It’s still early, and Kentucky Basketball’s roster likely isn’t completely finished yet, but national projections headed into a critical Year 3 for Mark Pope are not the most optimistic.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello recently released his Way-Too-Early Top 25, and Kentucky didn’t make the cut. In fact, Kentucky didn’t make the cut of the next five out.
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Borzello ranked Florida at #1, with Duke, Michigan, Illinois, and UConn rounding out the top 5.
The SEC is expected to be tough again next year, with 6 teams cracking Borzello’s top 15.
Louisville landed at #15, but that was before the Cardinals landed Obinna Ekezie, Jr., one of the top freshmen in the class.
Kentucky certainly has some interesting pieces headed into next season. Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins are both talented guards who have the potential to really blossom in Lexington. If Malachi Moreno opts to withdraw from the NBA Draft, he will certainly be a key piece for this Kentucky team. Ousmane N’Diaye is an intriguing talent, and it’ll be interesting to see how Pope decides to utilize the 6’11 forward from Senegal.
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Kentucky’s ceiling changes dramatically with how much improved Kam Williams and Braydon Hawthorne are from last season. Williams showed a lot of flashes, but a mid-season foot injury prevented Kentucky fans from seeing what he was truly capable of for a whole season.
As for Hawthorne, he may be one of the biggest mysteries on the roster, despite being a returning player. He was ranked in the top 35 in last year’s recruiting class, so there’s certainly a lot of potential there.
Kentucky likely isn’t finished with its roster, and it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see another addition of an international player, but we shouldn’t be surprised if Kentucky is outside the top 25 to start the season.
