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CBS Releases Controversial Starting Lineup and Rotation for Kentucky Basketball

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1 year ago

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John Calipari coaching the Kentucky Wildcats at GLOBL JAM in Canada.
UK Athletics

Recently, CBS Sports has been releasing their lineup and rotation projections ahead of the 2023-24 college basketball season. On Thursday, writer David Cobb released his projected starting lineup for the Kentucky Wildcats, and to say the least, they are much different than what one would expect.

Here is what Cobb thinks the lineup will look like:

Starting Lineup

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  • 1: DJ Wagner
  • 2: Adou Thiero
  • 3: Antonio Reeves
  • 4: Justin Edwards
  • 5: Tre Mitchell

Bench

  • Reed Sheppard
  • Aaron Bradshaw
  • Rob Dillingham
  • Ugonna Onyenso

Depth (“unlikely to crack the rotation”)

  • Jordan Burks
  • Joey Hart
  • Zvonimir Ivisic

There are a lot of interesting things to take away from Cobb’s prediction, like Adou Thiero starting at the two, or Zvonimir Ivisic being relegated to the practice squad.

Thiero being the starting shooting guard is the biggest question. Coming to Kentucky at 6’6, 200 pounds, Thiero was considered a combo guard coming out of high school. Now 6-8, 220 pounds, Thiero still has those guard skills but is much more of a wing/forward. After all, Thiero shined brightest during GLOBL JAM when he got significant minutes playing the four spot. His athleticism and defensive prowess were best seen when he was matched up against other wings.

Cobb’s lineup also leaves little wing depth on the bench. That being said, it makes more sense to have Thiero come off the bench behind the likes of Justin Edwards or Antonio Reeves.

The next thing to be addressed is how Cobb has Zvonimir Ivisic as his last player listed on the rotation. According to Cobb, the “Croatian Unicorn” will be “a good practice player” who will be “useful in practice”. He’s not wrong, but as a player that’s 7’2 with his fluidity, he is going to find a way into the rotation.

Ivisic will battle with Ugonna Onyenso for minutes, playing behind Tre Mitchell and Aaron Bradshaw. His size is enough for him to be valuable in SEC play, but his perimeter skills are what set him apart.

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One also might question why Reed Sheppard is ahead of Rob Dillingham in the rotation, or why Aaron Bradshaw isn’t starting. All of these questions are valid, but they prove a crucial point.

With a talented freshman class, key returning players, and late additions from the transfer portal and overseas, the 2023-2024 Kentucky Wildcats have depth and versatility. And as seen with CBS Sports’ predicted lineup, there are a lot of options.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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Men's Basketball

ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

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6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
ESPN

Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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