There is a misconception about the talent on Mark Pope's first Kentucky roster

Mark Pope has plenty of talent on his 2024-25 roster.

Oct 23, 2024; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope celebrates during the first half against the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

It is almost time for Kentucky basketball to get started, and Big Blue Nation is fired up that the Mark Pope era is about to get started. Many college basketball analysts and fans share different opinions on this Kentucky team. Some believe the Wildcats are in for a great season, while others believe bringing together a brand-new roster will be difficult.

There is a misconception about the talent on this Kentucky roster that has to do with NBA talent. College basketball fans are used to Kentucky producing a ton of NBA-level talent, and some believe that won't be the case this season.

There are two ways to respond to this argument. The first would be to say that multiple NBA mock drafts have included Kentucky players. Names like Jaxson Robinson, Brandon Garrison, Andrew Carr, and Collin Chandler have been seen in different mock drafts, and all of these players have a shot at making it to the next level.

The most important response to this argument about a lack of NBA-level talent is that Coach Pope doesn't need that to take this team to a Final Four. Since the pandemic, many teams that have gone on deep runs in the tournament have been full of veteran players that might not have a ton of NBA upside.

Coach Pope's plan for the future is to mix veteran leadership with five-star talent, and that will be the case on his 2025-26 roster. Don't write off this 2024-25 roster, as the Wildcats do have some NBA-level talent, but more importantly, they have a handful of players who have played a lot of college basketball.