Keep up with Kentucky basketball: Key dates to know for the Wildcats’ 2022 offseason
It was a disappointing end to an otherwise exciting 2021-22 college basketball season for the Kentucky men’s basketball program, and the Wildcats now enter yet another uncertain spring and summer in preparation for their next campaign.
This UK offseason is once again expected to feature ample roster turnover. John Calipari and his coaching staff will be out on the recruiting trail, meeting with potential transfers and scouting high school recruits as they also wait on decisions from current Kentucky players.
Who will play for UK next season? What will the Wildcats’ recruiting outlook be for the near future? And what’s next, in general, for the Kentucky basketball program. Here’s a look at some key dates for the 2022 offseason.
April
Spring recruiting begins (April 8): The month of April will feature a pair of three-day evaluation periods for college coaches to get a good look at their top recruiting targets facing elite competition. Calipari and his assistants always have a heavy presence at the Nike events — where DJ Wagner will be one of the top players this year — but they’re also sure to take a look at other circuits, especially with UK commitment Reed Sheppard among the top-ranked stars set to play in the Adidas league. The two spring eval periods are set for April 8-10 and 22-24. Some new UK targets will surely emerge then, and we should find out more about the players the Cats have already been recruiting.
Regular signing period (April 13): This date probably won’t have much importance for Kentucky this year — 2022 recruits Chris Livingston and Cason Wallace signed with UK back in November — but it is the time for high school seniors to make their commitments official. There are very few uncommitted recruits in the 2022 class, and UK — as of now — is not expected to pursue any of those players.
NBA playoffs begin (April 16): The number of former Kentucky players in the NBA is too long to list here, but it’s a sure bet that many of them will be playing postseason basketball this year.
May
First day of summer classes (May 16): There’s really no offseason when it comes to Kentucky basketball, and that will be apparent around this time, when players for the 2022-23 campaign start arriving on campus and the excitement and hope of a new season ramps up. There are varying terms to UK’s summer session, and most Kentucky players typically get to Lexington in the final days of May. During his final radio show of the season, Calipari said he was already looking forward to that time. “It’s where we really establish who we are, every year,” he said of the start of early workouts that lead into the preseason practices.
NBA Combine (May 16-22): The annual proving ground for NBA prospects always features some UK news. Going into the spring, Shaedon Sharpe, TyTy Washington and Oscar Tshiebwe are the Cats’ projected draft picks, though others off the 2021-22 roster could also pop up at the Combine to work out for league scouts.
Transfer decisions: There’s no firm date on the workings of the transfer portal, which is expected to produce a few new Kentucky players this offseason. Last year, Kellan Grady committed to the Cats in late March, while the additions of CJ Fredrick (May 5) and Sahvir Wheeler (May 17) came a little later. Look for some transfers to similarly stretch out their decisions this year, especially those who also enter their names in the NBA Draft.
June
NBA Draft decision date (June 1): A few Kentucky players will have some big decisions to make this offseason. This is the deadline for those decisions. Hamidou Diallo took his stay-or-go call until the final hour five years ago, so there’s always a chance fans could be waiting until deadline day to find out what the current Cats are going to do.
NBA Finals begin (June 2): Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns are dominating the Western Conference. The Miami Heat — featuring Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro — are on top of the Eastern Conference standings. Several other ex-Cats are also playing for winning teams this season. Could the Finals feature a UK alum or two (or more)? We’ll see.
NBA Draft (June 23): Kentucky should have some high-level draft picks once again this year, and this is the night when those players find out where they’ll start their pro careers. The NBA Draft lottery, which will decide the order of the top picks, is set for May 17.
NBPA Top 100 Camp (June 29): Often one of the top recruiting events of the summer, this year’s showcase will feature some of the best high school prospects in the country. And college coaches will have two days of evaluation opportunities (June 29-30) to scout those players. Expect Calipari and two or three assistants to be in attendance.
July
Summer recruiting heats up: College coaches get two more opportunities to scout their high school recruiting priorities in the summer, with evaluation periods set for July 6-10 and July 20-24. This is when the various shoe company leagues and other grassroots operations will hold their championship tournaments. Nike’s Peach Jam event — set for the later July eval period — is always the biggest recruiting showcase of the summer.
August
The Bahamas trip: Calipari confirmed on his final radio show of the season that Kentucky is working on getting back to the Bahamas this summer for what is becoming a once-every-four-years trip. The plans aren’t set yet, but the dates were Aug. 10-17 in 2014 and Aug. 6-13 in 2018, so expect a similar timeframe this year.
First day of fall classes (Aug. 22): The fall semester begins, and — coming off that Bahamas trip — the preseason talk is sure to be heavy at this point on the calendar.
September
Fall recruiting period begins (Sept. 9): This has traditionally been the date that college coaches are allowed to recruit off campus, going into high school gyms and players’ homes to meet personally with top prospects around the country. Calipari often spends a week or so flying all over the United States during this time, and it becomes clear who his top targets are among the upcoming season’s senior class, and who his biggest priorities for the future might be.
October
Big Blue Madness: No date yet for the biggest party of the Kentucky basketball preseason. The UK men’s and women’s teams will be introduced to the fans at the annual Rupp Arena event, which usually occurs in the middle of October. The Blue-White scrimmage will also be around this time on the calendar.
November
Early signing period (Nov. 9): As of now, in-state star Reed Sheppard is the only Kentucky commitment for the 2023 class, but he’s likely to have some company by the fall. DJ Wagner is among the top uncommitted targets on UK’s recruiting board, and players from that class will be able to officially sign with the colleges of their choice for one week starting Nov. 9. Calipari usually has a few early signees in every class.
Champions Classic (Nov. 15): It’ll be Kentucky vs. Michigan State in Indianapolis for the 2022 edition of the event that typically kicks of UK’s season. This year’s Champions Classic is being moved a week later so as not to conflict with Election Day, so there’s a chance there could be a tuneup game for the Wildcats before this one. The full 2022-23 schedule will be released sometime this summer.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
