Daimion Collins explains what Sahvir Wheeler, Cason Wallace mean for his game

Kentucky basketball is restocking and reloading after its embarrassing NCAA Tournament exit at the hands of Saint Peters in the first round. Returning players are expected to make significant improvements to their game and incoming freshman and transfers either play well or are labeled a bust in UK’s style of play.

Former five-star recruit and incoming sophomore Daimion Collins is about to experience both ends of that spectrum heading into year two under head coach John Calipari. Collins was a raw, undersized center this time last year, but was still expected to contribute in a massive way.

It didn’t play out that way, but with Keion Brooks transferring to Washington, Jacob Toppin and Collins step into the roles of primary power forwards. Wooden Award winner Oscar Tshiebwe‘s numbers will speak for themselves, but Collins knows the rest of the lineup will only go as far as point guards Sahvir Wheeler and Cason Wallace will take them.

“Sahvir, [based] on last year, he’s a really good player,” Collins told KSR’s Jack Pilgrim. “He can dribble the ball, he can make good reads. Having him back was good and adding Cason is pretty much – he can pass, shoot, score and he can defend, so having him too is just really good for the team.”

Wheeler averaged 6.9 assists last season, good for third in the nation, while Wallace comes in as a McDonalds All-American and a consensus five-star prospect. Both have the potential to bring the best out of Collins in a big way.

Collins was the No. 18 overall player in the 2021 class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. The 6-foot-9 freshman was a projected first-round NBA Draft pick before the season began, but struggled to find his footing playing behind Tshiebwe and averaging just over seven minutes of action per game.

Calipari has said he believes Collins can be “one of the best players in the country” next season. The Wildcats forward isn’t making those kinds of statements about himself, but did say he will try to make the most of his chances this year. Collins’ per-40 minute numbers of 15.5 points and 10.9 boards this past season show he could be a very productive player with a bigger role, even next to Tshiebwe.

“[My expectations] are pretty much the same as last year,” Calipari said. “Stay focused, keep working and when my opportunity comes play as hard as I can each and every game.”