Kentucky basketball: Starting lineup options for next season

Kentucky coach John Calipari talks to his players during the second half of the NCAA Midwest Regional Final on Sunday, March 31, 2019 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Auburn beat Kentucky, 77-71, in overtime. (Rich Sugg/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images) /

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JACKSONVILLE, FL – MARCH 23: Kentucky Wildcats forward EJ Montgomery (23) dribbles the ball during a game against the Wofford Terriers at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on March 23, 2019 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Matt Marriott/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /

Worst case scenario

Point guard: Ashton Hagans
Shooting guard: Tyreke Maxey
Small forward: Kahlil Witney
Power forward: E.J. Montgomery
Center: Nick Sestina
Even though this is Kentucky’s worst case scenario, it is still a roster most coaches would die to coach. Even though Kentucky doesn’t land R.J. Hampton, Jaden McDaniels, or Matthew Hurt in this situation they still can roll with a lineup featuring two top recruits, two key returning players with a ton of ability, and a grad transfer at the five.

The P.J. Washington slot in the lineup is now filled by rising sophomore E.J. Montgomery, a 6’10 forward who entered the starting five when Washington was hurt at the beginning of the NCAA Tournament. Calipari could also consider 6’11 rising junior Nick Richards or incoming freshman Keion Brooks to fill that spot, so he’s not short on options.

This group would also feature a ton of experience, and the presence of grad transfer Nick Sestina will be a help. Sestina, who averaged 15.8 ppg and 8.5 rpg for Bucknell last season, will fill the Reid Travis spot as the grad transfer who the young Wildcats can lean on as a mentor.

The fact that Kentucky’s worst case scenario is still a team that would be a top-10 preseason unit with the upside to compete for a championship shows how incredible a job Calipari does as a recruiter. The one flaw people can point to is that relying on too many freshmen makes it harder to win in the NCAA Tournament, but this group may have enough returning players to overcome it, much like that 2014-2015 team that ran roughshod through the country before falling to Wisconsin.