Making the Final Four was not enough for Big Blue Nation this season, and John Calipari’s next platoon of incoming recruits will surely be tasked with righting the wrong of missing out on another national title for Kentucky.
However, much is still to be decided for the Wildcats as it relates to which players elect to return to school or head off in favor of the NBA Draft.
Key Losses: No announcements made yet
Possible Losses: Willie Cauley-Stein (NBA Draft), Karl-Anthony Towns (NBA Draft), Trey Lyles (NBA Draft), Andrew Harrison (NBA Draft), Aaron Harrison (NBA Draft), Dakari Johnson (NBA Draft), Devin Booker (NBA Draft)
Key Returners: Tyler Ulis, Marcus Lee, Alex Poythress
Key Newcomers: Skal Labissiere (five-star, center), Isaiah Briscoe (five-star, point guard), Charles Matthewws (four-star, shooting guard)
Breakdown: Ever since John Calipai took over in Lexington, no team in the country has had to deal with as much turnover as the Wildcats. This year looks to be no different, though it still remains to be seen just how much there will be. The Harrison twins, Johnson and Booker could both possibly elect to skip the NBA Draft and return to school, giving Calipari his most seasoned and veteran led team in what feels like a decade. No matter what the decisions of those players end up being, UK will welcome Labissiere to campus, who some consider to be the best prospect in the country. The addition of Briscoe is what should give UK a dynamic creator off the bounce, something the Harrisons could never become consistently. While Kentucky will surely enter next season as one of the favorites in the SEC, and a threat to return to the Final Four, their true outlook can’t really be analyzed until their bevy of underclassmen state their intentions.
