Going into this transfer portal period, Big Blue Nation understood that Mark Pope needed to bring in a point guard. When Jaland Lowe entered the portal, it became clear the position required a complete rebuild. Throughout Pope’s time in Lexington, point guard has been a concern due to injuries and lack of depth, and the coaching staff is determined to avoid those issues this season.
Currently, BYU transfer Rob Wright III is visiting Lexington, with the staff aiming to secure him as the starting point guard. Landing Wright III would be a major boost for the future of the position, though the Wildcats would still need a reliable backup. It appears Pope has already identified his preferred option to fill that secondary role.
It was just announced by Jon Rothstein that Colgate transfer guard Jalen Cox will take a visit to Lexington on Wednesday. Last season for the Raiders, Cox averaged 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. He shot 52.1% from the field and 36.5% from three.
The best part about Cox’s game is his ability to defend. He has earned All-Defensive Team honors in back-to-back seasons, so while he is an elite scorer averaging 17.9 points per game, he can also defend. I don’t think there is a more perfect guard to be the backup in Lexington next season, but it is still to be seen if Cox would be willing to come be a backup.
If he is willing to step into this role and Pope can land Wright III and Cox, the Wildcats will immediately have one of the best backcourts not only in the SEC but in all of college basketball. It would be very relieving for Kentucky to have an elite group of point guards, knowing how much of an issue this has been during Pope’s two years in Lexington.
Cox will be taking some visits early this week before he comes to Lexington on Wednesday, so fans need to hope that he doesn’t commit to one of these schools before ever setting foot on campus. This happens a lot in the portal, so Big Blue Nation will have to hope that Cox makes it to his visit on Wednesday. Fans should be very excited about the future of the point guard position.
