Kentucky Wildcats Basketball: Season Preview

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

If last nights Blue-White scrimmage was any indication at all, this season is going to be one for the ages. Calipari said in the post game interviews that he has to figure out what five guys he is going to start…out of eleven. That is right, folks. Calipari said he has ELEVEN players on this team that could start. Let that sink in a little bit. The depth issues fans have grown to expect since Calipari’s arrival are no more. The problem has somewhat overcorrected itself to having TOO MUCH depth…which is really no problem at all. Calipari listed Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Dominique Hawkins, Jon Hood, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee, Jarrod Polson, Alex Poythress, Derek Willis, and James Young as players that can come in and contribute at any point during a game. It is entirely possible that fans see a five-for-five substitution at some points during the game. Of course, what do each of these players bring to the table? Well, after last night’s affairs, it has become a little more clear.

During last night’s scrimmage, it became abundantly clear that James Young is as good as they have been saying. He is going to be the teams go-to scorer when time is at a premium. Put simply…the kid can shoot! Going 11-16 from the floor and 3-5 from behind the arch, he tallied up 25 points to lead all scorers. Saying James Young is the go-to scorer does not mean other guys cannot score. Julius Randle was a human highlight reel last night, going for 21 points and 8 rebounds. Dakari Johnson, the bruiser of the team, went for 16 points and 11 rebounds. Cauley-Stein went for 15 points and 7 rebounds. Aaron Harrison went for 19 points, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Jarrod Polson went for 12 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals. And the surprise of the evening, Derek Willis, went for 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. To sum it all up, this team is scary good!

The talks of 40-0 are heating up with the season just a few weeks away. While this is a dangerous discussion with the schedule we play, it should not be far off from the truth. Outside of Michigan State, North Carolina, Louisville, and Florida, no team should come close to beating us. Like…within 20 points. This team is that good, folks! While the 40-0 talks may be a little hefty of an expectation, anything more than five losses would be selling this team short. They have the drive, the talent, the athleticism, and the chemistry to get the 9th National Championship in grand fashion. And I failed to mention the most impressive thing about this team, which can be summed up in a quote from Calipari’s post game interview last evening. “The one thing you may not have noticed, you’d have to have a really good eye to notice this, we’re really big. Like really big. Like 7’0″, 7’0″, 6’10″, 6’9″, 6’9″, 6’8″, 6’7″, and then your guards are 6’6″. What? I mean, we’re really long and big.” That is an NBA sized team, people. And they are playing college ball…at the University of Kentucky. Good luck to all of our opponents. After what was seen last night, you are all going to need it!