Brian Flinn:
Future150 National Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Lexington, KY (Future150) -- The Big Dance is finally here and while everyone would like to cut down the nets, there can only be one champion. That being said, there is always the chance that the next season could be better than the last. With that in mind, Future150 would like to introduce "The Next Step", a segment dedicated to breaking down each program's recruiting class as they bow out of the tournament; because theres' always next season.
Many people picked Kentucky as a darkhorse to win the whole tournament after they closed out the season strong and won the SEC tournament. Indiana and Thomas Bryant had other plans for the Wildcats though, as the freshman big man had a huge part in knocking the Wildcats out of the tournament.
As crazy as it sounds, Kentucky might be the favorites to win it all next year despite Alex Poythress graduating and Jamal Murray likely gone to the draft. The rest of the roster is a bit of a question mark as far as who will return.
If Tyler Ulis does, he will likely be the favorite for national player of the year. The 5-foot-8 lead guard was magnificent this year and should continue to be. What will make Kentucky great though is another stellar recruiting class.
De'Aaron Fox, a Future150 Alum, may be the best point guard prospect Calipari has landed since John Wall. He has great size for the position, can score it, and makes others around him better. Big man Sacha Killeya-Jones will join him, and will give the Wildcats another shot blocker. Wenyen Gabriel might be the most intriguing of the group, as he is a 6-foot-10 forward with decent perimeter skills.
Two more top ten prospects join the Wildcats next year as well. Malik Monk is an uber athletic shooting guard who should thrive in Kentucky's system. Big man Bam Adebayo is an elite two-way player who's offense has improved greatly in the past year.
With a ton of new faces on next year's roster, it will be interesting to see how quickly they gel. That being said, there is no question that they will be the most talented team in the country again next season.
Comments:
Be the first to post. Just use the form below.