Kentucky Makes Big Move to Recruit Five-Star Son of Former NBA Player

Kentucky is making its presence felt by focusing on building the future rather than dwelling on the past. Mark Pope and company may have missed out on some key recruits this year, with Tyran Stokes probably the biggest fumble, but since then, the recruitment approach has been centered around planning early and getting deals done.

Ryan Hampton’s signature was the first step on that journey, and it appears Kentucky are looking beyond the recruits in the immediate category to focus on 2029 ones too, with young RJ Evans receiving an offer from Kentucky.

Evans follows JJ Crawford as the second 2029 recruit to receive an offer from Kentucky, and coincidentally, both players have fathers with an NBA reputation. JJ Crawford is the son of the great Jamal Crawford, who has also been offered a coaching position at Kentucky by Mark Pope, while RJ Evans is the son of former NBA player Reggie Evans, and has some of the qualities that made his dad great.

There is clearly no time being wasted in preparing the future of Kentucky. Reports suggest that Mark Pope and his assistant Mo Williams have been keeping a close eye on a top 2028 recruit in Benji Berrouet.

The approach for the talented four-star recruit looks serious with Kentucky reportedly making their intentions clear at his live period games and aiming to fast-track his development to college quality. Ranked no. 2 among power forwards, he has the tools to succeed in a solid Kentucky line.

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