Oscar Tshiebwe (UK Athletics Photo)
I ran into two Kentucky basketball fans here on Tybee Island on July 4th and they were more excited about the Cats than the beach or upcoming fireworks show. Considering UK went 9-16 last season that’s not a feeling I would have anticipated a few months ago. However, the way John Calipari has rebuilt his roster is nothing short of amazing and is seems like national media members are as excited about UK as the fans I met on Tybee Island.
David Cobb of CBS Sports recently ranked Kentucky as the most improved team in the country going into the 2021-22 season.
“After a 9-16 season, the Wildcats are here by default because there is no fathomable way they will fail to improve. A dramatic roster overhaul merely ensures Kentucky’s rebound from a historically bad campaign will be largely attributable to new faces,” Cobb wrote.
“Top-40 prospects TyTy Washington, Daimion Collins, and Bryce Hopkins comprise the incoming freshman class, while four top-60 transfers will provide proven veteran production. In particular, four-year Davidson star Kellan Grady and ex-West Virginia big man Oscar Tshiebwe figure to be immediate starters capable of raising last season’s surprisingly low floor.”
Don’t forget UK also has SEC assist leader Sahvir Wheeler of Georgia and shooter CJ Fredrick of Iowa. And since Cobb made his prediction, Davion Mintz has opted to come back to UK for a sixth year.
On top of that, Calipari obviously is not done recruiting this year as he wants to add even more to what seems like a loaded roster now.
Already Jeff Borzello has Kentucky ranked ninth in “ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25” — a jump of nine spots over where he had the Cats about a month ago.
Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, and Auburn are other SEC teams in his top 25 with Mississippi State just outside the top 25 in what looks like another very good SEC season coming up.
But Calipari now has a veteran team with multiple ball handlers and shooters — all things he did not have on last year’s roster.
If Jalen Duren, the No. 2 player in the 2022 class, does reclassify as expected and pick UK, then the Cats are going to be in the elite discussion going into next season.
“If he does commit to Kentucky, I think they’ll be a national championship contender,” 247Sports national recruiting analyst Travis Branham told Catspause.com. “There’s nobody in college basketball that has the physical gifts he has. They can match up physically but not athletically and if they match up athletically, they can’t match up physically. He’s a freak of nature.”
3 Responses
Past time to win #9.
The program has been heading in the wrong direction for several seasons, and this "rebuild" proves the depths to which Calipari has taken it.
would be great to get back on track
Cal era as a coach is no different than the ex coaches that UK has had. Joe Hall never made it back to the championship after the 1978 championship team. As matter of fact he made it back to the final four and everyone knows what happen at Seattle. Eddie Sutton never made it to the final four and got us in a mess that he got by with it. Tubby Smith never made it back to the final four after winning it all in 1998 and you know the story of Billy G. Now that been said only Rick Pitino and Cal has given us more joy to endure our basketball program and I really believed had Rick had stay around longer we could very well be ahead of the UCLA in the most titles count. I really think Cal will win one or two more before he steps down only time will tell!!