Mark Pope and his staff just landed a major recruiting win. After facing some recruiting challenges in the 2026 class, Kentucky Basketball has already secured two commitments for the 2027 cycle.
On Wednesday, the Wildcats landed 4-star center Cherif Millogo, a 7-foot-5, 250-pound prospect who recently took an official visit to Lexington. Pope and his staff hosted Millogo during the weekend of Oct. 9, including a trip to Keeneland, and the visit ultimately helped Kentucky secure his commitment.
Millogo
attends St. Francis High School in La Cañada Flintridge, California. According to the Rivals rankings, he is the No. 11 overall prospect nationally, the No. 2 center and the No. 1 player in California.
Although Millogo’s recruitment gained momentum in 2026, several programs identified his potential early. Alabama and Georgia were among the schools that showed interest during the summer of 2025. Kentucky extended an offer in May 2026 before bringing him to campus for his official visit in October.
One factor that may have helped the Wildcats is Millogo’s connection with new Kentucky assistant coach Alfred Aboya, who previously coached with NBA Academy Africa. That relationship could have played a role in building trust late in the recruiting process.
On the court, Millogo offers an intriguing combination of size and skill. He is a stretch 5 who can knock down 3-pointers while also protecting the rim as a shot blocker. If he continues to develop throughout his senior season, he could make a push for a fifth star in the recruiting rankings.
With Millogo on board, Kentucky now has two commitments in the 2027 class: 4-star small forward Ryan Hampton and 4-star center Millogo.
The Wildcats will look to keep that momentum going, with several highly rated prospects still on the board. 5-star power forward CJ Rosser is among the names Kentucky could continue pursuing.
Pope and his staff have plenty of options as they continue to work to improve the class. If the Wildcats can maintain their recruiting momentum and add a few more key pieces, Kentucky could be in position to assemble one of the top classes in the country.
