Projecting the 2015-2016 Kentucky Wildcats Roster
Here’s a bit of developing news that’s shocking to no one. The core of arguably the best college basketball team to not win the national title will not be sticking around to give it a second try. Yesterday, the Kentucky Wildcats announced the early departure of SEVEN players. Each of them are expected to hear their name called at some point during this summer’s NBA Draft.
The list goes as follows:
- Karl-Anthony Towns – Projected to be either the first or second player selected
- Willie Cauley-Stein – Projected lottery selection
- Devin Booker – A definite first round pick looking to sneak into the late lottery
- Trey Lyles – Projected first round pick
- Dakari Johnson – Projected second round pick looking to sneak into the first round
- Aaron Harrison – Projected second round pick
- Andrew Harrison – Projected second round pick
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Before consulting his players after the season, Kentucky head coach John Calipari fessed up to an expectation of losing five of the seven. I assume that he believed that the Harrison twins return, considering their chances of being picked in the first round are almost non-existent, but now it has been announced that they’ll be leaving as well. If all seven players are drafted, it would break a NBA Draft record held by Kentucky’s 2012 championship team for most players drafted from a single team in one draft.
With such a startling exodus of talent on his hands, Coach Cal’s 2015-2016 Wildcats will be tasked with trying to avoid the same fate that befell the team that followed the 2012 team. After losing Anthony Davis and others to the draft, Kentucky fielded a roster the following season that couldn’t quite fill all of the holes left from the year before. The Wildcats went from reigning as national champs to being bounced from the first round of the NIT by Robert Morris. It’s the only season the Big Blue Nation hasn’t been represented at the NCAA Tournament since John Calipari took over as head coach.
Despite losing so much talent, amazingly, the cupboard is still far from bare. The Wildcats welcome back the following key returners next year.
Still, the Wildcats return three McDonald’s All-Americans along with Derek Willis and Dominique Hawkins. The other two players are Kentucky natives who would be starting almost anywhere in the country, but chose to stay close to home. Hawkins, Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 2013, has seen spurts of playing time throughout his Kentucky career and could easily handle an expanded role next year if necessary. Willis has been buried on the bench below a sea of draft picks, but all indications are that the 6’9 big man can play as well (his touch from the outside is well documented).
If those five returners started for Kentucky next year, the Wildcats would likely be bound for the NCAA Tournament. However, help is always on the way when John Calipari is in charge. Kentucky already has commits from the following top prospects.
- Skal Labissiere – #1 Center, #3 Overall
- Isaiah Briscoe – #1 Point Guard, #13 Overall
- Charles Matthews – #13 Shooting Guard, #42 Overall
All three of Kentucky’s current commits have been deemed All-Americans, and as many as four more elite commitments could join the class in upcoming months. The Wildcats have offered scholarships to the following prospects who are all strongly considering a commitment to Kentucky.
- Malik Newman – #1 Shooting Guard, #4 Overall
- Jaylen Brown – #1 Small Forward, #2 Overall
- Cheick Diallo – #4 Power Forward, #11 Overall
- Brandon Ingram – #2 Small Forward, #12 Overall
- Stephen Zimmerman – #5 Center, #10 Overall
- Ivan Rabb – #3 Power Forward, #6 Overall
- Thon Maker – Late Qualifier, (#1 Center, #1 Overall for 2016)
Based on my research of where prospects are leaning in terms of commitment, this is my projected 12-man roster for Kentucky next season…
- PG – Tyler Ulis
- SG – Malik Newman
- SF – Jaylen Brown
- PF – Skal Labissiere
- C – Stephen Zimmerman
- 6th – Alex Poythress
- 7th – Isaiah Briscoe
- 8th – Marcus Lee
- 9th – Cheick Diallo
- 10th – Charles Matthews
- 11th – Dominique Hawkins
- 12th – Derek Willis
If you’re counting, that’s 10 All-Americans (Jordan Brand or McDonald’s) on a 12-man roster, including three of the top five overall prospects in the Class of 2015, and that doesn’t even include the nation’s top freshman point guard. When the dust settles, expect John Calipari to be fully reloaded with one of the silliest rosters college basketball has ever seen. There’s even some “Fab Five 2.0” potential here if Cal decides to start Briscoe instead of the diminutive Ulis.
Calipari’s ability to reinvent his roster on an annual basis has become the equivalent of watching an artist at work every season. If he can win a national championship one year removed from replacing one of his greatest teams, the 2015-2016 Kentucky Wildcats could forever be considered Calipari’s one true masterpiece.
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