Kentucky Basketball: Analyzing the Wildcats’ rotation for 2018-19

Point Guard

Minutes Allocated (40 total): Ashton Hagans (25), Immanuel Quickley (12) and Quade Green (3)

All positions for the Wildcats will be contested throughout the season but the lead ball handler will be the biggest battle. Green was the starting point guard last year before the team’s underwhelming play caused Gilgeous-Alexander took the reigns.

This year’s day one starter will likely be Hagans, who reclassified to the 2018 class. He’s the best playmaker of the three, averaging over 10 apg as a senior in high school. The 6’4 guard is a great athlete who prefers to drive to the basket rather than shoot it and already is considered a plus-defender. His limitations as a shooter prevent him from playing both guard positions but at least it stabilizes Kentucky at an area they were at times weak at a season ago.

To some degree, Quickley’s versatility hurts him in terms of being a starter but this top-20 recruit will still get plenty of minutes as a freshman. He can handle the ball at an elite level while shooting it at a consistent clip. The Wildcats won’t have an issue when it comes to perimeter scoring, as the 6’3 guard can score in bunches in a number of ways.

And don’t underestimate Quickley‘s chances at starting a few games at point guard. He’s a better shooter than Hagans and if the team needs spacing or an offensive boost, the Maryland native might get a shot. Calipari has shown that he has no problems making a change if needed.