LEXINGTON, Ky. _ The next few weeks _ perhaps, months _ will be filled with uncertainty as Kentucky attempts to get its newest transfer, 7-footer Olivier Sarr, eligible to play next season.
UK will first prepare Sarr's case for a transfer waiver and then send it off to the NCAA for review. If Sarr is granted immediate eligibility _ which is certainly no sure thing _ the Cats will have found a perfect fit in the paint for their 2020-21 roster. If Sarr is denied, UK could still file an appeal or submit any new information in his case for further review. That would only prolong the outcome by several more weeks.
Bottom line: get Sarr eligible, and the Cats will have a true impact player at the "5" spot who would cause positive ripple effects throughout the rest of the roster. If he's not eligible, UK has a major hole in the frontcourt with few, if any, legitimate options to fill it.
Why, then _ knowing Nick Richards, EJ Montgomery and Nate Sestina would all probably be gone after this past season _ didn't John Calipari just go out and recruit a sure-thing center from the 2020 class? At pretty much every other school in the country, that would sound like an outlandish expectation. For Calipari and Kentucky, it would simply be par for the course. But in this 2020 cycle, even Calipari had few options at the center position.
Post players are often a bit slower to transition from high school to college, and a look at the recently finalized 247Sports rankings for the class of 2020 shows a dearth of instant-impact bigs at the top. And Calipari had little to no shot to land the very best prospects in that group.
The only recruit in the top 15 of the 247Sports rankings that could be considered a true post player is Evan Mobley, the No. 3 prospect in the rankings. Mobley would have been a tremendous addition for any program, but his destination was basically decided two years ago when his father was hired as an assistant coach at Southern Cal. He, of course, will play for USC next season.
Former UK targets Scottie Barnes and Greg Brown _ Nos. 8 and 10 in the 247Sports rankings, respectively _ are listed as power forwards, but both players prefer a more perimeter-oriented role. Barnes _ a 6-8 prospect _ told the Herald-Leader numerous times in the past that he would like to play more of a "point forward" role in college. Brown _ a 6-9 recruit _ was also looking for a place where he could play on the perimeter and even handle the ball. Both are great prospects, but neither player's outlook would have solved UK's need for more bodies in the paint. (It's also worth noting that Barnes and Brown both stayed with home-state schools: Florida State and Texas, respectively).
The 12 other players in the final top 15 of the 247Sports rankings are listed as guards or small forwards. That's not to say there aren't college difference-makers a little further down that list.
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