Kentucky Basketball 2021-22 Season Preview

  After a very eventful offseason, the 2021-22 Kentucky basketball roster is finally set. After hiring 2 new coaches and bringing in 7 new players, the Wildcats are ready to take on Duke in Madison Square Garden come November 9th. Let’s take a look at this year's team. 


The point guard spot is really open to anybody, but I see Sahvir Wheeler as the most likely candidate to secure the job. Sahvir is a phenomenal playmaker who is sure to make the offense run smoothly and create shots for the 4 excellent players around him. Standing at only 5’8, Sahvir is a strong and quick point guard who is experienced enough to take the Cats a long way. However the Georgia transfer may take the starting job, I still expect TyTy Washington to get big minutes off the bench.


(Photo: UK Athletics)



Up next, I fully expect 6th-year senior, Davion Mintz, to be running the shooting guard for us this season. Arguably our best player last season, Davion is coming back hungry and prepared to lead this team to a tournament appearance. He brings great leadership and experience to this team along with his incredible shooting and passion. 


(Photo: Silas Walker, Getty) 


Running the small forward is the guy I expect to have the biggest impact on this team: Kellan Grady. I see Grady as the only guy with a truly guaranteed starting spot on the roster. Like the other 2 guys I’ve mentioned, Kellan brings a lot of experience to this team as he’s going into his 5th year of college. The Boston native reminds me a lot of Devin Booker in his ability to create open shots for himself, while also being able to score while being guarded closely. It will be interesting to see if he can match the big expectations. 

(Photo: Chris Leach, 247 Sports)

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I expect junior Keion Brooks to be running the 4 for Kentucky this season. Keion has shown flashes of greatness since his freshman year but hasn’t been quite consistent enough to be considered one of the top guys on this team. I expect that to change this year. Keion has apparently looked incredible in preseason practices which is exactly what we want to hear. Maybe just like Nick Richards, Keion needs 3 years to break out. 

(Photo: UK Athletics)


To round out the starting lineup, I expect West Virginia transfer Oscar Tshiebwe to be our center. At 6’9, 260 pounds, Oscar is a force to be reckoned with in the paint. One of the biggest problems with Kentucky’s team last year was the lack of rebounders. Oscar brings that and so much more. Not only can the Congo-made big man get a rebound over almost anybody in college basketball, but he also shot almost 60% from the field last year for West Virginia before leaving the program early to make the move to Lexington. 


(Photo: Chris Leach, 247 Sports)


Not only is the starting lineup looking like one of the nation’s best, but there is plenty of firepower coming off of the bench. To start, 5-star recruit Daimion Collins is a tall and lanky center who absolutely dominated last season; earning him the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Texas. The Wildcats will also have 2 of the country’s best sharpshooters on the team this year in Iowa transfer CJ Fredrick and the returning Dontaie Allen. Along with Allen, both Jacob Toppin and Lance Ware decided to return to Kentucky for another season. From Toppin’s unreal athleticism to Ware’s scrappy defense, there is a whole lot to look forward to from our returning guys. Last but certainly not least is my personal favorite player, TyTy Washington. TyTy may be able to beat out Sahvir for the starting point guard spot but if he ends up coming off of the bench, he is sure to be one of the most dangerous bench players in the nation. TyTy can score from anywhere on the floor while also being able to lock up the best of the best point guards. 


(Photo: UK Athletics)


As always, the talent on this team is unreal. However, unlike any past Kentucky squad, this one has unmatched experience. With only 3 freshmen on this team, Kentucky has nailed the recipe for a lengthy tournament run. Of course, it’s way too early to get ahead of ourselves, but this team is scary for any opponent.

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