A Kentucky college basketball season unlike any other is coming

There are credible reasons to think the 2018-19 college basketball season in Kentucky could leave fans feeling as if their world is upside down.

Imagine a season where universities from the commonwealth produce two top-15 NBA Draft choices — but neither player comes from Kentucky or Louisville.

Imagine the commonwealth sending an unprecedented five teams to the men’s NCAA Tournament.

Imagine a team bringing a Division I NCAA women’s NCAA tourney title back to the commonwealth for the first time.

In 2018-19, all are within the realm of the possible.

Here are 10 story lines to watch for in a college hoops season in Kentucky that could be authentically unique:

10. Kentucky proud. For the first time in four and a half decades, the majority of Division I men’s college hoops coaches in the commonwealth will be native sons in 2018-19. Scott County product A.W. Hamilton is the new head coach at Eastern Kentucky. Betsy Layne’s Preston Spradlin will begin his second full season as Morehead State head coach.

Newport Catholic alumnus John Brannen has led Northern Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament (2017) and the NIT (last season). Meade County alumnus Rick Stansbury took Western Kentucky to the NIT semifinals in Madison Square Garden last season.

One has to go back to 1972-73 to find the last time there were four native Kentuckians coaching NCAA Division I men’s basketball in the commonwealth. That year, it was Joe B. Hall (Cynthiana) at Kentucky, Guy Strong (Irvine) at EKU, Bill Harrell (Belfry) at Morehead State and Jim Richards (Adair County) at WKU.

9. Battlin’ blue bloods. In 2018-19, John Calipari’s UK men’s team will play Duke (Nov. 6), North Carolina (Dec. 22) and Kansas (Jan. 26) in the same season.

That has only happened one other time. In 1969-70, Adolph Rupp, Dan Issel, Mike Pratt and Co. went 3-0 against that regal trio of UK’s basketball peers.

8. Start the press(es). When Matthew Mitchell led the UK women’s basketball program to three NCAA Tournament Elite Eights in four years (2010-13), the rise was fueled by the coach’s implementation of a frenetic, full-court press.

In recent years, Mitchell stopped the press(es) due, largely, to an alteration in how referees were supposed to call fouls.

This year, Mitchell vows the 2018-19 Wildcats are going back to their full-court defensive ways. As UK attempts to return to the NCAA tourney after last season’s 15-17 slog, a revival of full-court pressure represents a program reclaiming its identity.

7. The Stansbury effect. Since taking the Western Kentucky head coaching job three years ago, Rick Stansbury has turbo-charged interest in Hilltoppers hoops with boffo recruiting success. This season, Stansbury will unveil the highest-ranked player he has yet wooed to The Hill in big man Charles Bassey — the No. 9 ranked prospect in the final 2018 Rivals 150.

6. NBA eyes wander to different places? In the 2019 NBA mock draft at nbadraft.net, there are two products from Kentucky colleges projected to go in the top 15.

Neither plays for Kentucky or Louisville.

Western Kentucky’s Charles Bassey, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound center, is projected as the No. 6 overall pick. Versatile Murray State point guard Ja Morant, a 6-3, 170-pound sophomore, is slotted to go 13th.

5. A different one-and-done. In the John Calipari era, Kentucky men’s basketball is synonymous with one-and-done freshman players. This year, Calipari has a very different type of one-year player.

Graduate transfer Reid Travis (19.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg last season) might have been the Pac-12 Player of the Year had he stayed at Stanford.

Instead, Travis’ maturity, both physical and emotional, could make the 6-8, 238-pound forward Kentucky’s ‘X-factor’ in 2018-19.

4. Fabulous Five? The commonwealth of Kentucky has never sent five teams to a men’s NCAA basketball tournament.

This season, UK (SEC) and WKU (Conference-USA) are projected to win their leagues; Murray State (OVC) and Northern Kentucky (Horizon) have been picked second; and though picked 11th in the ACC, Louisville has a viable shot for an NCAA at-large bid.

While far from certain, a Kentucky “high five” in 2018-19 is plausible.

3. Walz world. A season ago, Jeff Walz coached the Louisville women to the Final Four for a third time. Dreams of the first D-1 women’s NCAA title ever for a Kentucky school ended, however, with an overtime loss to Mississippi State in the Final Four.

This year, Walz and U of L return four starters, including 2017-18 ACC Player of the Year Asia Durr. National title aspirations remain viable in 2018-19 in The Ville.

2. Mack attack. Given the scandal and uncertainty that engulfed Louisville men’s basketball at the end of the Rick Pitino era, the hiring of ex-Xavier head man Chris Mack was an epic coup for U of L.

In his first season as top Card, Mack inherits a roster with some upside and a situation in which there are no expectations. For a coach as capable as Mack, the table is set up for unexpected over-achievement.

1. Number one without “the one?” John Calipari’s best UK teams, 2009-10, 2011-12, and 2014-15, all had one big thing in common: Rosters that boasted the player who would go on to the No. 1 overall pick in the ensuing NBA Draft — John Wall (2009-10), Anthony Davis (2011-12) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2014-15).

Calipari’s 2018-19 Wildcats start the season ranked No. 2 in the country. However, the current UK roster not only does not have a player expected to go No. 1 in the 2019 draft; it doesn’t have a player who is even a consensus choice to go in the lottery.

So if Calipari is to take Kentucky to the Final Four for the first time since 2015, it will be due to UK’s depth of talent, not its mega-star power.

Mark Story: (859) 231-3230; Twitter: @markcstory