LOOK: Ryan Hampton on his Kentucky visit next to a bearded Mark Pope

Class of 2027 recruit Ryan Hampton (ranked No. 6 nationally) is a Wildcat, announcing his surprise commitment to Kentucky on Sunday morning. In the wake of his decision, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard posted plenty of pictures to his Instagram page from his official visit to Lexington over the weekend.

And while Hampton certainly looks a natural in the blue and white, everyone is equally interested in Mark Pope‘s new facial hair. Pope is coming off a recent beach vacation, where he left the razor at home and traded it in for a new bearded look that might just be his new good luck charm. Pope also landed prized portal player Milan Momcilovic earlier this week, quickly changing the narrative on his perception as a recruiter. The beard needs to be here to stay.

The pictures coming out of Hampton’s official visit are awesome, too. He’s rocking the home white uniforms with the his preferred jersey number of 14. He was accompanied on his official visit by his parents and older brother RJ Hampton, a professional hooper who was once a major Kentucky recruit a few years ago under former head coach John Calipari. RJ was rocking a sweet OVO-themed Kentucky jacket to complete the look. UK assistant coaches Mikhail McLean and Mo Williams also joined the photoshoot, the latter being lauded by the Hampton family for helping close the deal during the trip to Lexington.

All of the pictures are great. Hampton wears the Kentucky blue and white well (as does Pope with his beard). Check them out below.

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