[ad_1]
-
Myron Medcalf, ESPN staff writer
Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope announced Friday that the program will host an open tryout later this month for potential walk-ons for the 2024-25 season.
The Wildcats, a preseason top-25 team, are asking interested players to submit their height, weight, location and contact information for their high school basketball coach.
The exam is open to all academically qualified, full-time Kentucky students. As per the announcement, the team will narrow down the list of possible walk-ons and invite the preferred candidates to the August 30 exam.
While an open tryout is rare for a blue-blood college basketball program, Kentucky isn’t the first to hold one.
Just last year, Louisville coach Kenny Payne made such an attempt and asked the public to send walk-ons “our way” as the team was desperate to add more talent during a challenging season.
In women’s basketball, TCU was forced to add four walk-ons through an open tryout last season after multiple players were out with injuries.
To be clear, Kentucky is not in that situation.
Transfers Jackson Robinson and Lamont Butler will be led, along with Pope — who as a player helped Kentucky win a national title in 1996 — join Lexington in his first year coaching.
[ad_2]
