The hype for this upcoming basketball season may be the most we’ve seen in the commonwealth since the Harrison twins announced they were coming back in 2014 after a championship loss, but for good reason.
Kentucky returns the National Player of the Year, Oscar Tshiebwe, along with the SEC assist leader, Sahvir Wheeler. Pair these with transfers Antonio Reeves, two five-star freshmen, and several other key returnees, this a talented and deep group.
With all that being said, here are three bold predictions for Kentucky basketball this season.
Advertisement
Kentucky will have its best defense since 2015
The 2015 Kentucky basketball team was an absolute juggernaut defensively and was widely considered one of the best college basketball defenses of all time. They were ranked 3rd in the country giving up just 54 ppg, but ranked first in opponent field goal percentage at 35 percent.
This defense notoriously held a UCLA team that made the Sweet Sixteen to just seven points in the first half of their regular season matchup.
If you need more evidence of the historical greatness of this team, look at this deep dive done by the New York Times.
With that said, this year’s team has the tools to be an elite defensive team given the speed and length in the backcourt, along with elite athleticism and length in the frontcourt as well.
Advertisement
Wallace and Frederick will be huge in setting and locking down opposing guards, and from the looks of the season opener, Reeves is a better defender than originally thought as well.
With help from Tshiebwe, Collins, and now Ugonna Onyenso down low, this team can wreak havoc defensively as they did in the exhibitions giving up 38 and 53 points respectively.
Daimion Collins will be a 1st round pick in the 2023 NBA draft
Collins is one of the most underrated players eligible for the 2023 NBA draft as he will be able to make a huge jump this season.
Standing 6-foot-9, Collins can jump out of the gym with a 46.5-inch vertical – which he has used to dunk on numerous people – and uses that to be a fantastic rim protector.
Advertisement
Combining this with a stronger frame and improvement in his ball-handling and shooting, Collins can take a big step this season and catch the eyes of the NBA.
If Collins improves can showcase an improved offensive game over the course of the season, he will be a very good option for the NBA already being freakishly athletic and having such a large upside.
Kentucky will not lose more than one game in conference play
John Calipari teams typically hit their stride in March, just in time for tournament play to begin.
However, this has not been the case the past couple of seasons as they have been playing maybe their worst basketball at the most important time of the year, whether it be due to injuries (2021-22) or just bad basketball (2020-21).
Advertisement
With the amount of experience on this team, this team should not take as long to hit their stride and it should be expected to see them flourish through the heart of conference play.
On paper, the SEC is still extremely tough, but Kentucky’s schedule may be a little weaker this year than last, with just three ranked games on the road. As we speak, Warren Nolan has the Wildcats predicted to go 15-3 in the SEC this season.
Last season, Kentucky lost some tough road games, so expect this year’s team – with a lot of returnees – to come out with a chip on their shoulder against teams like Arkansas, Auburn, and Tennessee
With that said, two of those teams, Arkansas and Tennessee are two of the three best teams in the SEC behind Kentucky, and the Wildcats play them on the road again this year. It will be a difficult task to win all three, so expect to drop at least one of them.
Advertisement
This will be an extremely difficult task for the Wildcats – and this is a BOLD prediction – but it is feasible that Kentucky could win the SEC and finish with just one loss in conference play.
In the end, these may or may not happen, but college basketball is here and Kentucky is poised for a great run. What are your bold predictions for this season?
The transfer portal is active, and Zoom stock is going up as college coaches are video chatting around the clock to build their rosters, including Kentucky.
On Wednesday, Mark Pope and the Kentucky staff added three more names to the Zoom list.
Alex Wilkins (Guard, Furman), 4⭐️, 46th-ranked transfer
Class: Sophomore Physicals: 6-5, 175 lbs Last season averages: 17.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 46% FG, 32.8% 3P
Advertisement
An underrated prospect coming out of high school, Wilkins splashed on the scene this year at Furman. As a freshman, he led his team to the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17.8 points and 4.7 assists and earning second team All-SoCon honors.
There were few players as critical to their team’s success as Wilkins, leading the SoCon in possession usage (34.4%) and shot usage (31.7%). That does lend some explanation to his poor shooting splits and turnover concerns (3.8 turnovers per game).
