Following the heartbreaking elimination in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are gearing up to do it all over again in the 2025–26 college basketball season. However, in order to witness better results than this past campaign, they will need some players to step up and fill in for key departures from several senior leaders. That’s the case for Brandon Garrison, who has big expectations set by Pope.
The Wildcats are determined to avenge their disheartening 78-65 defeat against the Tennessee Volunteers in the Sweet Sixteen stage of March Madness. Of course, it will be a tall order for Pope’s Kentucky, and one that’s way easier said than accomplished in such a competitive NCAA environment.
Regardless, the Wildcats are riding high spirits as they prepare for the upcoming college basketball season, in which they’ll be put through a litmus test in the SEC night in and night out.
Otega Oweh and Koby Brea are the top players Pope and Kentucky will probably miss the most in the 2025–26 campaign. However, they have exciting talents ready to take over in bigger roles. Garrison is one of the most promising players in Lexington and could become a star in the upcoming college basketball season.
Brandon Garrison #10 of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts after a three point basket during the first half against the LSU Tigers at Rupp Arena on March 4, 2025 in Lexington, Kentucky.
Pope certainly believes so, as he voiced a firm six-word statement to the junior guard, who is entering his second year in Kentucky after transferring from Oklahoma State.
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“He needs to be a leader,” Mark Pope said about Garrison, per On3. “I’m really proud of him, how he’s approached this offseason. He’s been really hungry. He’s been working really hard, and his job now as a returning player is to come teach all the other guys — whether they’re more senior than him or not, he’s one of our few returning guys that knows what we do, knows how we do it, knows the expectation, knows the standard.“
Gaining confidence
Garrison appeared in 35 games during his first season in Lexington, and as he slowly acclimated to Pope’s system in the Bluegrass State, he showed great signs of growth and leadership, which the 52-year-old bench boss found commendable.
“It was really fun in the last month of the season to see him start to take on some leadership role, even with the veteran-laden team that we had last year. You started to hear his voice more,” Pope admitted. “You started to feel his intensity a little bit more. He’s changed, like he’s grown. It’s been awesome.”
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Garrison finished the season with an average of 17.3 minutes played every night, registering 5.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. His field goal percentage was of 50.9, which ranked third-best on the team.
