John Calipari has established Kentucky as the best program in the Southeast Conference and transformed the Cats into perennial national contender. But this season will be his biggest challenge.
The Wildcats have lost seven players from last year’s Elite Eight, including four freshmen– guards Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox, 6-10 forward Bam Adebayo and 6-5 wing Hamidou Diallo, a freak athlete who enrolled second semester and never played a game), who were all invited to the NBA scouting combine and are projected to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft. Fox and Monk are both lottery picks.
Calipari has reloaded before. But this will be the “youngest, least experienced team” he has ever coached. The oldest player on the roster will be sophomore forward Wenyen Gabriel, (the only returning player who get starters’ minutes) who will be 20, followed by 6-11 freshman center Nick Richards from the Patrick School, who will be just sky of his 20th birthday.
Forwards Kevin Knox of Tampa Catholic HS and Jarred Vanderbilt of Houston Victory Prep will be the youngest at 18.
Having said that, with the late addition of the 6-9 Knox, who chose the Cats over Duke and North Carolina, the Cats have signed five star players. The others are Richards, Vanderbilt, 6-8 forward P.J. Washington of Findlay, Nev. Prep, and 6-1 point guard Quade Green from Philadelphia Neumann-Goretti. The Cats have also signed 6-4 guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a Canadian import from Hamilton, Ontario. Christian Academy, who scored 29 point in the Derby Classic, an ESPN Top 60 prospect Jemarl Baker, a 6-4 guard from Eastside, CA Roosevelt, who became a free agent after he decommitted from Cal. They also and in the picture along with Duke and Texas for 6-11 five star shot blocker Mohammed Bamba from the Westtown School.
The Cats have overwhelming size and length and Knox should add some much needed perimeter shooting. It should be interesting to see how quickly this group jells. Calipari has history on his side when developing young teams. He has produced 25 NBA players since he started coaching in the Blue Grass in 2010.
