Kentucky is still pursuing Jamal Crawford for its final assistant coach spot, and the former NBA guard has not shut the door on the job. Crawford remains in talks with Mark Pope about the role and is serious about getting into coaching, keeping alive a possibility that has lingered through the offseason.

That matters now because Kentucky has already added former NBA All-Star Mo Williams to the staff this offseason, and Pope is still working to complete his bench. Crawford, who played 20 seasons in the NBA, told KSR that other schools have also shown interest, but Kentucky is the only job he is seriously considering.

Crawford pointed to two reasons the pull remains strong: his long relationship with Pope and the connection both men have to Washington. He also cited his respect for Kentucky’s brand, a reminder that the appeal goes beyond one open seat and into the kind of visibility and expectation that comes with the program.

Kentucky’s interest in Crawford once looked like it could serve another purpose, too. Early in the offseason, the push for the veteran guard was seen as a possible gateway to the recruitment of Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 overall recruit. Stokes later committed to Kansas, but Kentucky did not drop its pursuit of Crawford, suggesting the staff still sees value in bringing him aboard on his own merits.

The timeline has only sharpened the point. Pope added Williams earlier this offseason, and Williams has been serving as his second-hand man on the recruiting trail, but the final assistant opening remains unresolved. Crawford has already coached Stokes, giving him a link to one of the country’s most prized prospects, yet that connection no longer appears to be the main reason Kentucky wants him. The school still wants a coach with credibility, NBA experience and a direct line to Pope’s recruiting push.

For Crawford, the choice is narrowing, not opening. He has not officially ruled out Kentucky, and he is still in conversation with Pope. That leaves the door open for a hire that would bring a 20-year NBA veteran into college coaching and give Kentucky another name with real weight behind it as the program tries to finish building its staff.