4-Point Play: What we learned about Kentucky during summer practice

It feels like the Wildcats just started the move-in process yesterday, all 12 newcomers arriving with their suitcases, golf clubs and PS5s ahead of summer workouts. Now they’re gone, returning home for a couple of weeks before the fall semester begins and preseason action ramps up. The foundation has been set, now it’s time to put it to use going into Mark Pope‘s first year at Kentucky.

Big Blue Madness took place exactly two months from today this time last summer — Coach Cal’s last on October 13. It’s going to be here before you know it, ready or not.

So what do we know about Pope, his staff and this new era of Kentucky basketball after eight weeks of on-court instruction with four hours allowed per week? What questions do we still have about the team and what this could look like moving forward? Let’s talk about it tonight on 4-Point Play.

Still searching for the 13th scholarship

Pope initially described Kentucky’s 13th and final scholarship as a “floating piece” that is “massively important” and “going to fit really, really well.” That was before practice started, though he later confirmed “we’re going to find it” after knocking out a few workouts entering the month of July.

Fast forward to mid-August with the summer in the program’s rearview mirror, still one scholarship and roster spot open — not including the open walk-on tryout scheduled to close out the month. Where do things stand with the window for reclassification candidates getting tight with high school starting back up and options dwindling in the portal and on the international front?

Privately, Kentucky has seen a number of possibilities come and go, sources telling KSR that role has been a key sticking point in many conversations while others have put the cart before the horse regarding a potential jump to 2024. Interest has been there, but finding the perfect fit has been an issue. That’s opened the door to holding firm at 12 players, if necessary, prioritizing team chemistry over adding a piece just for the sake of adding one.

That being said, KSR continues to hear Kentucky is looking into available options and conversations are ongoing. The situation is fluid based on fit and it’s closer to a toss-up than a guarantee at this point, but that door remains open to finding No. 13.

Putting the pieces together

Whether it’s 12 or 13 scholarship players by the time the season rolls around, one thing is clear about this group no matter what: it’s got talent. Pope’s next task, though, is finding the right combination to get the most out of that talent in terms of complementary fits. He got a nice head start with eight weeks of practice, but four hours of weekly instruction really adds up quickly with just 32 total hours to work with.

The consensus leaving the summer is that Kentucky has a strong core of scorers, defenders and playmakers. Where some players thrive in one area, they may struggle in others, and vice versa. Otega Oweh made a strong first impression in Lexington, but can you play him next to Lamont Butler and Amari Williams — also defensive anchors with limitations on the other end of the floor? Or what about elite shooting threats in Kerr Kriisa and Koby Brea? They’ll fill it up from deep, but defense is certainly not their claim to fame.

Do you load up in one area or look to find a healthy balance? And is the on-court chemistry there to justify those decisions?

An early look at potential starters

Those questions may remain, but some clarity was found in terms of likely starters — with a caveat or two. Overall, the minute distribution is going to be spread wide, but not very tall. Depth is a non-negotiable given Kentucky’s pace of play and off-ball movement with constant screening and cutting. There may be ten guys clearing double-digit-minute averages for that reason, minimizing the importance of starting compared to coming off the bench. Again, fit and matchups will make things somewhat fluid rather than simply calling for the most talented five to start.

That being said, it’s fair to say Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson and Andrew Carr have emerged as the core pieces to build around in any projected starting lineup with Amari Williams the closest name to pencil in from there. Otega Oweh has the defensive upside while Koby Brea is equally special as a shooter, creating a nice problem for Pope when juggling that other backcourt slot.

The combinations can and will be situational, but the tiers are beginning to sort themselves out as the real fun begins this fall.

Showing some recruiting chops

No one questioned Mark Pope’s basketball mind when he was hired and they certainly didn’t question his energy or passion for the program. His biggest skeptics did, however, point out his lack of postseason success and recruiting resume before taking a job that demands both at the highest level.

He can’t do anything about the postseason success until March, unfortunately, but we did get an extended look at his identity as a recruiter this summer, those events overlapping with the practice schedule during this stretch. A few key takeaways there, starting with the who. Pope promised to continue bringing in blue-blood talent the day he was introduced as head coach, and he’s certainly gone after the right guys to back that statement up.

Kentucky is publicly pursuing the likes of Nate Ament (No. 3), Darryn Peterson (No. 4), Chris Cenac (No. 5), Caleb Wilson (No. 6), Tounde Yessoufou (No. 11), Brayden Burries (No. 12), Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 15), Nikola Bundalo (No. 17), Malachi Moreno (No. 21) and Jasper Johnson (No. 22) — ten top-25 guys. They’ve also singled out the likes of Braylon Mullins (No. 35) and Acaden Lewis (No. 55) as personal favorites while kicking the tires on plenty more, searching high and low for system and culture fits.

And then there is the how, Pope and his assistants maximizing each minute of every game set during available live periods. Peach Jam was the best example in July, the Kentucky head coach flying to three separate events from Friday night (6 PM ET) to early Saturday morning (8 AM ET) before spending the rest of the weekend in North Augusta. Meanwhile, his staff is split up among the other events to ensure eyes are always on the program’s top targets.

The next order of business is getting that first high school domino to fall to get the momentum rolling, just as it did with portal additions. Kentucky expects to have at least a few commitments ahead of the early signing period before closing out the spring with four additions or so — never count out a can’t-miss opportunity presenting itself to slightly alter plans.

Their recruiting efforts have been calculated up to this point and the approach has been successful, earning a spot at the closing table with some of the nation’s best. Now it’s on them to finish the job.