Kentucky college basketball preseason All-State teams for 2021-22

Preseason All-State teams for Kentucky college men’s and women’s basketball in 2021-22:

MEN

F Keion Brooks, 6-7, Jr., Kentucky. Good health, better point-guard play and a more efficiently spaced offense could lead to a breakout season for Brooks (10.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg last season), the rare John Calipari-era third-year player.

F Jae’Lyn Withers, 6-8, R-So., Louisville. U of L Coach Chris Mack says the 230-pound Charlotte, N.C., product (10.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 55.2% FGs) is “the most talented player on our team and I’m not sure it’s close.”

C Johni Broome, 6-10, So., Morehead State. In one season, the Plant City, Fla., product (13.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 57.1% FGs, 13 double-doubles) went from under-the-radar recruit to one of the most intriguing big men in college hoops.

G Tevin Brown, 6-5, Jr., Murray State. The Fairhope, Ala., product (14.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 111 assists vs. 42 turnovers) is no Ja Morant, but he is keeping the Racers’ line of high-level, lead-guard play going.

G Sahvir Wheeler, 5-9, Jr., Kentucky. How much difference would a dynamic point guard such as the Houston product (14 ppg, SEC-best 7.4 assists, 3.8 rpg, 1.7 steals at Georgia) have made for UK a season ago?

Player of the Year: Johni Broome, Morehead State.

Newcomer of the Year: Sahvir Wheeler, Kentucky.

Coach of the Year: A.W. Hamilton, Eastern Kentucky.

WOMEN

F Rhyne Howard, 6-2, Sr., Kentucky. We get one more year to watch one of the best college basketball players (20.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 91 assists vs. 51 turnovers) ever to play in the commonwealth.

F Dre’una Edwards, 6-2, R-Jr., Kentucky. For UK to take a significant step upward, the Wildcats need the Las Vegas product (9.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 41.4% three-pointers) to perform all this season as she did in the pre-conference games last season (15.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg).

C Olivia Cochran, 6-3, So., Louisville. The Columbus, Ga., product (9.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 54.4% FGs) could be primed to take her game to star caliber in her second season of college hoops.

G Kianna Smith, 6-foot, R-Sr., Louisville. The former California Golden Bears guard was key for Jeff Walz and the Cardinals last year (11.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 61 assists vs. 31 turnovers) and should have an even larger role in 2021-22.

G Hailey Van Lith, 5-7, So., Louisville. The Wenatchee, Wash., product has more than enough game (11.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 63 assists vs. 52 turnovers) to back up her immense Instagram fame.

Player of the Year: Rhyne Howard, Kentucky.

Newcomer of the Year: Emily Engstler, Louisville.

Coach of the Year: Rechelle Turner, Murray State.

This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 7:25 AM.

Mark Story

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-444-4731

Mark Story has worked in the Lexington Herald-Leader sports department since Aug. 27, 1990, and has been a Herald-Leader sports columnist since 2001. I have covered every Kentucky-Louisville football game since 1994, every UK-U of L basketball game but three since 1996-97 and every Kentucky Derby since 1994. Support my work with a digital subscription