LEXINGTON, Ky. _ Though the sports world at large is on hold amid the coronavirus pandemic, college basketball recruiting announcements haven't stopped.
That could make things difficult for Kentucky's roster-building efforts.
The Cats are almost certain to lose Tyrese Maxey, Ashton Hagans and Nick Richards this offseason. Immanuel Quickley and EJ Montgomery came into the spring as bigger question marks, and _ although both players have already requested feedback through the NBA draft evaluation process _ it could be a while before final decisions are made for their futures.
That leaves UK in a bit of a bind, with other schools snatching up talented transfers while the Wildcats' coaching staff waits to see what their current players will do. If both Quickley and Montgomery were to return, the Cats could be set with their 2020-21 roster. If one or both leaves, they'd surely need some replacements.
Montgomery's decision will have an especially large impact on Kentucky's roster for next season. At the time the NCAA Tournament was canceled, it was expected that Montgomery _ not listed on any NBA draft boards at the moment _ would be back for a junior year. Recent rumblings have indicated that might not be the case, and Montgomery's father told the Herald-Leader this week that his son might not need another year of college before jumping to the pros.
However, the uncertainty surrounding this year's pre-draft process _ put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic _ will make it more difficult for Montgomery to impress NBA teams that didn't see an immediate pro prospect from watching his games this season.
If he does come back, he'd have every opportunity to be the primary player in a frontcourt that would include incoming recruits Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware _ both seen as multi-year college players _ as well as the expected return of Keion Brooks, a bigger wing who played some around the basket this past season.
That projected frontcourt would leave John Calipari without a Richards-type bruiser in the post, but it would be plenty talented. And, with UK's group of guards and wings, it could give Calipari another opportunity to play a somewhat smaller _ but dynamic _ lineup with plenty of length and potential to speed things up in transition. So far, UK hasn't shown any overt moves of desperation to go after a frontcourt transfer. Perhaps a junior Montgomery would be enough?
"You'd love to have like an a--kicker, so to speak," Rivals.com national analyst Eric Bossi told the Herald-Leader this week. "But, at the same time, I think there are a lot of teams in the country that would like to have four guys that talented. And they're plenty big, and they're plenty athletic. Maybe there's not a goon-type guy in there, but I think a lot of teams would like to have that problem of wondering whether those four guys are talented enough."
If Montgomery leaves, that would leave only Jackson and Ware _ two promising power forwards just outside the five-star range _ and Brooks, who seems more comfortable playing around the perimeter, as the frontcourt.
Calipari would surely want more size than that going into next season. But, where would he find it?
