We are only a week out from Kentucky’s Round of 32 loss to Iowa State in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and Kentucky is already shaking things up in regards to both the roster and the coaching staff.
The men’s basketball program found out over the weekend that Jaland Lowe will be entering his name into the transfer portal. Also, former assistant coach Jason Hart and assistant coach Alvin Brooks III both were not being brought back to the program for the 2026-27 season. Hart has accepted a position with SMU to become an associate head coach under Andy Enfield, and Alvin Brooks III’s next job hasn’t been made public yet.
This past Saturday was a big day for Mark Pope and his remaining coaching staff as they managed to land their first commitment for the class of 2026 in four-star guard, Mason Williams.
The first recruiting commitment for the Wildcats in the 2026 class had previously committed to Jackson State where his father and former NBA star, Mo Williams, was the head coach at the time. He recently reopened his commitment and took a visit to Lexington, with his father, and decided to commit to the Wildcats. Very quickly after rumors started to circulate that his father could be coming with him as a package deal.
Just three days later, KSR reports it as happening and Mo Williams puts out an official statement to JSU for his departure.
A quick background on Mo Williams’ NBA career: Williams played in the NBA for 13 seasons with 7 different organizations but his most notable run was with the Cleveland Cavaliers where he played alongside Lebron James, winning a NBA title together in 2016. Mo racked up 10,759 points, 3,990 assists, 2,264 rebounds, and 721 steals in 818 games played throughout his decorated career. He brings in NBA experience from his own life to this staff, the connections that comes with the league, and knowing what it takes to get players there in today’s world.
Additionally, after his playing career, Williams decided to get into coaching where he started as an assistant at Cal State Northridge from 2018-2020. He then went on to be the head coach at Alabama State from 2020-2022 and most recently at Jackson State from 2022 until this past season. As a head coach, Mo Williams is 69-109 in his career.
Mo Williams is also tabbed as one of the most plugged in guys in the AAU scene which could mean immediate connections to other top recruits. In the big picture sort of thing, adding Mo Williams is bringing in a guy who has instant credibility across HS, AAU, and NBA circles.
If you may recall, Mo Williams brought his Jackson State Tigers into Rupp Arena back on November of 2024. This was just 5 games into the Mark Pope era and the Wildcats won with a final score of 108-59. After the game, Mark Pope was asked about JSU’s Mo Williams and said, “Mo clearly, come on. He’s one of the best basketball guys and ambassadors to this game ever.”
It’s interesting to see how things have progressed since that meeting in Rupp Arena. If you would have told me two years ago that not only would an NBA legend (Mo) but his son (Mason) as well would be on the team in 2026, after Kentucky’s recruiting struggles, I don’t think I would have believed you. However, it is clear that Mark Pope has struggled with recruiting on the high school level and this could potentially be an attempt to assist with that, especially with the guard positions.
Did you enjoy this article? If so, you can stay connected with the growing Cats Coverage site by following them on Facebook or X/Twitter to never miss another post!
Leave a Reply