Kentucky basketball: 3 starting lineup options for 2020-2021

Kentucky basketball: 3 starting lineup options for 2020-2021 season

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 21: Ashton Hagans #0, Immanuel Quickley #5, EJ Montgomery #23, Tyrese Maxey #3 and Nate Sestina #1 of the Kentucky Wildcats walk back on the court after a timeout in their game against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the CBS Sports Classic at T-Mobile Arena on December 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Buckeyes defeated the Wildcats 71-65. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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LEXINGTON, KY – DECEMBER 14: Johnny Juzang #10 of the Kentucky Wildcats is seen during the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Rupp Arena on December 14, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Worst-Case scenario

PG: Devin Askew
SG: Johnny Juzang
SF: B.J. Boston
PF: Terrance Clarke
C: Keion Brooks

Nobody likes to talk about the worst-case scenario but there’s a very clear worst-case scenario that’s right in front of our faces.

Kentucky will likely lose Richards and Hagans, but there’s also the chance they could lose their best player, Quickley. He may decide to go to the NBA. He’s not projected to go there right now, but forcing someone inside for weeks on end makes them think. Quickley could decide he’d rather start making life-changing money now and work his way up the NBA ranks.

Montgomery could also decide the NBA is the way to go. Or even worse, he could decide to transfer. The latter isn’t all that likely, but this is the worst-case scenario here. Losing their biggest player without anyone coming in to replace him would be a major blow.

This leaves holes all over the roster. Obviously, new recruits B.J. Boston and Terrance Clarke would need to take a brunt of the load. Keion Brooks would be much more than a depth player and he’d have to improve upon his 4.5 points per game.

Devin Askew would also have to be more than just depth in his first year in Lexington. If he can learn from Quickley, he could eventually be one of the better prospects in the country. Propelling him right into the starting lineup would make it baptism by fire.

Still, this could be the situation at hand for Calipari. We’d see his preseason rankings drop into the teens, but again with the number-one recruiting class in the nation coming in, they’d still have the chance to move up into the conversation of best in the nation.

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