Who are these guys? … and nine other questions about Kentucky’s basketball team
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2020-21 College Basketball Preview
The Lexington Herald-Leader’s 2020-21 College Basketball Preview special section was published in the print edition on Sunday, Nov. 15. Click below to view all the stories from that section that have been published on Kentucky.com.
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Ten questions and 10 answers about the 2020-21 University of Kentucky men’s basketball team:
1. Even during the coronavirus pandemic, some things are unchangeable. As always with John Calipari’s Kentucky teams, this question looms: Who are these guys?
If anything, this question is more pertinent than ever. UK’s top six scorers (and eight of the top nine) from last season are gone. The lone returnee in that grouping, Keion Brooks, averaged 4.5 points and 15.1 minutes.
Kentucky also forged ahead without the top six scorers from the previous season in 2012-13. A season-ending knee injury to freshman Nerlens Noel turned a 17-6 start into six losses in the final 10 games, culminating with a first-round NIT loss at Robert Morris.
In 2015-16, UK lost its top seven scorers from the previous season. The Cats won the SEC, but a 27-9 record paled next to the 38-1 of the year before.
Then there’s 2017-18. The top seven scorers (and eight of the top nine) were gone. Wenyen Gabriel was the lone returnee of note. UK had a 26-11 record capped by a Sweet 16 loss to Kansas State.
As for this season, the hope is that transfers Olivier Sarr, Davion Mintz and Jacob Toppin can make a significant difference.
2. Are the cooks at the Wildcat Coal Lodge laying in extra food? Only six of the 14 players on the roster have a listed weight of more than 200 pounds. And two of them barely get there: Isaiah Jackson (206) and Brooks (205). Will opponents out-muscle UK this season?
Opponents annually try to push the young Wildcats around. In terms of poundage, the best counterweights this season will be Sarr (237) and Lance Ware (223).
For perspective, past UK “bigs” included DeMarcus Cousins (260), Julius Randle (250), Karl-Anthony Towns (255), Bam Adebayo (260) and Nick Richards (247).
Not that bulk is everything. Noel (208) and Anthony Davis (220) excelled.
3. Who’s the point guard?
Devin Askew is the player who has the most difficult acts to follow: John Wall, Brandon Knight, Marquis Teague, Tyler Ulis, De’Aaron Fox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Askew was the consensus No. 1-rated point guard in the class of 2021 before reclassifying. He was a five-star prospect who averaged 6.3 assists as a high school senior.
Mintz brings 2,059 minutes and 79 starts worth of experience to UK’s backcourt. He had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 259-146 at Creighton.
4. Does anybody on this year’s team rate as a standout shooter?
In late October, Calipari said that Jackson and Askew had been the best shooters in practice. Dontaie Allen said Cam’Ron Fletcher, Terrence Clarke, Brandon Boston and Mintz had shot well. Allen could have mentioned himself, too.
“This team has a lot of ‘buckets,’” Allen said.
5. Is Olivier Sarr beef bourguignon or French pastry?
If he’s the latter, this team could be in trouble. Two other “bigs” do not have a lot of bulk: Jacob Toppin (6-9, 194) and Jackson (6-10, 206).
Sarr said he came to Wake Forest as a freshman weighing 189 pounds. “If that,” former Wake Coach Danny Manning said. He’s up to 237 and grown more accustomed to handling physical play around the basket.
“I believe he’s an NBA player, without question,” Manning said.
6. How many players are likely to be around for a second season or — gasp — develop through a third or fourth college season?
For this annual question, it always seems wise to round downward. Boston is a five-star freshman, so a second season would seem unlikely. Clarke is also mentioned in several NBA mock drafts for 2021, and others are possibilities. Just a guess to suggest all the freshmen will enter the 2021 NBA Draft (or at least test the metaphorical water).
7. With Kenny Payne now with the New York Knicks, who takes over the coaching when Calipari gets thrown out of a game?
Calipari has been ejected from three games in his time as Kentucky coach. UK has a record of 2-1 in those games: dividing two games at South Carolina, then winning at Arkansas last season.
Payne took the reins in the victories. John Robic led a rally that fell short in the defeat.
No fewer than three staffers have head coaching experience: James “Bruiser” Flint, Tony Barbee and Robic.
Flint has been a head coach most recently (at Drexel in 2016) and he also has experience as the reliever when the referees sent Calipari to the showers at UMass.
8. The early reports on Allen sound encouraging. As the focus of home state rooting interest, will his role resemble that of the indispensable Darius Miller or a glue guy a la Dominique Hawkins or something else?
Few Kentucky players — from in-state or otherwise — have been as newsy as Allen for better or worse. On the plus side, his star turn for Pendleton County was one of the most productive in state history. His 3,255 points were the 11th most by any high school player in the state. His 1,228 rebounds were the 22nd most. As a senior, he averaged 42.9 points and 14.2 rebounds and was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball.
On the down side, a torn anterior cruciate ligament cut short his senior season. Then he suffered a broken collarbone during his rehabilitation. Allen did not play during his freshman season at UK.
Allen talks of these travails as a blessing in disguise. “I learned that I’m very resilient,” he said.
When asked this preseason if he was 100-percent healthy, Allen said, “I’m better than ever. … I’m ahead of where I was (and in) a lot better space. It’s going really well.”
9. Obviously, Sarr cannot play all 40 minutes of every game. So, who plays the “5” when he’s on the bench?
As a 7-footer who was good enough to be an All-ACC Third Team selection for Wake Forest last season, Sarr is the main man.
Kentucky has three other players who are 6-foot-9 or taller.
As the wait continued for the NCAA and the SEC to waive requirements for Sarr to sit out the season as a transfer, Jackson was seen as the likely starting big man. He would be a slight (206 pounds on a 6-10 frame) but athletic big man. Ware gives Kentucky a combination of height (6-9) and bulk (223).
Then there’s the idea of a front line of 6-10 (Jackson), 6-9 (Ware) and 6-9 (Toppin). This length led Calipari to speak (tease?) about Kentucky playing a zone defense.
10. Assuming the schedule does not change (big assumption?), there will be fewer “buy” games in a non-conference schedule that includes Kansas, UCLA and Texas. What would be a good regular-season record?
The combination of freshman dependence (the UK way) and fewer games against inferior competition (caused by COVID-19) leaves Kentucky in a more delicate position.
Calipari did not sound like he was joking when he spoke of several defeats early in the season.
“Not easing into the schedule,” he said. “I’m worried about it.”
He said this led him to speak to Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart, who happens to be chair of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee (aka the Selection Committee) about what it would take to get in the NCAA Tournament field.
“What if we got 4-5 or 3-6 (to start the season)?” Calipari said he asked Barnhart. “Are we going to be all right?”
Calipari did not say how Barnhart responded. But the UK coach spoke of how a team was playing and the eye test — not numbers — being the determining factor.
“This is the year you’re not worried about your record,” Calipari said. “But (your concern is) about playing well and counting on the committee to pick the best teams.
“It’s not going to be by record because you’ve got some teams that are going to play six ‘buy’ games, and they’re playing the lightest schedule they can.”
This story was originally published November 17, 2020 at 7:29 AM.
