Preseason ‘All-State’ teams for Kentucky college men’s and women’s basketball
Preseason All-State teams for Kentucky college men’s and women’s basketball in 2018-19:
Men
SF Keldon Johnson, 6-6, Fr., Kentucky. The sleek Oak Hill Academy (Va.) product has had John Calipari harkening back to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
PF Nick Mayo, 6-9, Sr., Eastern Kentucky. The only EKU player (18 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.5 blocked shots last season) ever named All-OVC First Team in three straight seasons is a cornerstone for new Colonels Coach A.W. Hamilton to build upon.
C Charles Bassey, 6-10, Fr., Western Kentucky. For once, the most-touted freshman (No. 9 in the 2018 Rivals 150) entering Kentucky college basketball is not at UK.
SG Tyler Herro, 6-5, Fr., Kentucky. The breakout star (17.3 ppg) of UK’s summer exhibition tour of the Bahamas.
PG Ja Morant, 6-3, So., Murray State. As a freshman last year, the versatile Murray point guard (12.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 6.2 apg) was one of only two players in men’s NCAA Division I college basketball who had more than 400 points (405), 200 rebounds (208) and 200 (201) assists.
Freshman of the Year: Charles Bassey, Western Kentucky
Player of the Year: Ja Morant, Murray State
Coach of the Year: Chris Mack, Louisville
Women
F Yacine Diop, 5-10, Sr., Louisville. Graduate transfer led Pittsburgh in scoring (15.7) and rebounding (6.4) last season.
C Sam Fuehring, 6-3, Sr., Louisville. Took her game to the proverbial next level — 15.7 ppg in ACC Tournament; 14 ppg, 8.8 rpg in NCAA tourney Lexington Region — late last season.
G Maci Morris, 6-foot, Sr., Kentucky. Bell County product will seek to build on breakout junior season (17.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg) in which she was the nation’s second best three-point shooter (47.4 percent).
G Asia Durr, 5-10, Sr., Louisville. The reigning ACC Player of the Year (18.7 ppg, 42 percent three-point shooting) is a legit National Player of the Year candidate.
G Taylor Murray, 5-6, Sr., Kentucky. No player figures to benefit from Matthew Mitchell’s plan to restore the full-court press more than the jet-quick Murray (11.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 2.1 steals).
Freshman of the Year: Rhyne Howard, Kentucky.
Player of the Year: Asia Durr, Louisville.
Coach of the Year: Camryn Whitaker, Northern Kentucky.
Mark Story: (859) 231-3230; Twitter: @markcstory
