waters. If he pulls out of the draft, there will be a rush from teams with money to spend to land him. He's a 6'8" forward who averaged 17 points and 3 rebounds per game while hitting nearly 49% of his three pointers. He would be a perfect fit in Pope's offense.

The other wins would require more things to fall into place. Kentucky has heavily recruited Obinna Ekezie Jr. from the 2027 class, and he would also fill a big need as another center. The seven-footer is the number six overall recruit in the 2027 class, but is a candidate to reclassify.

Another 2027 reclassification candidate is Ryan Hampton. The 6'6" wing would give the Cats a major scoring threat on the perimeter, and would be a huge boost to the backcourt.

Momcilovic has until May 27th to pull out of the draft, and decisions from Ekezie and Hampton on reclassifying could come any time. We will update all of these stories as they develop.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky basketball dream scenario for remainder of 2026 offseason