College basketball recruiting is a very fluid proposition. It is a twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week business for 365 days out of the year. But there was one thing I learned when I joined Cats Illustrated last spring. Kentucky Wildcat recruiting is on a whole different level. Anything could happen. But over time, everything will happen.
John Calipari and his staff have added two players to next season's team in the past few weeks. Keion Brooks gave his pledge at the same time the Cats were dispatching Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Last week, Bucknell graduate transfer, Nate Sestina,appeared on Kentucky's radar. Fast forward til Thursday morning and Sestina committed to the Big Blue. That was one day after returning home from his visit.
There is much to like about Sestina. The stout-looking power forward stands at 6-foot-9 and weighs 250 pounds. He averaged 15.8 points, and 8.7 rebounds last season. He does offer a nice package.
He has the frame to bang inside, but shoots an impressive 38-percent from behind the arc. Sestina also has a nice face-up game. He has good feet. He has the ability to catch and then pivot or reverse pivot quickly into an accurate jump shot. Obviously, his catch and shoot game is a strength.
HIs defensive prowess on the SEC level as well as his knack for scoring with his back to the bucket on this level remains to be seen, but here is the silver lining. He is thick, has a big frame, and has a rugged persona about him. Sestina certainly has the appearance of someone who is not afraid to do the dirty work around the rim.
His presence leads to a couple of magic questions that we will address in this article.
What will the inside game look like with Sestina?
For starters, admittedly all we have to offer is speculation about next season's roster, but we do feel like we can make some educated guesses.
Reid Travis graduates and nothing short of a miracle P.J. Washington would bring him back next season. Jonathan Givony is considered the go-to individual by NBA scouts and executives when it comes to projecting where prospects will go in the draft. Earlier in the week he released his Top 100 players and Washington came in at No.15.
The big question is what happens with Nick Richards and E.J. Montgomery. Neither were mentioned by Givony and it seems there is no way either would get picked in the first two rounds if they opted to look in that direction. Of course, this is not a done deal, but it certainly looks like the odds are good for them to return.
Calipari's perfect world revolves around having four big men. If things stand the way they are there would be three.
The 6-foot-11 Nick Richards gives Kentucky its one true center. He provides rim protection and a 7-foot-4 wingspan. He can switch onto perimeter players without getting mismatched. His game is still evolving as he works on getting stronger and better all the way around offensively.
E.J. Montgomery provides a true four at 6-foot-10, but with injuries to Travis and Washington late in the season, he was forced into the five spot at times, and played admirably on the defensive end. He had some huge blocks late in games that directly influenced the outcome. He has a better face-up jumper than Richards, and because of that he is more of a power forward when Kentucky has the ball, but not necessarily of the stretch variety.
Time will tell if Sestina has some Reid Travis qualities. He certainly is the strongest of the three physically and if he is indeed 6-foot-9, his physicality could allow him to bang with opposing centers despite playing below the rim. This was the same description given to Travis.
Sestina's ability to stretch the floor and shoot the ball makes him a good complement with the other two, while their capabilities for switching on guards and protecting the back end could help him of the defense side.
How would they fare in a four out and/or five out look?
Once again, we don't know if there will be any more additions. We will touch on that later. But with these three, they certainly have a look of a nice four-out group.
Here is where Sestina's three-point shooting is attractive. He can step behind the arc and stretch the defense. With that ability, he doesn't have to necessarily be able to put the ball on the floor and go by his man. Not only does he complement, Richards and Montgomery, he does the same for multiple penetrators that next season's team will have.
If Ashton Hagans and Immanuel Quickley are back, they are good at the drive and kick game. There is not a better penetrator in the 2019 Class than Tyrese Maxey. Keion Brooks' strength is getting to the rim. Sestina is the perfect fit. If his man helps off, then he can catch and shoot. If he is face guarded, then the others have lanes in space.
This alignment could also be great for Richards and Montgomery. Keep in mind this is with one of them inside and Sestina behind the arc, not with the two returners on the floor at the same time.
The modern day big men in these perimeter based offenses are not about playing with their back to the bucket. If they were, Dwight Howard would still be dominant. They face up in the opposite short corner and are the beneficiaries of guards driving, drawing their man, and receiving the dish while closing in facing the rim, as well as excelling in the pick and roll or pick and pop game. Tyson Chandler is a perfect example of a post player who made more money than he can spend in a lifetime without any back to the basket moves. A four-out look could very well play to their skill set.
A three-out, two-in look remains to be seen. We don't know how Sestina would fare on the block against elite high major bigs. Both posts being occupied by Montgomery and Richards also isn't an appealing scenario as things currently stand. But Sestina does have that nice mid-range game that could lead him to occupy the high post area.
Could there be more additions?
This is an open-ended question. There is obviously the questions surrounding Jaden McDaniels and Matthew Hurt. But remember last season, E.J. Montgomery decommitted from Auburn and signed late in the process. Reid Travis came along in June. Ashton Hagansreclassified. With all the uncertainly from the FBI probe along with other things in the college basketball world such as the never ending coaching carousel, everything is on the table.
