2026-2027 Roster discussion thread

[UKHoops01]

Maybe good enough to make the tourney, if we added the right guard or two. That’s probably a bubble team.

Really need a star player to push us over the top to really be a tourney team with a chance to make some noise.

Probably need Stokes in there instead of Kam as the star and Wilkins at the 2, plus a good reserve guard (Cox) to have a shot at a decent run.

And got to stay healthy (something that we haven’t done since 2012).

And no more erratic rotations. Play the best guys all the minutes.

G Diallo/Cox*
G Wilkins*/Cox*
F Stokes/K. Williams
F Rancik/Stokes
C Moreno/D. Williams*

*or fairly equivalent player

I don’t see anyone out there in the portal or in HS that could be what Stokes could be for us (a superstar go-to-guy), except maybe Muurinen.

So Stokes is probably the single most important recruit we have had in a long, long time. With him, we have some hope of being a contender, if he is the real deal. And by real deal, I mean he has to be AD, Cooper Flagg, Cam Boozer good. We probably barely make the
tourney without him coming here and living up to the hype.

Sadly, I really think you need TWO studs to really make a serious run. The great NBA teams all had TWO studs... whether it was Jordan and Pippen, Bird and McHale, Magic and Kareem, Kobe and Shaq, Hakeem and Clyde, LeBron and D-Wade, , etc. Rarely is one guy enough to really make a dent in a serious post-season run.

[JFCats22]

Just throwing out a hypothetical here

Does a team who starts the following make the NCAA tournament next year?

Diallo
Mystery combo guard
Kam Williams
Sebastian Rancik
Malachi Moreno

This team finishes in last place of the SEC and absolutely does not make the NCAAT

[bucsrule8872]

Just throwing out a hypothetical here

Does a team who starts the following make the NCAA tournament next year?

Diallo
Mystery combo guard
Kam Williams
Sebastian Rancik
Malachi Moreno

Maybe good enough to make the tourney, if we added the right guard or two. That’s probably a bubble team.

Really need a star player to push us over the top to really be a tourney team with a chance to make some noise.

Probably need Stokes in there instead of Kam as the star and Wilkins at the 2, plus a good reserve guard (Cox) to have a shot at a decent run.

And got to stay healthy (something that we haven’t done since 2012).

And no more erratic rotations. Play the best guys all the minutes.

G Diallo/Cox*
G Wilkins*/Cox*
F Stokes/K. Williams
F Rancik/Stokes
C Moreno/D. Williams*

*or fairly equivalent player

I don’t see anyone out there in the portal or in HS that could be what Stokes could be for us (a superstar go-to-guy), except maybe Muurinen.

So Stokes is probably the single most important recruit we have had in a long, long time. With him, we have some hope of being a contender, if he is the real deal. And by real deal, I mean he has to be AD, Cooper Flagg, Cam Boozer good. We probably barely make the
tourney without him coming here and living up to the hype.

[UKHoops01]

Just throwing out a hypothetical here

Does a team who starts the following make the NCAA tournament next year?

Diallo
Blackwell *
Stokes *
Sebastian Rancik
Malachi Moreno

I' know Blackwell isn't an option, BUT.....I'd say a roster like that not only would, but would likely be a pretty high seed as well.

[Rondo#9]

Just throwing out a hypothetical here

Does a team who starts the following make the NCAA tournament next year?

Diallo
Mystery combo guard
Kam Williams
Sebastian Rancik
Malachi Moreno

[bucsrule8872]

I hadn't heard of him, but I checked out his FAU stats and watched some highlights. Skinny as a rail...LOL...but seems like a good shot blocker....as long as SEC big men don't manhandle and push him out of the paint. Started his college career off at UCLA and was a top 75 recruit, so there's a little something to him. As long as Moreno stays healthy and we land Rancik (who could see minutes at the 5) and Potter and him split the remaining minutes, he could be a decent option. If he's forced into seeing more time than simply mop up, though, well.....

Yep.

He’s a 5-6 minute per half to spell Moreno guy.

If he forced to start and play big minutes, we are in deep doo doo.

[UKHoops01]

Zoom call with Devin Williams. Center out of FAU. Skinny, but athletic. Shotblocker and rebounder. Perfect backup to our rising star Moreno.

Might have to change our nickname to the Williams’ if we get him. Kam, Mason, and maybe Devin.

