It is a very weird time in college basketball, but a court ruling has brought some elite players back into play for the 2026-27 season, and Mark Pope has a roster spot open. The names that Kentucky has been connected with over the last few days are Missouri forward Mark Mitchell, Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler, and Auburn wing Keyshawn Hall.
The two names with the most smoke around them right now are Hall and Mitchell. Kohler is still a name to watch, but it seems like this recruitment is going to be very complicated. The most smoke within Kentucky right now is around Mitchell, but Hall's name continues to get floated around.
Hall is a player that put up some really impressive numbers last season at Auburn. He led the Tigers in scoring, averaging 19.3 points to go with 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He shot 45.1% from the field and was also really good from three, shooting 37.9%. The best attribute of Hall's game is his ability to get to the free throw line. He was one of the best players in the nation at getting to the charity stripe, and he shot 85.7%.
Hall put up some great numbers last season for the Auburn Tigers, but I just don't see the fit here for Kentucky. Big Blue Nation seems split on their opinion of Hall, but I lean to the side of no thanks. I know it sounds crazy to not be excited about a near 20 ppg scorer in the SEC, but the way he plays doesn't seem like it would gel with Pope.
Hall was running the show a lot last season at Auburn, even with some really good guards in the backcourt. He averaged 2.6 assists per game but also turned the ball over 2.5 times per game. If Hall is able to play a different role than he has over the last few years and play off the ball more, this could work out, but I just can't see him playing a role like this.
I also don't know how it would work with Hall and Milan Momcilovic. One of them would have to play the four, and I wouldn't be happy with either of them at this position. It feels like the cons outweigh the pros for me.
I do believe that there is a world where Hall comes to Kentucky, and it works out, but I also see a situation where it does not. Mitchell would be the best fit for Pope, and the Wildcats and even Kohler would be a better fit than Hall. This is going to be an interesting couple of days.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kentucky as Is Keyshawn Hall a good fit for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats?.