A quick, wirey guard, Wilkins is a capable scorer at all three levels, and can create for his teammates. However, he needs to add some muscle for power conference competition, and needs to have more consistent effort on the defensive end.
A freshman, those are both correctable things.
Advertisement
Isaac Celiscar (Forward, Yale), 4⭐️, 84th-ranked transfer
Class: Junior Physicals: 6-6, 210 lbs Last season averages: 13.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 57.3% FG, 40.7% 3P
Isaac Celiscar is one of the most efficient, versatile players in the transfer portal.
The first takeaway, averaging 13.2 point per game with 57.3 percent shooting, he is extremely efficient on limited opportunities. Shooting nearly 41 percent from deep, he is a threat from deep as well. That efficiency carries over to his passing, as he averages more than three assists per game, on just 1.3 turnovers per game.
Celiscar grades out as a glue-guy with great offensive skills and good feel for the game, but he does have limitations in terms of his athleticism and shot creation.
Advertisement
Jalen Cox (Guard, Colgate), 3⭐️ , 149th-ranked transfer
Class: Senior Physicals: 6-3, 180 lbs Last season averages: 17.9 PPG, 5.3 APG, 5.0 RPG, 52.1% FG, 36.5% 3P
Jalen Cox is the lowest ranked player Kentucky has reached out to, but the Wildcats need depth and Cox is a experienced guard with proven production.
Averaging 17.9 points and 5.3 assists (2.0+ assist-to-turnover ratio) per game on 52 percent shooting from the field, Cox is a versatile and efficient offensive player. He has also multiple conference All-Defense selections too, making him a two way player.
The biggest concern with Cox is his athletic ceiling and how that translates to power conference competition. However an experienced two way player is a great rotation piece.
Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are as busy as anyone in the transfer portal. On Wednesday, they met with their biggest fish of this transfer portal cycle so far, Paulius Murauskas.
Originally scheduled for Thursday, the Wildcats met with Murauskas via Zoom video call on Wednesday, per source.
Currently ranked 4th overall in 247Sports transfer rankings, the top-ranked forward, Murauskas is the prototypical modern basketball player. Good size at 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, with the ability to create for himself and others, has a good handle, and overall good feel for the game.
Advertisement
Murauskas started his collegiate career at Arizona after some professional experience in Lithuania. Playing just five minutes per game with the Wildcats as a freshman, Murauskas transferred to Saint Mary’s, where he has flourished and earned All-Conference honors the last two seasons.
This past season, Murauskas averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds, on 48.2 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from deep. As for his weaknesses, he is not super athletic, and he does need to be more consistent with his shot.
Originally thought to follow former Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett to Arizona State, Murauskas is exploring all options. Following the Zoom, Kentucky is trying to get him on campus for a visit in the near future.
The transfer portal has been open for less than 48 hours, but one name that has been consistently linked to Kentucky has been Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman, even going back before the portal officially opened.
Currently ranked 16th overall in this year’s portal class, the fifth-ranked forward, Freeman had a Zoom video call with Kentucky on Wednesday afternoon.
Playing for the Bahamas National Team in the 2024 Olympic Qualifying tournament, Freeman also has a connection to Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean, who was an associate head coach for the team.
Advertisement
One of the bigger names in the portal and for good reason, a top-15 player, McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school, Freeman has been a big impact player through two seasons with the Orange. This past season, he averaged 16.5 points and 7.2 rebounds, on 47.4 percent shooting from the field and 30.2 percent shooting from deep.
Freeman will have NBA eyes on him wherever he goes. Physically, he has the size and athleticism. That allows him to be versatile on defense, capable of defending multiple positions; having the speed to defend smaller players, and length to affect shots in the paint.
Offensively, his physical tools help him excel in transition and as a slasher, having good touch around the rim. Shooting 30+ percent from deep through two seasons, enough to keep defenses honest, his shot is inconsistent and has a slight hitch in mechanics. Though the biggest area of concern is his struggle with turnovers, having a negative assist-to-turnover ratio in both collegiate seasons.
It’s also worth noting that Freeman has suffered right foot injuries in back-to-back seasons, sidelining him for 28 games total.
Advertisement
Freeman has the physical tools and skills to be an first round draft pick, but needs some refinement, and Kentucky is interested.