-Jim Root

Key Returners: Keion Brooks, Davion Mintz (extra year), Dontaie Allen, Jacob Toppin, Lance Ware
Key Losses: BJ Boston (pro), Devin Askew (transfer), Isaiah Jackson (pro), Olivier Sarr, Terrence Clarke (R.I.P. – man, this sucks to even mention)
Key Newcomers: Kellan Grady (Davidson), Daimion Collins, Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky), TyTy Washington, Sahvir Wheeler (Georgia), CJ Fredrick (Iowa), Bryce Hopkins

Lineup:

Outlook: You know how John Calipari used to get compared to a used car salesman (it does not seem to be as prevalent anymore – good for John)? Well, after a long run of success at UMass, Memphis, and Kentucky, he finally sold us a lemon last year, registering his worst season since his debut at UMass back in 1988-89. Since 1991, Calipari’s teams have won 20 or more games and finished above .500 in conference play every single season, a wildly impressive streak that finally came to a stunning end.

Look, last year was not a normal season. Kentucky got off to a slow start against a challenging schedule while not full strength, and though the young team continued to battle in both practice and games, it was difficult to climb off the mat given the circumstances. Matters grew worse in mid-January, when former walk-on and teammate of the upperclassmen Ben Jordan passed away tragically, furthering the isolated feeling plaguing the Wildcats (and indeed, almost all college athletes during COVID). The injuries to key players Keion Brooks and Terrence Clarke piled on to the hurdles faced, and the result was Kentucky’s worst season in 94 years.

We will go no further in this preview without pausing a moment for Clarke, who also passed away tragically before realizing his NBA dreams this summer. Take some time to read about him, if you have a chance – help honor and preserve his memory.

Following up a dismal season with that catastrophe left Kentucky at rock bottom, and the way Calipari has rallied the spirits of his players and program while sensitively dealing with loss is to be admired – far from the “used car salesman” days of old.

Like all Kentucky rosters, this one is loaded with talent, only it’s not all 5-star freshmen (though there are a couple of those, too). As the transfer portal has boomed in popularity, Calipari adapted, bringing in four high-impact additions that should help Big Blue Nation quickly rise back to the prosperity to which it has become so accustomed.

Given what ailed the Wildcats last year, the most important addition may be Oscar Tshiebwe, a gargantuan big man by way of West Virginia who dominates the paint with his strength and incessant energy level. Largely thanks to its athletically dominant big men, Kentucky has always been elite at the rim, finishing with ruthless efficiency against whoever is in the way. That changed last year:

A dearth of physically dominant bigs was only part of that problem, but rest assured that Big Oscar will inevitably solve that side of it. Tshiebwe led the country in offensive rebounding rate as a freshman and was well on his way to doing it again last year before leaving the team, and on a team as loaded as this one, he should have plenty of chances to clean up inside.

He’ll be aided inside by mega-bouncy freshman Daimion Collins, the next in a long line of elite Kentucky shot-blockers, and Brooks, the rare top recruit who made it to his junior year. Collins still has some rawness to his game offensively, but he oozes talent and should be a terrifying lob threat as soon as he steps on the court (especially given the to-be-discussed upgrades at point guard). He’s not an identical player to Isaiah Jackson, but Calipari & Co. will hope he can have the same kind of impact on winning that Jackson did:

Jackson was the team’s best finisher and rim protector, and Collins could take both of those superlatives in 2021-22.

Meanwhile, once Brooks was healthy and on the floor, opponents were often able to tease him into forcing up bricky mid-range jumpers rather than getting to the rack:

That’s a win for the defense, especially considering how effective Brooks is at the rim and from the free throw line. Having more spacing around him will help, but he also needs to have the downhill mindset at all times. Jacob Toppin and Bryce Hopkins will battle for minutes, as well, though Toppin is more of a defender at this stage of his career while his skill development catches up with his immense physical tools, and Hopkins may not be the typical “instant impact” Calipari freshman - though he boasts an impressive offensive arsenal already.

Of course, parts of the Wildcats’ rim issues were systemic: foes did not respect their shooters at all, allowing them to pack the paint. Plus, Kentucky’s backcourt lacked the explosive driving guards it usually has, always a source of easy looks. BJ Boston, Devin Askew, and Davion Mintz – the Wildcats’ primary perimeter trio – all struggled to find quality looks off the bounce, and Calipari aggressively addressed that issue.

It starts with two elite shooters with legitimate gravity on the wing, forcing opponents to think twice about helping on dashes to the tin. Kellan Grady and CJ Fredrick have repeatedly proven their long-range prowess, and though Grady is more “scorer” than “shooter,” he should slide into more of a complementary role at UK after being the featured option in Davidson’s complex motion offense. Fredrick, meanwhile, is one of the deadliest snipers in the sport, a floor-bending asset whose injury absences clearly cut into Iowa’s effectiveness last season. Mintz and Dontaie Allen should still see some time after emerging into deep threats last year, though Grady in particular brings far more off-the-bounce ability.

Speaking of which, Calipari loaded up at the point guard spot, as well, bringing in two bona fide stars who can run the offense by themselves or play alongside each other in a dual-ball-handler alignment. TyTy Washington is the star freshman, an elite slasher who blew up during his final year in high school at Arizona Compass Prep. He can score in the paint with both hands, and his pure jump shot only adds to his considerable offensive arsenal. Plus, he’s big enough to guard shooting guards, a key if playing next to Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler. Wheeler is a speed demon and a top-shelf passer, and he’s best with the ball in his hands because his jump shot is not a threat at this stage of his career. He racked up assists in Tom Crean’s transition-heavy offense, and while those numbers will almost certainly drop in Lexington, he should be able to contribute more to winning with his dazzling vision, impressive floater game, and dogged on-ball defense.

Notably, neither Washington nor Wheeler need ball screens to beat their man off the bounce, an important skill considering Calipari’s low usage of such action. He relies on his talented players creating 1v1 advantages, forcing the defense to rotate and crushing those scrambling defenses with finishing and maniacal offensive rebounding. Last year’s Kentucky team lacked those advantage creators, but Washington and Wheeler will resurrect that aspect of the offense:

Both players will be drooling at the caliber of scorers surrounding them, and offenses with Wheeler at the point and two of Grady, Fredrick, and Washington will be absolutely lethal.

Offensive struggles aside, the defense remained solid last season, propped up by Isaiah Jackson’s dominant rim protection. With Collins, Tshiebwe, and Lance Ware filling that role, scoring inside should once again be an issue for opponents, but the Wildcats need to find a way to clean the glass or force turnovers to limit shot attempts. If you give up enough chances, SEC foes are good enough to make you pay, and too often, Kentucky lost the possession battle last year.

As mentioned, Wheeler’s ball pressure will be a welcome boost to the perimeter defense, and given Kentucky’s backcourt depth, Calipari can unleash him full court for extended stretches. The wing defense is not entirely stable – Mintz, Grady, Fredrick, and Allen all have question marks – but Toppin can tag in as a destroyer, and having Collins on the back line will erase a lot of deficiencies.

Bottom Line: No one expected Kentucky basketball to fall into an extended fallow period, but even Calipari’s doubters have to be impressed by how well he adapted to the world of the transfer portal and stacked this roster with talent. The pieces seem to fit together well, and the players’ strengths logically cover up others’ weaknesses. Calipari has always gotten freshman-laden teams to gel, but striking the right chemistry with so many veteran voices with productive track records is a new challenge – one that the former “salesman” should be perfectly capable of tackling.