Ryan Hampton is proud to be a Kentucky Wildcat: ‘I know I made the right decision’

It’s not easy being the very first. Mark Pope had not yet landed a blue-chip, top-20 high school recruit at Kentucky — or ever, for that matter — until 2027 prospect Ryan Hampton pulled the trigger on a commitment in June. In a string of big-time wins for the Wildcats following Malachi Moreno’s return and Milan Momcilovic’s transfer, getting the five-star monkey off Pope’s back was arguably his biggest yet. Why did Hampton do it, especially then? The staff knocked his visit out of the park, making him feel Lexington was home to the point a pledge became obvious. “Man, when I went to my visit, it was like no other,” he told KSR. “I mean, it’s Kentucky. They have a lot of history, they have the most guys that went to the league and, and even though Coach (John) Calipari is not there, Coach Mark Pope stepped in and I think he’s the best coach in college basketball. I sat down with him — me and my family — and he told me not all good, even the bad too. That’s what I love, not a coach that just sugarcoats things with me.” The Wildcats offered after the first EYBL session in Atlanta back in the spring, and then “kept talking to me for weeks and weeks,” he said, relentlessly pushing for the visit, then the commitment. After every game, the staff sent him film on the things he did well and the things he did poorly. Both stuck with him. “Man, really just playing within their system,” Hampton said of the positives he heard from Pope. “He loves my length and how I get involved as a scorer, how I can do everything — rebound, get my teammates involved. He wants me to come in as a true freshman and really make an impact early in his system. They showed me the videos, all my good plays and how it translates with the plays that they actually ran this past year. I think it really fits me. That’s why I made the decision to go there.” As for the negatives, those were about slowing down and letting the game come to him rather than forcing the issue. Hampton is at his best when he’s aggressive, but controlled. “Man, really just making the right play,” he continued. “Obviously, sometimes I’m rushed when I get the ball, and I don’t want to let guys rush me in the game. So I’m really just playing at my own pace and not don’t let other guys rush me.” What’s life been like since his commitment, now setting in comfortably as a Wildcat? It’s been like a fine wine, only getting sweeter with time. That’s because the coaches continue to stay in contact and show up to his games, showing him that recruiting never stops and he’ll always be a top priority for them. He was confident in his decision at the time of his announcement, but Kentucky has since solidified that confidence with their actions in the month-plus since. “It’s been great. I love that I made that decision,” Hampton told KSR. “Kentucky, I think it’s a great place for me to grow and really just build up my game and when I get to college. Coach Pope, Coach Mo Williams, Coach Mikhail (McLean), all of them, they’re preparing me on how to be a man on and off the court. I’m very glad I made that decision.” His message to Big Blue Nation? Be ready for a player willing to do whatever it takes to win basketball games and push the program toward its forever goal of hanging banners. Motor and passion will never be problems with Hampton wearing Kentucky across his chest, he wants it made clear. “Really just seeing me coming in there and making an impact,” he said of what BBN can expect when he arrives. “Not just scoring, but getting on the boards, defending and being the best defender, facilitating. Just doing everything and being a guy that will play 110 percent every night for y’all. I want to be No. 1 in the country when I get there and help win a national championship. I want to do it every single game.” Until then, he’s going to keep on enjoying rocking Kentucky gear wherever he goes and representing his future program well both on and off the floor. “I’m very happy because I know I made the right decision,” he said. “I know they’re like a family and me and my family are definitely comfortable with that decision. I’m very grateful for it. … I mean, it’s like no other. “Kentucky is going to do good this year, and when I get there, it’s going to be even better.”