Kernel sports staff predicts what’s to come for 2017-18 season

Wenyen+Gabriel

Wenyen Gabriel

Before the highly anticipated 2017-2018 basketball season, the Kernel sports staff sat down to discuss what they expect to see this upcoming season. Here’s what they had to say:

Regular season record

Chris Leach- Sports Editor

26-5, with their five losses being against Kansas, West Virginia, at home against Florida, at Texas A&M and at Missouri.

Chase Campbell- Assistant Sports Editor

29-2, with the losses coming from Kansas and West Virginia.

Postseason predictions

Leach

Win the SEC Tournament and make it to the Final Four. It’s been two seasons since the Cats have made a Final Four, but that’s destined to end with the talent on UK’s roster. The inexperience will be a challenge, but Calipari always gets his teams ready for March, and this is a talented team.

Campbell

Lose to Florida in the SEC Tournament, then make the Final Four, where they’ll lose to another top-tier team with far less freshmen. They’ll make it that far because of the surprise of Jarred Vanderbilt. While he’ll be kept off the court for most of the regular season, he should reach peak chemistry with the team around the postseason, while teams haven’t had a whole season to prepare for how he plays.

Season MVP

Leach

Wenyen Gabriel. After making big improvements in the summer, Gabriel is primed to fill the leadership role this team desperately needs. Kentucky has always done well when they have a go-to guy on the court, and I envision Gabriel being that guy for the Cats.

Campbell

Quade Green. I was tempted to say Wenyen Gabriel, but he still has a specific role for the Cats. Stretch the floor by bringing big men out into the second and third level of scoring, rebound and take charges. That’s not a role in modern basketball that will get your face on a billboard. Quade, however, is an elite talent that I think will be next in line as the top-tier point guard under Cal.

Surprise player

Leach

Shai Gilegous-Alexander. Someone has to back up Hamidou Diallo, and Gilgeous-Alexander will provide big minutes off the bench for the Cats. Many former and current UK players have said Gilgeous-Alexander has surprised them in the offseason, and I think he’ll continue doing so in the regular season.

Campbell

Sacha-Killeya Jones. I’m not even sure if any non-freshman even count as “surprise” players on a team basically comprised of all freshmen. His time overseas has had to help him plenty, and he came into Kentucky as a capable wing defender. Playing in Europe over the summer surely improved his ball movement and ability to score, which will heavily increase his minutes.

Toughest SEC game

Leach

Aside from the pair of Florida games, traveling to Missouri will be a big challenge for Kentucky. With the additions of Michael Porter Jr., Jeremiah Tilmon and Jontay Porter, the Tigers will be good this year, and the likely-rowdy crowd will push Mizzou over the Cats.

Campbell

Provided he remains eligible in the mess that is the uncovering of the college basketball underbelly, I think Collin Sexton and the Alabama Crimson Tide will be a surprising challenge for the Cats. Florida also has to be mentioned, but that’s a game everyone’s got circled coming in. Sexton provides scoring and athleticism to an extremely sound defensive team coached by Avery Johnson, one of the best point guards to ever play for the Spurs.

Toughest non-conference game

Leach

Kansas. The Cats won’t be anywhere near their full potential in just their third regular season game, and I don’t think they’ll be ready for a Kansas team that returns Devonte’ Graham and added five-star power forward Billy Preston this off season.

Campbell

West Virginia. I’m actually thrilled to watch the legion of freshmen take on the “Press Virginia” defensive style. Athleticism can’t break through smart, frustrating defense. They’re going to commit plenty of turnovers, I’m expecting the number to be well into the teens. It’s one I think Cats fans should be glad to watch them lose, because it’ll make the team better.

Number of NBA draft picks

Leach

Six. Quade Green, Hamidou Diallo, Nick Richards, Kevin Knox, PJ Washington and Wenyen Gabriel. UK has the potential to have more or less, but I think six players get drafted into the NBA in 2018. I think Diallo, Richards, Washington and Gabriel get drafted in the first round.

Campbell

Six. Green, Hamidou Diallo, Nick Richards, Kevin Knox, PJ Washington and Gabriel will all get drafted this year. It’s really an impressive thing that someone coming off the bench has NBA talent, and I think UK is near the level where their players could do decent battle with a very low-ranking NBA team. Everyone but Gabriel goes in the first round, and both Diallo and Richards make the lottery.