Kentucky Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Wildcats
By Bryan Mauro
Kentucky basketball is a top program in college sports. As they reload from last year, what does the 2017-18 season look like for the Wildcats?
John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats are the poster child of college basketball in the one-and-done era. In the era where high school superstars must go to college for at least one year, Kentucky head coach John Calipari is reaping the benefits. Calipari has turned Kentucky into the prime destination for players of this caliber.
Kentucky typically loses several key pieces each offseason and yet still reloads with enough talent to compete for National Championships every single year. This year will be more of the same in Lexington as Kentucky has the elite freshman talent again.
With this top-tier talent and a proven coach in Coach Cal, then this season has the makings of another special one for the Big Blue Nation.
Projected Starters
Quade Green
Green is a McDonald’s All-American point guard. He should immediately fit in nicely with the Kentucky offense that relies on dynamic guards to facilitate and be go-to scoring pieces. Green is continuing the long line of great Kentucky point guards that includes players like John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and DeAaron Fox. Green has the skill set to be just as good in college as all three of the above players if he reaches his full potential. When the season concludes, Green could be headed to the NBA.
Hamidou Diallo
Initially, Hami Diallo was listed as one of the top recruits in the class of 2017. Then, in the middle of this last school year, Diallo enrolled in Kentucky and took a redshirt year for the rest of the season. Although he never played a game with the team, he still entered his name in the NBA Draft process. Although he was expected to go in the late first round or early second round, Diallo eventually decided to return.
If Diallo lives up to the hype this season, he will most likely be a lottery pick. No matter what, it seems that Diallo will not remain at Kentucky after this season. Diallo is a Team USA alumnus and was a consensus top-10 prospect across many recruiting sites. Diallo is the kind of do-everything guard that Calipari likes so much. Diallo will be given the keys to the team and while he won’t be the primary ball handler, he will be the primary scoring option for Kentucky.
Kevin Knox
Out of Florida, Kevin Knox who was ranked as the No. 2 small forward in the country by 247Sports. Knox can score in a variety of ways. He is a solid shooter from deep, has a good mid-range game, and can get to the rim. Knox was also a great rebounder at the high school level. It is hard to tell how that will translate at the college level, but Knox will help Kentucky score points and stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting ability. Knox is also likely to turn professional after the season is completed.
Wenyen Gabriel
Wenyen brings a lot of defense and rim protection to the Wildcats as the most experienced likely starter. Gabriel is a sneaky shooter in that opponent’s do not often expect him to shoot 3-pointers. Gabriel shot at a 32% clip from beyond the arc last year and that should only get better. Gabriel is a perfect player for Coach Calipari, as Kentucky will often play positionless basketball. At 6’9″, Gabriel has awesome versatility as someone who can play inside and out.
Nick Richards
Nick was a high school star in New Jersey. The Wildcats have a nice history with studs from New Jersey as Richards will follow in the footsteps Karl-Anthony Towns and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. While Richards was a soccer player in Jamaica before coming to the United States, he has embraced his talent on the basketball floor. He has soft hands and a nice touch in the post. Both of these attributes leads to easy points.
Coach Calipari always seems to get the best out of his big men and if Richards plays up to his ability, he will be a huge star in the paint. Richards may be one of the few freshmen to stay with the program for more than just one year.