Eric Bossi told us last week that he sees McDaniels as more of a three. He has the height and length, but he is skinny and not cut out for this beating that goes on in the lane. It appears that Washington and Kentucky are the top two in his sweepstakes, but if Calipari is able to add him he would definitely be more of a stretch player who would probably also have to guard the opponent's three.
Hurt is a pure four who would offer the outside tools as well as a nice skilled game on the block. Although it might be on down the road before he puts on enough weight for the low block, he has the frame to do just that.
If Hurt did come to Kentucky we would expect him to be a stretch four in a four-out type offense. He would also probably be more at home guarding the four and even the three.
Calipari and his staff have recruited him hard of late and may still be alive. Kansas was the perceived leader for a long time, but it appears that Duke may have surpassed them. Bossi, who knows as much about his recruitment as anyone, also thinks that North Carolina has made a major push. Kentucky may be in that next tier.
So what does the overall roster look like?
Remember that this is always incredibly fluid and can change at the blink of an eye. But let's start out by referencing Givony. We believe that Washington is gone. Keldon Johnson is projected at No. 19 and we expect him to go pro. That brings up Tyler Herro. He could use another year of college to work on strength and defense, but he has worked his way all the way up to No. 17. That is hard to say no to. But there have been rumblings this week that one or more players may be looking at taking the P.J. route; coming back for a year even despite being guaranteed to go in the first round. We believe is anyone does that it might be Herro. But the way things stand, I lean toward him going (that is speculation).
One that I think could come back is Ashton Hagans. He dropped in the projections to No. 61. There are sixty picks overall in two rounds. He is definitely borderline, and even if he did get drafted there is no guaranteed money in the second round.
A rough draft of next year's perimeter cast would consist of Ashton Hagans and Immanuel Quickley at the point, Tyrese Maxey at the one/two combo, Jemarl Baker at the two, Kahlil Whitney at the two/three combo, Dontaie Allen and Keion Brooks at the three, Nate Sestina at the four, E.J. Montgomery at the four/five combo, and Nick Richards at the five.
If that was what the roster looks like, then there would still be three available roster spots. The NCAA allows thirteen full scholarship players per team. Calipari hardly ever fills all those slots.
It also means there are seven perimeter player and three bigs. That seems to lean toward small ball. Keep in mind as well that that kind of style features positionless basketball. So playing two points together, or two shooting guards, or two small forwards,, or any combination of those is not a big deal.
Here is what we know: There are still a lot of questions to be answered, and there will be even more before the waters begin to clear. But depend on Cats Illustrated to give you the latest on every step.
John Calipari and his staff have added two players to next season's team in the past few weeks. Keion Brooks gave his pledge at the same time the Cats were dispatching Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Last week, Bucknell graduate transfer, Nate Sestina,appeared on Kentucky's radar. Fast forward til Thursday morning and Sestina committed to the Big Blue. That was one day after returning home from his visit.
There is much to like about Sestina. The stout-looking power forward stands at 6-foot-9 and weighs 250 pounds. He averaged 15.8 points, and 8.7 rebounds last season. He does offer a nice package.
He has the frame to bang inside, but shoots an impressive 38-percent from behind the arc. Sestina also has a nice face-up game. He has good feet. He has the ability to catch and then pivot or reverse pivot quickly into an accurate jump shot. Obviously, his catch and shoot game is a strength.
HIs defensive prowess on the SEC level as well as his knack for scoring with his back to the bucket on this level remains to be seen, but here is the silver lining. He is thick, has a big frame, and has a rugged persona about him. Sestina certainly has the appearance of someone who is not afraid to do the dirty work around the rim.
His presence leads to a couple of magic questions that we will address in this article.
What will the inside game look like with Sestina?
For starters, admittedly all we have to offer is speculation about next season's roster, but we do feel like we can make some educated guesses.
Reid Travis graduates and nothing short of a miracle P.J. Washington would bring him back next season. Jonathan Givony is considered the go-to individual by NBA scouts and executives when it comes to projecting where prospects will go in the draft. Earlier in the week he released his Top 100 players and Washington came in at No.15.
The big question is what happens with Nick Richards and E.J. Montgomery. Neither were mentioned by Givony and it seems there is no way either would get picked in the first two rounds if they opted to look in that direction. Of course, this is not a done deal, but it certainly looks like the odds are good for them to return.
Calipari's perfect world revolves around having four big men. If things stand the way they are there would be three.
The 6-foot-11 Nick Richards gives Kentucky its one true center. He provides rim protection and a 7-foot-4 wingspan. He can switch onto perimeter players without getting mismatched. His game is still evolving as he works on getting stronger and better all the way around offensively.
E.J. Montgomery provides a true four at 6-foot-10, but with injuries to Travis and Washington late in the season, he was forced into the five spot at times, and played admirably on the defensive end. He had some huge blocks late in games that directly influenced the outcome. He has a better face-up jumper than Richards, and because of that he is more of a power forward when Kentucky has the ball, but not necessarily of the stretch variety.
