Mark Pope draws comparisons between Alex Wilkins and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Mark Pope, head coach of Kentucky Basketball, recently compared Furman transfer Alex Wilkins to NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during a segment discussing player skills. Pope highlighted Wilkins' control, change of pace, and scoring ability, which he believes resemble the strengths of Gilgeous-Alexander. While acknowledging Gilgeous-Alexander’s more polished game, he noted Wilkins’ potential for improvement, specifically in reducing turnovers. Wilkins averaged 17 points per game last season at Furman, mirroring the scoring outputs of other notable Kentucky players, and is expected to compete for a significant role on the team this coming season.

• 10:06 PMYahoo Sports — Mark Pope compares Alex Wilkins to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and it’s easy to see why