I’m not going to sit here and tell you that missing out on Donnie Freeman is/isn't catastrophic. When you factor in his extensive injury history and some struggles on the defensive end of the floor, it’s easy to talk yourself into being okay with him committing to Rick Pitino and St. John's. The anger surrounding this miss isn't about the player; it's about the process that just feels utterly broken.
The Kentucky staff made Freeman a top priority. They brought him to campus and operated as if they had him locked up. Because they believed Freeman was a sure thing, Kentucky passed on a player who may have been willing to commit, in Sebastian Rancik. Now, Kentucky hoops is forced to pivot to third, or maybe even fourth, options.
So, who exactly is left? Barring a surprise entry in the final hours of the portal, here is a look at the remaining big men Mark Pope may be trying to lock down in Freeman's wake.
"Reach" Targets
There are three high-level names still floating around, in my mind, although the Cats aren't in official position in any of the races.
Allen Graves (Santa Clara) and Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State) are both uber-talented forwards testing the NBA Draft waters. Their decisions therein likely won't come until well into May, when the deadline for the draft hits. After missing on Freeman, Kentucky is not in a spot to wait another entire month hoping for a commitment from either of them, but the Cats' dire position could eventually demand it.
Paulius Murauskas (Saint Mary's) has had talks with the UK staff, but his former coach, Randy Bennett, is at Arizona State. Beating that built-in relationship is going to be incredibly difficult. All three of these players would be a step up from Freeman, at least to me, but they're not remotely surefire. That leads us to the realistic targets that remain.
1. Justin McBride (James Madison)
McBride is a fascinating evaluation, especially in Mark Pope's system. At six-foot-seven, he's an undersized "space four" who took a massive leap offensively this past seasonat James Madison. He shot more three-pointers this year (95) than in his previous two seasons combined, connecting on a fair 38 of them (40%) in the process.
His rebounding was also solid, averaging nearly 6 per game, but his scoring is what will catch your eye. McBride scored 20 or more points 11 times, including two massive 30+ point outings last season. Though the obvious concern is his height, and the potential for his shooting numbers to regress to the mean.
If you are looking for a ceiling comparison, BBN, think of a less physical Mo Dioubate with a better jump shot. We'll take that.
2. Devin Williams (FAU)
If Pope is looking for a complementary defensive piece, Williams is the guy. Standing at a slender six-foot-10, he will need to add weight to bang with the physical bodies in the SEC. However, his defensive instincts are already at an elite level.
Averaging an impressive 2.6 blocks and 5.2 rebounds in just 23.8 minutes per night, Williams is one of the best rim protectors in the country. He doesn't need the ball in his hands to make an impact, offering the kind of off-ball defensive presence that many high-major teams vie for.
3. Taylor Bol Bowen (Alabama)
Bowen, on the other hand, is the ultimate "potential" play. He took a statistical step backward last season for Alabama after a very solid sophomore campaign (where he shot 41.4% from three and averaged 5.2 rebounds). The raw tools are there for him to step in and be a highly effective contributor, but Pope would be banking on a bounce-back year to extract that value.
Mark Pope also pursued Bowen in last year's portal cycle, for what that could be worth.
If Kentucky misses on all of the aforementioned names, realistic or not, the staff will be forced to look at lower-level players trying to jump up in competition, or roll the dice on completely unproven guys, instead. It’s a dangerous game to play.
But with just three confirmed returners (Braydon Hawthorne has yet to be officially announce signing with the Cats, and Malachi Moreno is testing the NBA), one high school prospect, and one portal signees, Kentucky needs bodies in a bad way.
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