In what has become an all too familiar tune for their rabid fanbase, John Calipari and Kentucky suffered another early post-season exit on Thursday night. This time the No. 3 seed Wildcats suffered an 80-76 loss at the hands of No. 14 seed Oakland in the first round of NCAA Tournament. UK has won just two postseason games – one each in the NCAA and SEC Tournaments – since making the Elite Eight in 2019.
Once again Calipari was quick to point out the youth of his team playing a big factor in their early exit – even though they started two fifth-year seniors – after seemingly setting up excuses during media availability headed into the game. The early postgame exit followed by the same vein of excuses is becoming like clockwork for Calipari. It's the same thing every time.
Also familiar to Kentucky fans, though, is that Calipari has landed yet another loaded recruiting class, so the Wildcats will have all the tools to right the ship next season. Will they be able to do it? We’ll have to wait another year to see but, in the meantime, we take a look at who Kentucky will be saying their final goodbyes to, who has decisions to make, who will be back, what help will be on the way, and what still needs to be addressed for the 2024-25 season
SAY GOODBYE TO…
Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell are the only two players that Kentucky will lose to graduation, but the reality is that they’ll be saying goodbye to several others. Even though we know multiple freshmen will be declaring for the NBA Draft, let’s focus on Mitchell and Reeves.
The Wildcats leading scorer and only All-SEC first-team selection this season, Reeves stepped up in his second season since transferring from Illinois State. Reeves made nearly 51% of his shots overall, over 44% from deep, and turned himself into a legitimate NBA prospect. He finished with 27 points and five made threes in the final loss and was one of the few who didn’t blink in the face of NCAA Tournament adversity. He, at least, went down swinging.
After previous stops at UMass, Texas, and West Virginia, Mitchell seemed to hit his stride in Lexington. He had to battle through some injuries but was the Wildcats leading rebounder and served as their most reliable interior scorer. While the Wildcats had three seven-footers in addition to Mitchell, he was the only remotely consistent option on the interior.
DECISIONS TO MAKE…
Their freshmen.
Well, let’s modify that. Neither Reed Sheppard nor Rob Dillingham has any type of decision to make. A smooth and skilled guard, Sheppard exceeded even the most ambitious of expectations to turn himself into the SEC’s Freshman of the Year and develop into a guy who may go somewhere in the top five of June’s NBA draft. Dillingham accepted a role coming off the bench, proved to be a microwave scorer, and put in over 15 points per game in just over 23 minutes per contest while winning the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Like Sheppard, his spot in the NBA Draft Lottery is secure.
Now, here’s where things get tricky. The Wildcats' three highest ranked freshman, guard DJ Wagner, wing Justin Edwards, and big man Aaron Bradshaw, all had relatively mediocre years in comparison to their high school rankings and expectations. None of the three is a projected lotto pick and or even a lock to be taken in the first round.
It isn’t all that often in today’s one-and-done era that we see former McDonald’s All-Americans who were five-star prospects and ranked in the top 10 come back to school, but a strong argument could be made that Bradshaw, Edwards, and Wagner would benefit from another year. After missing the summer due to injury, Bradshaw was simply a non-factor for the majority of the year. Edwards could find more confidence and Wagner could polish up his shot selection and creation for others. Would all three be willing to do it? We wouldn’t bet on it but it could certainly be in their best interests.
The other draft decision to be made is that of Zvonimir Ivisic. After a long and drawn-out eligibility battle, the Croatian big man exploded on the scene before running into struggles. He needs a lot more strength but did show some mobility and touch. Is it enough to justify a leap to the NBA?
WELCOME BACK…
Reality tells us that there will more than likely be somebody who enters the transfer portal. It wouldn’t be a surprise if multiple players did. That’s just life in college basketball. However, right now, the Wildcats stand to return sophomore forward Adou Thiero, sophomore center Ugonna Onyenso, and freshmen wings Jordan Burks and Joey Hart.
Thiero, at times, provided some real value with his toughness, athleticism, versatility and athleticism. He’s got serious room to make another jump and be a real leader for the Cats in year three. The third of the Wildcats seven-footers, Onyenso has potential as a shot blocker but is still developing and has to get better offensively if he’s going to earn more minutes.
Both Burks and Hart played limited roles as freshmen and as it stands right now it's hard to envision their roles changing much next season.
Even if a few of the freshmen who have realistic draft decisions decide to stay and even with a loaded recruiting class coming in, Calipari and his staff will still need to supplement the roster and fill in the gaps. Kentucky will need to find another big man who can score reliably in the post and either another ball handler or a wing shooter. As the roster stands right now with the expected departures, it appears they will be lacking in those departments next season.
SAY HELLO TO…
The Wildcats are set to welcome a six-man 2024 recruiting class that features three McDonald’s All-Americans and is second only to Duke.
While only big man Jayden Quaintance – who won’t turn 17 until after he’s been on campus for a few months – currently ranks as a five-star prospect, guard Boogie Fland, wing Karter Knox, and wing Billy Richmond all rank among the top 25 in the senior class. They are complemented by top-50 big man Somto Cyril and top-75 guard Travis Perry.
Quaintance, Fland, and Knox are all three McDonald's All Americans.
Originally a member of the class of 2025, Quaintance won’t be eligible for the NBA draft until 2026 so he’s arriving on campus as the rare top-10 prospect who is planning on spending two years in college. At 6-foot-10, Quaintance is athletic, has touch, and a great frame to build on. It's important to note that he will be really young for a college freshman.
Fland is skilled, can play the one or the two, shoots it from deep, and plays with an aggressive mentality. He’s not quite as athletic as some of the guards Kentucky has had in the past, but he does have some of the qualities that made Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley such good players in the program.
Both Richmond and Knox are athletic, physically ready for the SEC, and love to attack the rim. Each has room to expand their game off the dribble and as jump shooters. Cyril looks like he’s ready for the WWE with his size and rugged athleticism while Perry arrives on campus with tons of skill, knockdown shooting ability, and the most points scored in Kentucky high school history.
TRANSFER PORTAL NEEDS:
Knowing how Calipari and his staff operate, they aren't likely done. How the draft and potential transfer portal decisions work out will play into the next moves. Right now UK must find an elite shooter/handler for next season and another big man who is a scoring threat in the post. Those two are the biggest needs to complete the current roster.