On April 12, 2024, Mark Pope, a former player for the UK’s 1996 national championship squad, became head coach of Kentucky’s men’s basketball program.
Pope guided the Wildcats to a 24-12 overall record and a 10-8 SEC record in his debut season, which resulted in Kentucky’s first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2019.
Under Pope, the UK offense established a school record with 341 three-pointers, finished seventh in the country in scoring, and won eight games against AP Top 15 opponents, including notable triumphs against Duke, Florida Gonzaga, and Tennessee.
On Monday, Pope’s Wildcats received yet another boost.
On3’s Joe Tipton revealed that 7-foot-3 Italian center Luigi Suigo has emerged as one of the nation’s most intriguing long-term prospects, drawing recruiting interest from Illinois, Purdue, BYU, Louisville, Texas A&M, and, notably, Kentucky.
Suigo is one of the most physically intimidating prospects in the 2026 class. He turned 18 last January and measures 7 feet 3 inches tall with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and a 20-inch standing vertical.
He is a product of Olimpia Milano’s development system and has participated in the Adidas Next Generation Tournament and Italian Serie A with AX Armani Exchange Milan.
He was also one of 60 invitees to Basketball Without Borders Europe, underlining his rising international profile.
According to Rivals, Suigo holds five offers from Duke, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA.
The summer months in Suigo will be packed with both official and informal visits.
Purdue has scheduled an official visit, Kentucky is preparing its own presentation to the 7-footer, and Illinois hosted him in February.
Kentucky is an obvious choice for a player like Suigo because of Pope’s fast-paced style, reputation for player development, and growing global recruiting network.