I hadn't heard of him, but I checked out his FAU stats and watched some highlights. Skinny as a rail...LOL...but seems like a good shot blocker....as long as SEC big men don't manhandle and push him out of the paint. Started his college career off at UCLA and was a top 75 recruit, so there's a little something to him. As long as Moreno stays healthy and we land Rancik (who could see minutes at the 5) and Potter and him split the remaining minutes, he could be a decent option. If he's forced into seeing more time than simply mop up, though, well.....

[Cawood86]

Man, players named Zoom....and zoom calls...so many Williams.....?

[WeWant9]

Zoom call with Devin Williams. Center out of FAU. Skinny, but athletic. Shotblocker and rebounder. Perfect backup to our rising star Moreno.

Might have to change our nickname to the Williams’ if we get him. Kam, Mason, and maybe Devin.

His quote on UK, seems like a Pope type of guy: “It’s about the name on the front of the jersey, not the name on the back. It’s different when you go there, for sure."

[bucsrule8872]

Zoom call with Devin Williams. Center out of FAU. Skinny, but athletic. Shotblocker and rebounder. Perfect backup to our rising star Moreno.

Might have to change our nickname to the Williams’ if we get him. Kam, Mason, and maybe Devin.

[WeWant9]

More and more teams are doing it. It has to do with analytics and trading twos for threes. If a team shoots 45% from 2 point range and 37% from three point range, they've kind of figured out that if you take 30 + 3-point shots a game your chances of scoring more points than your opponent is greater. That philosophy has been picked up by a ton of college teams and even NBA teams. It's pretty much a normal thing over in Europe and internationally as well.

I get that is where the game is going and the reasoning on it. Makes sense in the NBA with the best of the best, little more iffy in college to me. Slow day, so I took a look at this year's Elite 8 teams and their 3 pt attempts. Seems like the sweet spot is around 20-25 right now. Was surprised Zona took the least amount, while blowing plenty of teams out the water this season.

Tennessee	19.6
Iowa	22.9
Uconn	24.1
Purdue	24
Illinois	30.6
Duke	25.2
Arizona	16
Michigan	25

[UKHoops01]

I am all about spacing the floor with shooters but have never been sold on the philosophy of taking 25-30 threes in the college game.

More and more teams are doing it. It has to do with analytics and trading twos for threes. If a team shoots 45% from 2 point range and 37% from three point range, they've kind of figured out that if you take 30 + 3-point shots a game your chances of scoring more points than your opponent is greater. That philosophy has been picked up by a ton of college teams and even NBA teams. It's pretty much a normal thing over in Europe and internationally as well.

[WeWant9]

I am all about spacing the floor with shooters but have never been sold on the philosophy of taking 25-30 threes in the college game.

[UKHoops01]

Sayon Keita is a ‘26 recruit. I am talking about a recruit, not the big man from BYU who is out of eligibility.

I agree about Nnaji, but he doesn’t seem to be on our radar.

OK.... now I know who you're talking about. I remember seeing something about him a couple of weeks ago, but nothing since. If I remember correctly, he's a real skinny 7 ft kid, which is typical for guys that age.. they haven't grown into their body and filled out yet. That's why I'd rather have someone like Nnaji who is a grown ass man. He's 21 and he's 7 ft, 250 lbs. I just like the idea of having a bruiser to act as an enforcer on the team. Kind of keeps other teams from thinking they can bully teams around.

[bucsrule8872]

I'm pretty sure that Keita is out of eligibility. I like the idea of a bruising rebounder and shot blocker to backup Moreno, but I think it would have to be someone like James Nnaji, the Baylor transfer, who I haven't even heard if Kentucky has shown any interest, and visa versa.

I'd like to see Pope express more interest in a dead-eye 3-point shooter... someone like Paul McNeil. As of right now, it appears that most of the guards he's considering are combo guards that aren't great 3-point shooters. I'm a huge fan of Wilkins, though, so he's a priority. I also really like Rancik and hope we land both Freeman and Rancik to really solidify the 4 spot (Rancik could also see time st the 5).

Sayon Keita is a ‘26 recruit. I am talking about a recruit, not the big man from BYU who is out of eligibility.

I agree about Nnaji, but he doesn’t seem to be on our radar.

As for Rancik, I think he could be a good player for us. If we don’t get another backup 5, maybe he can play there some as well as a stretch 5. Maybe Rancik and Potter can be the backup 5 by committee.