Aside from Kevin Knox, will Kentucky basketball lose any more players
By Drew Koch
Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stay or go?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of those recruits that has outplayed his projection. I think most casual observers expected Quade Green to be the starting point guard for UK this year. Green’s injured back and 3-game absence opened the door for SGA and he hasn’t looked back.
Gilgeous-Alexander has unbelievable quickness with the ball in his hands. He’s not fast like John Wall or De’Aaron Fox, but his lateral quickness helps him to get by defenders and get to the basket. When Shai gets free, he’s either going to convert at the rim, get fouled or find the open man.
The struggle I see for SGA at the next level is the quickness of the opposing players. Let’s be real, most point guards in the NBA are going to possess that similar quickness that Shai has, and they’ll be able to match him step for step. Then, provided he does get by his defender, the interior defense in the NBA is much tougher than college basketball.
I personally think Gilgeous-Alexander should return for his sophomore season. That being said, he may never be a hotter commodity than he is right now. There’s a chance with Green and an incoming backcourt of Immanuel Quickley, Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson, that Shai could get lost in the shuffle. I fully expect SGA to test the waters. If he gets a first-round grade, I think he’d be hard-pressed to return.