Mark Pope Scouted Recruits in Mexico at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup

Mark Pope was only able to briefly enjoy the addition of Milan Momcilovic. The Kentucky head basketball coach had other recruiting matters to attend to. At least he got to enjoy them in a tropical climate.

On Friday, the Kentucky head coach was spotted at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, sitting courtside next to Murray State head coach Ryan Miller. You may not recognize him right away. Pope put down the clippers and let his hair grow out, along with a summer break beard. As someone who shaves his head out of necessity, I cannot fathom why he doesn’t let his long hair flow.

@brhoops Mark Pope pulled up to watch the FIBA U18 Americup 🔥 #aau #basketball #collegebasketball #nba #nbadraft ♬ original sound – brhoops

Domo de la Feria, Leon, Mexico is the host of this year’s international contest. If you recall, this was one of the first recruiting events Pope attended as Kentucky’s head coach. He had to remember how to drive a stick shift to be able to see Jasper Johnson in action down in Buenos Aires.

The members of USA’s U18 team are a blend of players who are preparing for college basketball in the fall and rising seniors in the 2027 recruiting class. Kentucky has extended offers to three players on the roster: Adan Diggs, Darius Wabbington, and Demarcus Henry.

Diggs, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, recently reclassified into the 2027 class and quickly took the top spot in the Rivals’ rankings. Wabbington is a 6-11 center ranked in the Top 20 from Arizona. Henry is a swingman ranked No. 10 in the 2027 class. All three picked up offers during the first live recruiting period of the summer.

In addition to Pope, Mo Williams made the trip to take a look at the talent in the international competition. Both should be back in Lexington this weekend for five-star guard Ryan Hampton‘s official visit to Kentucky.

5-star guard Ryan Hampton is on Kentucky’s campus for an official visit. https://t.co/4HmRyCmPNy pic.twitter.com/XUsEIWdNSS

— KSR (@KSRonX) June 6, 2026

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