Kentucky Basketball: Quade Green returns for Sophomore year
The Kentucky Wildcats received great news when Quade Green decided to stay for his sophomore season. Where does the talented guard fit into this loaded roster?
Kentucky received excellent news on Monday as Quade Green has decided to stay for his sophomore season. Green averaged 9.3ppg and hit 41 threes as a freshman, but he was considering transferring from the program.
Green was projected to be Kentucky’s starting PG in the preseason, but was overtaken by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who played his way into a potential lottery selection in the NBA Draft. Green and Gilgeous-Alexander often shared the court as Green’s shooting was necessary in many Wildcat lineups and Gilgeous-Alexander had great size at 6’6”.
Even though Gilgeous-Alexander is gone, Green’s path to the starting PG position remains unclear. Kentucky is adding one of the top lead guards in the Class of 2018, Immanuel Quickley, and their recent 2019 commit, Ashton Hagans, could reclassify.
Both players are extremely talented prospects whose play will demand immediate minutes so it understandable that Green would want more clarity in terms of playing time and his future role.
However given the roster makeup, it is highly likely that Calipari will utilize dual PG lineups to ensure all three of his talented guards will see the floor. Hagans and Quickley have great size for lead guards at 6’5” and 6’4” respectively so they will have no problem playing alongside the diminutive Green.
Green’s shooting will also come in handy since Kentucky is losing most, if not all, of its other competent shooters. Kevin Knox and Gilgeous-Alexander are off to the NBA while Wenyen Gabriel has yet to make a final decision. If all three are gone, Green’s mix of shooting, play-making, and experience will be unmatched on this roster.
Quickley and freshman Tyler Herro are both knock-down shooters, but even freshman with strong pedigrees can struggle at the start of their collegiate careers. Kentucky lacked experienced returners this season, but Green could play the role of a key veteran on a potential Final Four squad.
Before projecting Kentucky’s outlook for next season, PJ Washington, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabriel need to make their final decisions. While it is unlikely that all three return, Kentucky should be in really good shape two of them choose to come back.
The backcourt is more clear where Green, Quickley, and Hagans should all see plenty of minutes. When you factor in Herro and Keldon Johnson on the wing, you have a super talented group of perimeter players who can be mixed and matched for different looks. The bottom line is that Quade Green will play and will make a serious impact no matter how Calipari allocates the minutes.
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Even though Quade Green is not one of Kentucky’s many NBA prospects, do not dismiss his potential impact. Green is a former 5-star recruit in his own right and almost averaged double figures as a freshman. He will play a significant role as a leader and as a productive on-court contributor for the 2018-19 Kentucky Wildcats.