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Kentucky basketball: 2017-18 Final reactions – Reaction No. 1

By Matt Upchurch

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 22: The Kentucky Wildcats huddle against the Kansas State Wildcats in the first half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at Philips Arena on March 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 22: The Kentucky Wildcats huddle against the Kansas State Wildcats in the first half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at Philips Arena on March 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Each day this week, I will release one of my 5 final observations from the Kentucky basketball team’s 2017-2018 season. Here is Part 1 of my 5 final observations:

Rather than “Rushed Reactions”, this week I will unveil my final reactions from Kentucky basketball’s 2017-18 season. This team experienced ups and downs, highs and lows, and drove BBN crazy at times. For the youngest team in college basketball season, there was plenty to like from this squad. But ultimately not making the Elite 8, and some head-scratching losses, there was plenty to dislike from this squad too. Here is Part 1 of my 5 final observations:

Season of surprises

The first observation from this season was the amount of surprises I saw from this team. Some surprises were positive, and some not so positive. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the biggest surprise from this season. He wasn’t nearly as heralded and hyped coming to UK as was Quade Green, Nick Richards, Kevin Knox and Hamidou Diallo. But by the end of the season, SGA was Kentucky’s most important player.

Gilgeous-Alexander was without a doubt the most consistent and reliable player on UK’s roster. He came in with a 4-star reputation, not even making the McDonald’s All-American game. When he arrived on campus, it was a forgone conclusion that he was going to be Quade’s backup point guard. SGA is likely leaving the Kentucky basketball program for the NBA Draft. He is a potential lottery pick, won the SEC Tournament MVP and is received all-conference recognition. His play throughout the year was one of the most pleasant surprises in recent UK history.

Not all surprises were as pleasant though. Hamidou Diallo was essentially a “bust” this season. Kentucky basketball fans expected highlight reel plays, dominant athleticism on display, and the consistency of a 1st round NBA draft pick. Diallo did give BBN some highlight plays, but far fewer than anticipated. His perimeter shooting was atrocious.

He was one of the most inconsistent players in the Calipari era at UK. Diallo disappeared for stretches of games and made several head-scratching mistakes throughout the season. Diallo was a disappointment, very simple.

Nick Richards was even more of a disappointment than Diallo. This could be a result of poor scouting and evaluation from “experts” around the nation. From what BBN saw of Richards, he was NOT the type of player that deserved the hype and reputation he had coming in as a freshman.

Richards often looked lost on the floor, incompetent on offense, and completely absent of confidence. For a player that was supposed to be a great shot-blocker, BBN saw very, very little shot-blocking from him during the season. The fact that Coach Cal continued to start Richards nearly every single game remains one of the biggest mysteries of the season.

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