Kentucky Basketball: 2022-23 season preview and outlook for Wildcats
By Joey Loose
Key Reserves
Guard – CJ Fredrick (Senior)
Back from injury, Fredrick should play a major role at Kentucky this season. He formerly spent two seasons as a starter at Iowa and will be one of the best shooters in the SEC, let alone the country. He shot just under 47% from long range with the Hawkeyes and could become an assassin from outside for the Wildcats, something they need to balance out this offense.
Guard – Adou Thiero (Freshman)
Thiero is perhaps the most unheralded prospect in this freshman class, but he’s certainly someone to keep an eye on. His impact might not come this season, but he’s a piece that could blossom into a potent backcourt piece down the line for the Wildcats, with some solid shooting numbers back at the high school level.
Forward – Daimion Collins (Sophomore)
As a freshman, Collins had limited opportunities, serving mostly as a backup in the frontcourt, reliving Tshiebwe at times, but has a chance to become an important piece moving forward. He put up great rebounding and shot-blocking numbers when he was on the court while also making 61% of his shots from the floor. We’ll see if he can extrapolate that productivity across additional minutes this year.
Guard – Antonio Reeves (Senior)
A massive addition from the transfer portal, Reeves provides a dynamic scoring touch on this roster. Spending the last three years at Illinois State, he averaged 20.1 points a game last year, earning All-MVC honors and emerging as one of the nation’s breakout players. He’s someone who can be a walking bucket and add significant offense off the bench this year.
Forward – Ugonna Onyenso (Freshman)
At 7’0, Onyenso is a 4-star center prospect who has immense size and length and could become quite the weapon for the Wildcats. His shot-blocking skills are off the charts while his defense as a whole rates pretty highly. He’s still developing his skills on the offensive side, but practicing with Tshiebwe and these other frontcourt pieces will certainly aid in that.
Forward – Lance Ware (Junior)
Ware stands at 6’9 and has provided backup minutes for the Wildcats these last two seasons. A former Top 40 recruit, he hasn’t really developed into quite the piece as expected, but he still brings energy and solid rebounding effort when he is on the court.