1. Kentucky needs a true center
Basketball is growing and changing with the times. That being said, a center is still a need for the way the game is changing. Even in small ball, there has to be a player who can dominate the paint on both sides of the floor. He can be a stretch player with a nice three-point shot, but he has to at least have the size to handle the position.
The team‘s leading rebounder is PJ Washington, and he’s only 6’7″. That height will make it hard to handle monsters in the paint. Another option is EJ Montgomery, but he lacks the minutes to do this job well. Their largest player is Nick Richards, but he only averages 12 minutes a game. If Kentucky finds themselves against a behemoth down low, it would not be very surprising to see them get bullied on the boards.
This isn’t an issue that shows itself in every game. Against some smaller teams, the lack of size means nothing. They have the length at other positions to make up for it, and their offensive scheme helps as well. However, they seem to be missing that cornerstone piece that most Kentucky teams have. Whether it’s Cousins, Davis, Cauley-Stein, or Towns, they always have had a larger presence in the paint. In a system where you have to win so many games in a small amount of time to win a title, they might find themselves against an opponent who can expose this weakness.