Kentucky Basketball head coach Mark Pope and assistant coach Mikhail McLean took a different approach to recruiting this week, traveling to Orlando to spend time fishing with the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2027, 5-star power forward CJ Rosser, according to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim.
Rosser, a 6-foot-10, 195-pound standout from Orlando, is one of the most wanted recruits in the country and has been on Kentucky’s radar for more than a year. The Wildcats originally offered him in May 2025, and he also
made an unofficial visit to Lexington in February.
Now, instead of hosting Rosser on campus, Pope and McLean joined him in his element.
“It was really fun having the coaches out here with my family and me doing something I love,” Rosser told KSR. “It means a lot that they continue to show up for me and try to get to know me off the court, too. I might teach them a thing or two about fishing, though.”
Rosser averaged 12.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals during the opening EYBL session, continuing to solidify his status as one of the elite prospects in the country.
He holds offers from Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Louisville, Michigan, and Duke, among others.
For Pope, the visit represents another attempt to land a major recruiting win, as Kentucky continues its push for its first top-10 commitment of the Mark Pope era.
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