NCAA Basketball: Buy or Sell Duke, Kentucky, Purdue, Villanova, and UConn?

Kentucky Wildcats

This past week was the ultimate high and low for the SEC program. It started with a convincing 95-73 win over a top-10 Miami squad, led by 21 pts off the bench from Reed Sheppard. However, five-star freshman guard DJ Wagner suffered an injury in the game and missed Saturday’s matchup with UNC Wilmington, a solid team from the CAA.

The good news for the Wildcats was that in his place was another five-star freshman, big man Aaron Bradshaw. He debuted after suffering an offseason foot injury and played 13 minutes. However, it wasn’t enough, as surprisingly, the team lost 80-73 at home. Sheppard has continued to star in the program, producing a season-high 25 pts, 9 rebs, and 6 asts. The other guards struggled, including Rob Dillingham going 1/9 from the field off the bench.

This past week showed what many thought of this Kentucky roster. It has a high ceiling (Miami win), as well as a low floor (UNCW result). Players such as Sheppard and Adou Thiero have played better than expected, while guys like Dillingham and Justin Edwards are underperforming as of late.

Still, this team has three projected rotation players still out and plenty of talent among its top-10 core rotation. There will be more ups and downs but unlike a team like Villanova, I wouldn’t want to see Kentucky at full-strength in March.

Buy