NCAAB Pre-Season Breakdown SEC Edition: Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky Wildcats

Kentucky Wildcats Rank at end of 2018-2019 season: 7th in Coaches Poll; Record: (30-7); Lost to Auburn 77-71 in the Elite Eight

The Kentucky Wildcats season ended in the Elite Eight this past season. History has shown that one-and-done built teams, such as Kentucky, have found it tough to win the tournament. A deep run into the Elite Eight, halted by a peaking Auburn team, almost proved that theory wrong. The combination of players looking to the future and the limited time with the coaching staff creates a tough situation for on court success.

Key Players Lost:

Tyler Herro, P.J Washington, and Keldon Johnson all declared for the draft and were taken in the first round. Regardless of the tough situation that one-and-done designed teams find themselves in, Kentucky’s talent this past season was undeniable. Herro displayed one of the purest jump shots in college basketball last season. Washington expanded his offensive game and led the Wildcats in scoring averaging 15.2 ppg. Johnson was drafted by the Spurs towards the end of the first round. His scoring ability off the dribble, as well as his size, helped him be the Wildcats 3rd leading scorer during the season.

For most programs, losing your top three scorers can seem like an insurmountable mountain to climb. In many it would lead to a setback. The constant influx of talent at Kentucky helps to mitigate these types of losses.

Key Returning Player:

Teams built in that one-and-done style struggle to keep impact players but the Wildcats do have one player that stands out. Ashton Hagans will be a very welcome sight for Coach Calipari. A 30 game starter who led the team in assists(4.3 apg) and steals(1.6ppg), Hagans showed the poise and control that SEC basketball demands. His experience playing deep into the NCAA tourney will be extremely valuable for this Kentucky Wildcats team come next season. 

Notable Incoming Recruit:

Once again the Wildcats have appeared at the top of the recruiting game. Their incoming class is ranked 2nd in the country, only falling behind Memphis. With three five-star recruits coming in it can be tough to single out who will provide the greatest impact. This is definitely a problem that Calipari and Kentucky fans do not mind having. The recruit that I see having the most impact on the team is Kahlil Whitney. Registering in at 6-6 190lbs, Whitney has the prototypical build for an NBA ready wing. The frame and skillset are there as well as the ability to score from everywhere on the floor. His biggest learning curve will be trying to control his tendency to turn the ball over. Having other ball handlers, such as Hagans, on the team will help relieve that pressure from him. 

Breakdown for Next Season:

Losing three players that went drafted in the first round will be tough for the Kentucky Wildcats. At the same time, Calipari has brought in another amazing recruiting class. The presence of Hagans mixed with the potential of Whitney will produce another talent heavy roster for Kentucky. Add on the experience and coaching ability of Calipari and the Wildcats should be in for another strong season.  

With all of this information I see Kentucky fighting again for a top two seed in the SEC. Last year they finished second behind LSU, but at the moment I don’t see LSU competing with them for this top spot as well as they did last season. To hear the breakdown of why stay tuned for my article breaking down the outlook of the LSU Tigers in the coming weeks.  

Next up: The Tennessee Volunteers