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Kentucky basketball: Fans are displeased with offseason

By Mat Mlodzinski

Feb 18, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari yells to his players during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari yells to his players during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /
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It’s been an up-and-down offseason for Kentucky basketball. There was a time not too long ago when the Wildcats only had seven players on the roster. Now, on July 1, there are seven freshmen, and a few key experienced players to round out a more complete roster.

Still, Big Blue Nation seems to be unsure about the state of Kentucky basketball. The Wildcats brought in some good transfer talent in Tre Mitchell and also got Antonio Reeves to come back. But they did lose Oscar Tshiebwe to the NBA and also lost out on quite a few transfers.

The general consensus is that Kentucky basketball underperformed in the 2023 offseason. However, there is hope that they can shut up the haters.

I asked the “Kentucky Wildcat Basketball… “Real” Fan Group!!!” the following question on Facebook:

"I’m writing an article for Wildcat Blue Nation on FanSided. What is your opinion on how the Cats have done in the transfer portal?"

I got a few responses, and here’s what they laid out.

Greg Hoover: “Poor. Tre Mitchell fell in our lap because of Huggins incident.”

Jeff Minnicks: “It’s a broken record . 4 & 5 star players in Cals NBA training camp program that exits the tournament early.”

Randy Wright: “My opinion is we’re not going to know how well they did until the season starts. Cal has had a ton of talent before and things haven’t panned out. Every year we hear what a great recruiting class he got and then at the end of the season we make the early trip home. So, we’ll see if this next year is any different.”

All I can say in response is that every year is different. Was Tre Mitchell going to choose to transfer to Kentucky before Bob Huggins resigned? Likely not, but crazy things happened, and Mitchell is now a Wildcat. In my eyes, it’s not something to complain about. Mitchell is a very talented big man with prior Power Six experience and can help freshman Aaron Bradshaw’s development.

Similarly, Jeff Minnicks’ comment about the same old story of one & done players leaving for the NBA shouldn’t ring true every year. We all saw what happened in 2012 with Anthony Davis. Some freshmen are in it to win it at the college level. Others just need more time to develop, which is why they often do so in the NBA. This year’s freshman class is also historic – one of the best of any team, of all time. It might be the same type of story, but this year is written by new and improved authors.

Finally, Randy, I see your point. We have to wait and see. Sitting here in July, all we can really do is hype up the team or tear them down. I see your frustration, but from what I see on paper, there’s something a little bit different about this team.

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