Time will tell if Sestina has some Reid Travis qualities. He certainly is the strongest of the three physically and if he is indeed 6-foot-9, his physicality could allow him to bang with opposing centers despite playing below the rim. This was the same description given to Travis.
Sestina's ability to stretch the floor and shoot the ball makes him a good complement with the other two, while their capabilities for switching on guards and protecting the back end could help him of the defense side.
How would they fare in a four out and/or five out look?
Once again, we don't know if there will be any more additions. We will touch on that later. But with these three, they certainly have a look of a nice four-out group.
Here is where Sestina's three-point shooting is attractive. He can step behind the arc and stretch the defense. With that ability, he doesn't have to necessarily be able to put the ball on the floor and go by his man. Not only does he complement, Richards and Montgomery, he does the same for multiple penetrators that next season's team will have.
If Ashton Hagans and Immanuel Quickley are back, they are good at the drive and kick game. There is not a better penetrator in the 2019 Class than Tyrese Maxey. Keion Brooks' strength is getting to the rim. Sestina is the perfect fit. If his man helps off, then he can catch and shoot. If he is face guarded, then the others have lanes in space.
This alignment could also be great for Richards and Montgomery. Keep in mind this is with one of them inside and Sestina behind the arc, not with the two returners on the floor at the same time.
The modern day big men in these perimeter based offenses are not about playing with their back to the bucket. If they were, Dwight Howard would still be dominant. They face up in the opposite short corner and are the beneficiaries of guards driving, drawing their man, and receiving the dish while closing in facing the rim, as well as excelling in the pick and roll or pick and pop game. Tyson Chandler is a perfect example of a post player who made more money than he can spend in a lifetime without any back to the basket moves. A four-out look could very well play to their skill set.
A three-out, two-in look remains to be seen. We don't know how Sestina would fare on the block against elite high major bigs. Both posts being occupied by Montgomery and Richards also isn't an appealing scenario as things currently stand. But Sestina does have that nice mid-range game that could lead him to occupy the high post area.
Could there be more additions?
This is an open-ended question. There is obviously the questions surrounding Jaden McDaniels and Matthew Hurt. But remember last season, E.J. Montgomery decommitted from Auburn and signed late in the process. Reid Travis came along in June. Ashton Hagansreclassified. With all the uncertainly from the FBI probe along with other things in the college basketball world such as the never ending coaching carousel, everything is on the table.
Eric Bossi told us last week that he sees McDaniels as more of a three. He has the height and length, but he is skinny and not cut out for this beating that goes on in the lane. It appears that Washington and Kentucky are the top two in his sweepstakes, but if Calipari is able to add him he would definitely be more of a stretch player who would probably also have to guard the opponent's three.
Hurt is a pure four who would offer the outside tools as well as a nice skilled game on the block. Although it might be on down the road before he puts on enough weight for the low block, he has the frame to do just that.
If Hurt did come to Kentucky we would expect him to be a stretch four in a four-out type offense. He would also probably be more at home guarding the four and even the three.
Calipari and his staff have recruited him hard of late and may still be alive. Kansas was the perceived leader for a long time, but it appears that Duke may have surpassed them. Bossi, who knows as much about his recruitment as anyone, also thinks that North Carolina has made a major push. Kentucky may be in that next tier.
So what does the overall roster look like?
Remember that this is always incredibly fluid and can change at the blink of an eye. But let's start out by referencing Givony. We believe that Washington is gone. Keldon Johnson is projected at No. 19 and we expect him to go pro. That brings up Tyler Herro. He could use another year of college to work on strength and defense, but he has worked his way all the way up to No. 17. That is hard to say no to. But there have been rumblings this week that one or more players may be looking at taking the P.J. route; coming back for a year even despite being guaranteed to go in the first round. We believe is anyone does that it might be Herro. But the way things stand, I lean toward him going (that is speculation).
One that I think could come back is Ashton Hagans. He dropped in the projections to No. 61. There are sixty picks overall in two rounds. He is definitely borderline, and even if he did get drafted there is no guaranteed money in the second round.
A rough draft of next year's perimeter cast would consist of Ashton Hagans and Immanuel Quickley at the point, Tyrese Maxey at the one/two combo, Jemarl Baker at the two, Kahlil Whitney at the two/three combo, Dontaie Allen and Keion Brooks at the three, Nate Sestina at the four, E.J. Montgomery at the four/five combo, and Nick Richards at the five.
If that was what the roster looks like, then there would still be three available roster spots. The NCAA allows thirteen full scholarship players per team. Calipari hardly ever fills all those slots.
It also means there are seven perimeter player and three bigs. That seems to lean toward small ball. Keep in mind as well that that kind of style features positionless basketball. So playing two points together, or two shooting guards, or two small forwards,, or any combination of those is not a big deal.
Here is what we know: There are still a lot of questions to be answered, and there will be even more before the waters begin to clear. But depend on Cats Illustrated to give you the latest on every step.
