Mark Pope just pulled off a monster recruiting win, because 7-foot-5 center Cherif Millogo just announced he is heading to Kentucky, picking the Wildcats over a stacked list of offers including North Carolina, Texas, Louisville, and Arkansas. This is a massive get for Pope, with Millogo ranking as the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2027 recruiting class, making him the highest-ranked recruit Pope has landed at Kentucky.
Meet the Next Big Thing (Literally)
So, who exactly is this kid? Millogo is a 7-foot-5 center from Burkina Faso who is currently playing at St. Francis High School in California. Before landing at St. Francis ahead of his junior season, he previously attended Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science in Massachusetts. He did have to sit out his sophomore season, 2024-25, after tearing his ACL, but clearly that is in the rearview mirror now. What is truly wild is Millogo is a relative newcomer to the game, having picked up basketball in seventh grade after initially focusing on soccer. To top it off, his legal guardian is Luc Mbah a Moute, a guy who had a 12-year NBA career. You just know he is getting some serious mentorship there.
This Kid Can Do Everything
ESPN ranks Millogo as the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2027 class and the No. 2 center, but those numbers barely tell the story. What makes him so intriguing is his versatility. We are talking about a 7-foot-5 guy with a ridiculous 7-foot-9 wingspan who can protect the rim, score in the post, shoot from the 3-point line, *and* handle the ball. His high school coach, Todd Wolfson, was absolutely stunned, saying he has never seen a prospect like Millogo. “A lot of guys can score, a lot of guys can shoot threes,” Wolfson said. “I mean, how he protects the rim and how he rebounds, how he can score in the post, how he can shoot the three, how he can take guys off the dribble. He brings the ball up. Not many guys at 7-4 are doing that. His ceiling is however high he wants it to be.” Millogo even studied clips of Kevin Durant just to perfect his shot. Last season, he averaged a monstrous 24.8 points, 11.4 rebounds, 5.1 blocks, and 3.8 assists per game. He was flirting with quadruple-doubles constantly, dropping 27 points, 18 rebounds, nine blocks, and seven assists in a win over La Salle, then following it up with 34 points, 22 rebounds, eight assists, and eight blocks in a win against Servite. His debut at St. Francis saw him put up 30 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists.
Kentucky just snagged a game-changer with Millogo’s commitment. College basketball, you have been warned.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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