When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander transitioned to collegiate basketball, he initially committed to Florida. However, he later decommitted and chose the Wildcats instead. By the time he left Kentucky, he was the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Years later, five-star recruit Nate Ament finds himself in a similar situation. Initially considering five final schools, Louisville now appears to have an edge, especially with another five-star prospect, Mikel Brown Jr., already committed. But does that mean Ament is destined to join the Cardinals? Not necessarily! Mark Pope and his staff have one last move up their sleeves.

It’s Kentucky’s final pitch to fans: “Kentucky fans! FanStake just launched the ‘10X Boost Campaign’ for Nate, where they’re matching stakes 👀🔥 This is the best chance we have to show Nate Ament we want him in Lexington!!” The program announced in a post.

Since talent battles in the NIL era go beyond coaching pitches, rallying fans to contribute financially is a strong strategy—especially when ACC powerhouse Louisville is making a bold statement. Right from the beginning, the Cardinals were ahead in of the race. Earlier this year, Lousiville fans raised $29,510 before taking it to a further $71,835. Meanwhile, Kentucky sat at $38,165.

But, now the dynamics are further changed with the Cardinals currently leading the NIL race with $83,706 pledged for Ament’s commitment, while Kentucky trails behind at $46,115. At this point of time, a pitch from KU can help to further boost Wildcat’s standing in the race.

Especially when Ament has already watched his peers secure their futures. Consider No. 1 prospect AJ Dybantsa, who landed a $7 million NIL deal with BYU. However, relying solely on fan contributions isn’t an ideal strategy, and Mark Pope knows that.

Despite Nate Ament’s praise for the Wildcats, Mark Pope isn’t leaving anything to chance!

Since the beginning Pope and his coaching staff had their eyes on Ament. Especially the head coach has been actively involved in Ament’s recruitment demonstrating genuine interest. “They FaceTime me often, they talk to me a lot. Great sense of humour, great guys, it’s great getting to know them honestly.” shared the top five-star recruit who visited Kentucky, one of his five final schools earlier this week.

The trip made an impact—especially on his perception of head coach Mark Pope. “He’s a high-character guy. That’s something you like to see as a player,” Ament shared in a podcast after his visit.

Going beyond that, Ament shared, “His offense is one of the best in the nation. He gets up and down the floor and shoots the three really well. Seeing that as a versatile player who does all of those things is very tempting for sure.”

And he’s not wrong. Kentucky ranks No. 3 in the nation in scoring, averaging 85.6 PPG. Their 1.87 assist-to-turnover ratio also ties for the third-best in the country. Additionally, five Wildcats are among the top 25 offensive players in the SEC. While Ament’s reviews have been positive, Pope isn’t done making an impression.

The head coach is set to attend Ament’s senior night tonight, as reported by 247 Sports. Given Ament’s recent visit, this quick follow-up could be an eye-opener.

But the real question remains: Is all of this enough to surpass Duke and Louisville in the race? We’ll have our answer on April 1st, meaning Pope still has over a month to make his final push.