NCAA Basketball: Top-40 2021 G TyTy Washington looking at 6 schools
By Ian Mumm
Kentucky Wildcats
2020 was a typical Kentucky season until it wasn’t. The high reliance on freshman talent by head coach John Calipari did not pan out for the Wildcats in the way it has over the last several seasons. Growing pains have been typical among these groups of players, but Coach Cal has always been able to get his guys to rally and grow before making the NCAA Tournament.
However, this year’s group including NBA lottery hopefuls Brandon Boston and Terrence Clarke continued to struggle down the stretch and began turning things around too little too late.
Clarke suffering a season-ending injury early in the year, combined with inconsistent play across the roster, did not help to transform this team towards success. Despite remaining a highly rated prospect for the NBA Draft this year, it’s undetermined which route Clarke will traverse and if he will come back to Kentucky for another season. Along with Boston entering the draft, there are significant backcourt departures with Devin Askew (Texas) and Cam’ron Fletcher (undecided) deciding to transfer away from the program.
The remaining wildcard is senior Davion Mintz who is considering where to utilize his 5th-year option in 2021. Currently, the Wildcats are looking to put the ball in the hands of freshman Nolan Hickman, a stout 3-point threat in his own right, and proven Davidson transfer Kellan Grady. The collective of Clarke, Mintz, Hickman, and Grady, assuming all decide to return, is a strong start for the Wildcats entering next season, however, given last year’s struggles Coach, Cal can’t be content to not pursue all options.
Adding a guard such as Washington provides quality scoring to the team’s backcourt and adds much-needed depth considering how vulnerable this program became fighting through injuries. While Washington doesn’t any college experience to this team, much like Clarke (very limited) and Hickman, he has risen to every occasion at the high school level against powerhouse programs set up to stop him on the court.
With a tougher path to start immediately than some of the other programs on the list, Coach Cal is the type of leader that finds ways to get the most out of his players. Washington would be in good hands to grow and reach the next level of his development.