Mark Pope during the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, scouting prospects from….

The newest head coach made the long trip to Argentina to visit with a number of prospects, one of them is Bluegrass native Jasper Johnson.

It’s obvious that you can’t doubt Mark Pope’s effort and desire thus far, even though we haven’t seen him play and win games.

Pope has been relentlessly building a roster for the upcoming season since being hired a few months ago.

Pope is currently in Argentina to watch a few prospects compete in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup. It is encouraging to see that work is still being done, especially for Kentucky fans.

Pope even took to social media to share his difficulties maneuvering a stick shift when in Buenos Aires with the world:

Pope is following Team USA, which includes Jasper Johnson, a native of Lexington and one of the nation’s best recruits.

Pope is also present to assess a couple additional Team USA prospects:

The five-star small forward Trey McKenney
Four-star small forward Nate Ament
Four-star small forward Shelton Henderson
Returning to Link Academy, Johnson, a previous standout player for Woodford County, is averaging 7.7 points, three assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game.

With three wins in a row, Team USA has defeated every opponent by an average of fifty points—yes, fifty.

It is impossible to deny the work and commitment, whether or not Pope invites some of these guys to Lexington.