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Kentucky Basketball: Projecting Wildcats’ starters and bench for 2017-18

By Taylor Sturm

KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 24: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts in the first half of the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 24, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - JANUARY 24: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts in the first half of the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on January 24, 2017 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 26: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN – MARCH 26: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Power Forward

While the small forward position is crowded, incoming freshman P.J. Washington will have few challengers to his starting power forward job with Kentucky.

The 6’8, 220-pound power forward out of Findlay Prep in Dallas, Texas comes to the Wildcats as a five-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 7 power forward in the Class of 2017 by 247 Sports and No. 15 overall player by Rivals.

Washington is currently projected as a second round 2018 NBA Draft pick, meaning that he could stay for more than one season with Kentucky. However, a strong season could push him into the first round, making me think that he pushes himself hard to succeed and become one of the more widely known players in 2017-18.

Washington’s only real challenger at the power forward position – apart from the small forwards that get some run at the four – will be 6’10, 255-pound junior Tai Wynyard.

Wynyard has recently been on fire with the New Zealand U19 national team and could see that translate into some extra minutes this season. While I do not expect him to usurp Washington in any way, his consistency and veteran presence is great for this Kentucky program as a whole.

Expect Washington to start from the first tip onward, though, as his potential is undeniable and should translate into wins for the Wildcats.

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