Kentucky Basketball: Way-too-early look at Wildcats 2022-23 roster
Starting Five
This gets tricky, but this is a rough projection of what Kentucky’s rotation could look like in 2022-23 with some assumptions about who goes pro as well as no real information on which transfers Calipari ends up recruiting. There are clearly gaps here that will be filled by transfers, if not Sharpe or Tshiebwe.
Sahvir Wheeler – Point Guard, Sr.
Cason Wallace – Combo Guard, Fr.
Chris Livingston – Wing, Fr.
Keion Brooks – Forward, Sr.
Jacob Toppin – Forward, Sr.
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Bench
C.J. Frederick – Guard, R-Sr.
Daimion Collins – Forward, So.
Lance Ware – Forward, Jr.
Dontaie Allen – Guard, R-Jr.
Bryce Hopkins – Forward, So.
Walk-Ons: Zan Payne (R-Sr.)l Brennan Canada (Sr.); Kareem Watkins (Jr.)
That backcourt of Wheeler, Wallace, and Livingston would be strong, especially with Frederick’s shooting off the bench.
The real potential issue here would be the lack of a true big man. Brooks, Toppin, Collins, Ware, and Hopkins are forwards — some capable of stretching to the five spot in today’s game with their athleticism but none truly suited as a big man. Considering Calipari’s usual style, expect him to pursue a center in the transfer portal if Tshiebwe ends up going pro as expected.
It’s also probably safe to assume that Calipari will look for another point guard. Wheeler is solid, but there isn’t a true backup for him with the current roster makeup. Wallace has some point guard skills but adding another true point guard through the portal would make sense to answer that question once and for all.
With that final roster spot, Calipari would likely look to add some more shooting on the wing. Kentucky shot the ball fairly well from three this season, but they did end up relying pretty heavily on Grady for that shooting which ended up costing them in March when Grady hit an unfortunate cold streak.
Next. 10 teams most likely to win a national title. dark
The ultimate wild card for Kentucky this offseason is Shaedon Sharpe. If he decides to forgo being a potential lottery pick to return to school, Kentucky will be right back in the mix as a top 10 team again next season. If not, Calipari will need to rely on a few hits in the transfer portal again.