Is Kentucky’s Next Recruiting Class Missing Some Pieces?

The Kentucky Basketball One-and-Done Culture Continues with New Crop of Cats

Being a Kentucky basketball fan means not getting too attached to your favorite player. Being a Kentucky basketball fan also means learning a whole new roster every year, and having high expectations for young men who just attended their senior prom several months prior. Before the 2017-18 season even begins, Kentucky will be dubbed a title contender yet again.

There is a different team each year, but always the same expectations. At the end of this season, Kentucky will endure a roster overhaul similar to the mass exodus following the 2012-13 season. The Big Blue Nation saw six players exit the program that year, followed by a heralded class lead by Julius Randle. Some experts labeled John Calipari’s 2013-2014 recruiting class as one of the best classes in the history of college basketball.

Barring an extraordinary occurrence, Kentucky will most likely lose freshman stars Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, and Bam Adebayo to the NBA draft. Seniors Dominique Hawkins, Derek Willis, and Mychal Mulder will also leave and make decisions concerning their basketball future.

The Current Class

Kentucky currently has a firm grasp on the top-ranked recruiting class according to 247sports.com. Freshmen Hamidou Diallo, P.J. Washington, Nick Richards, Quade Green, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jared Vanderbilt will team up with reserves that look to show they should not be overlooked.

Kentucky Basketball fans have high expectations for their teams. With the 2017 recruiting class and returning players, Kentucky could still be two players short of what could make a remarkable season. We desperately need a knockdown shooter at the wing position and a long rim protector at the center position. Some of the players we are currently recruiting fit one of these molds; some of them do not. Filling these positions is vital to next year’s success.

Can Kentucky Land a Go-To Scorer from the Perimeter?

Due to Malik Monk, Mychal Mulder, and Derek Willis exiting the program, Kentucky will struggle to find their outside shot. Quade Green and Hamidou Diallo are not labeled as knockdown shooters, but merely slashers with a mid-range game. With no highly touted recruits labeled as outside shooters on our radar, the staff must recruit from other avenues. Calpari may have to search the junior college ranks or seek the dreaded fifth year graduate transfer, with which he has made public he does not agree.

 Also, landing a recruit from Kentucky would check several boxes from a Kentucky Fan’s perspective. Being from Kentucky, a player labeled a sniper from the outside would quickly be a fan favorite, similar to the likes of Hawkins and Willis.

Rebounding Will Improve But What About Rim Protection?

Recruits P.J. Washington and Nick Richards will again bring toughness in the Kentucky front court like Bam Adebayo has for the 2016-17 season. The one component they lack is their ability to protect the rim at the levels of Willie Cauley-Stein or Anthony Davis. John Calpari’s philosophy on defense does not require, but benefits from a dominant low post defender.

If John Caliparican land a commitment from Mohamed Bamba the third ranked recruit according to 247sports.com, Kentucky would add the missing piece that  hasn’t seen since the 2014-15 season. The experts at 247sports.com also give Kentucky a 63% chance to land the talented big man.

The seven-foot star has a 7”8’ wingspan that would allow him to block and alter many shots. His defensive presence has experts comparing him to NBA All-Stars such as Dikembe Mutombo. Something tells me that he has the potential and size to make a lot of good guards think twice before coming down the lane.

Will this be a Good Team or a Great Team? 

Again, most schools would be ecstatic to have the roster that Kentucky has.  But, being a Kentucky fan means never being satisfied. At the start of the 2017-18 season, Kentucky will again have a national championship caliber team. The fusion of incoming freshman and talented returning players could push this team over the top.

Next: Kentucky's Most Memorable Sweet Sixteen Games

There is no doubt the Cats will be a talented team. Could this be a great team? To speak out of turn and answer the question, the answer is yes. I think to be a great team Kentucky needs to be able to answer some questions. Will Calipari go the unconventional route and sign a hidden gem that is the sharp shooter? Can he close the deal and add another dominant big man to an already stout front court? Only time will tell.

Go Cats!