The early national rankings are not kind to the Wildcats.
While it’s still early and Kentucky Basketball’s roster probably isn’t fully set just yet, early national forecasts for what shapes up to be a crucial third season under Mark Pope aren’t particularly encouraging.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello recently published his Way-Too-Early Top 25, and Kentucky was nowhere to be found—not even among the next five teams on the outside looking in.
Borzello placed Florida at No. 1, followed by Duke, Michigan, Illinois, and UConn in the top five.
The SEC is projected to be highly competitive once again, with six teams landing inside Borzello’s top 15.
Louisville came in at No. 15, though that was before the Cardinals secured Obinna Ekezie Jr., one of the top freshmen in the country.
Kentucky does have some intriguing pieces heading into next season. Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins are talented guards with real breakout potential in Lexington. If Malachi Moreno pulls his name out of the NBA Draft, he’d be a crucial part of the rotation. Ousmane N’Diaye brings fascinating skills, and it will be interesting to see how Pope uses the 6’11″ forward from Senegal.
The Wildcats’ upside shifts dramatically depending on how much Kam Williams and Braydon Hawthorne improve from last year. Williams flashed plenty of potential, but a midseason foot injury kept fans from seeing his full abilities over a full campaign.
Hawthorne might be the roster’s biggest enigma, despite being a returning player. He was ranked among the top 35 recruits in his class, so the talent is clearly there.
Kentucky probably isn’t done shaping its roster, and another international addition wouldn’t be shocking. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Wildcats start the season outside the Top 25.
Leave a Reply