2026-2027 Roster discussion thread

[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

[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]

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."

[Cawood86]

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

[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.....

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[UKHoops01]

G Diallo/Cox*/M. Williams
G Wilkins*/Cox*
F Stokes/K. Williams/Noah
F Freeman/Rancik/Hawthorne
C Moreno/D. Williams/Potter

^^^ That roster/lineup COULD be more of a threat than meets the eye.... definitely would have some potential. Still think we'd need one more guard.

[bucsrule8872]

G Diallo/Cox*/M. Williams
G Wilkins*/Cox*
F Stokes/K. Williams/Noah
F Freeman/Rancik/Hawthorne
C Moreno/D. Williams/Potter

^^^ That roster/lineup COULD be more of a threat than meets the eye.... definitely would have some potential. Still think we'd need one more guard.

Getting Freeman and Rancik would be ideal but difficult. I think both are probably looking for starter minutes. If Rancik plays some as a stretch 5, it might work.

Minutes could be an issue at 3 and 4 if we get Stokes. Stokes will probably play 30 minutes or so a game.

[UKHoops01]

Getting Freeman and Rancik would be ideal but difficult. I think both are probably looking for starter minutes. If Rancik plays some as a stretch 5, it might work.

Minutes could be an issue at 3 and 4 if we get Stokes. Stokes will probably play 30 minutes or so a game.

Ideally, what I'd like to see, would be

G Diallo/Wilkins*/M. Williams
G Paul McNeil/Wilkins*
F Milan Momcilovic/K. Williams*/Noah
F Freeman/Rancik*/K. Williams*/Hawthorne
C Moreno/Rancik*/D. Williams/Potter

With the primary backups being Wilkins, Kam Williams and Rancik. Wilkins playing both guard spots, Kam Williams playing both forward spots (SF primarily), and Rancik playing both the 4 and the 5 (primary backup at both). Everyone else can see minutes here and there, depending on health/injuries, performance, foul trouble, etc. That would be my dream scenario......BUT....I realize most Kentucky fans would rather see Stokes at SF and Wilkins starting at the 2.

[bucsrule8872]

Ideally, what I'd like to see, would be

G Diallo/Wilkins*/M. Williams
G Paul McNeil/Wilkins*
F Milan Momcilovic/K. Williams*/Noah
F Freeman/Rancik*/K. Williams*/Hawthorne
C Moreno/Rancik*/D. Williams/Potter

With the primary backups being Wilkins, Kam Williams and Rancik. Wilkins playing both guard spots, Kam Williams playing both forward spots (SF primarily), and Rancik playing both the 4 and the 5 (primary backup at both). Everyone else can see minutes here and there, depending on health/injuries, performance, foul trouble, etc. That would be my dream scenario......BUT....I realize most Kentucky fans would rather see Stokes at SF and Wilkins starting at the 2.

Yeah, Wilkins is not going to come off the bench, most likely.

Also, I don’t see D. Williams being happy playing third string Center. If we get Rancik as the r primary backup 4/5, then D Will goes elsewhere, most likely.

I’ll take Momccilovic as a consolation prize if we miss on Stokes, but I doubt he comes here.

Keeping everyone happy with their minutes would be tough in that scenario. Hawthorne probably bolts, if that happens.

Looks good on paper, but I would be afraid of having too many mouths to feed (minutes wise).

I think If you get McNeil, then Wilkins is out and vice versa. Cox maybe instead of Wilkins as the backup.

I’d say, get:

McNeil or Wilkins to start at the 2.
Stokes or Momcilovic at the 3.
Cox or another decent mid-major level guard as a backup 1/2.
Rancik as the backup 4/5.

Diallo, Wilkins/McNeil, Stokes/Momcilovic, Freeman, and Moreno starting with Cox(1/2), Kam(2/3), Rancik(4/5), and Hawthorne(3/stretch 4) as the backups. I think Stokes/Momcilovic can slide to the 4 some with their size. Good 9 man rotation. M Will, Potter, and Noah as emergency/practice guys. Add a project or two to round out the squad.

I think that could work.

But I think Diallo, Wilkins, K Will, Freeman, and Moreno gives us the most likely starting five. With Cox, Hawthorne, and Rancik off the bench. M Will, Potter, and Noah rounding out the squad (plus a project or two). I could see that happening.