Kentucky lost, so who’s coming back and who’s leaving?
The Kentucky Wildcats are heading home after a ridiculous finish to their Elite Eight game against the North Carolina Tar Heels. Freshman Malik Monk hit an off-balance 3-pointer to tie the game with under 10 seconds remaining, but it was Luke Maye’s mid-range jumper that sealed the deal for North Carolina with only 0.3 seconds left.
The Wildcats’ roster was filled with NBA talent this season and the next big question will be who’s staying and who’s going. Here’s a look at how it might shake out.
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- Bam Adebayo, freshman – The 6-foot-10 center is projected a potential late first round pick, which means he’ll likely head to the NBA after just one season in Lexington. He lacks some of the size that seems necessary for playing the position at the next level, but his athleticism may make up for it. Adebayo projects to be a rim runner and pick-and-roll dive man who can protect the rim on defense.
- De’Aaron Fox, freshman – Fox may have won over some fans with his 39 points against UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen, but his seeming improvement as a shooter over the last month may be the most important factor determining how high he can go in June. The 19-year old can defend and run an offense, but his shooting is the big question holding him back. As a projected top 10 pick, Fox doesn’t seem long for the college game.
- Malik Monk, freshman – A projected top 10 pick, Monk will likely declare for this year’s draft. He’s a marksman from behind the 3-point arc who can help space the floor for an offense. His size (6-foot-3) makes his NBA fit a bit questionable if he doesn’t develop as a point guard, but there’s always room for shooters in the league these days and that’s the one skill Monk is certainly elite at.
- Wenyen Gabriel freshman – A five-star recruit coming out of high school, Gabriel struggled to find a consistent role on this Kentucky team that really needed Derek Willis to space the floor with his shooting at the power forward spot. The 20-year old has the potential to develop into a versatile defender with a 3-point shot of his own, but he might need another year in school to more fully flesh out his upside.
- Isaac Humphries, sophomore – Humphries would probably go undrafted, but Kentucky already has an influx of big men coming in this summer and could land another in top five recruit Mohamed Bamba. That could put the sophomore in a tough spot given that he may not find himself with a ton of playing time next season.
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- Isaiah Briscoe, sophomore – Briscoe’s biggest problem is that he’s a 6-foot-3 guard who can’t shoot and hasn’t shown he can run an offense full-time. Still, he was expected to only spend one year in Lexington, so maybe he takes his shot on making it in the league despite likely only being a second rounder.