The Kentucky Wildcats have wrapped up what seems to be the first phase of building out their roster for the 2024-25 season.
Primarily coming from the transfer portal, Mark Pope and his staff added nine players this offseason and have pieced together a group that seems ready to compete immediately. Now, they are missing a few key pieces, and several names have started to come out in regards to players who could be added come the end of the month.
However, with nine players on the roster, we can finally start to build out potential lineups for what Coach Pope could roll out come November.
For some offseason fun, let’s take a quick look at some potential lineups for this upcoming season with how the roster stands at the moment.
Starting Lineup: Lamont Butler, Koby Brea, Jaxson Robinson, Andrew Carr, Amari Williams
This is easily the most experienced starting lineup the Cats have rolled out in quite some time. It also features some elite defense in the duo of Butler and Williams.
They added a go-to scorer in Robinson but with the shooting ability of Brea and Carr, this lineup will be able to keep pace with just about anyone they face.
Closing Lineup (offensive): Kerr Kriisa, Brea, Robinson, Oweh, Carr
This is the most intriguing lineup to build out at the moment. The question surrounding it all is: would Coach Pope run out a four-guard offense?
I’m not sure, but it would be fun, especially with this projected lineup. You have three guys who shot above 35% from deep last season and create a lineup that can run the floor and score at will.
Also, if Travis Perry and Colin Chandler can come in and impress quickly, their offensive skillsets are one that matches up perfectly with the style of play this new Kentucky team will look towards.
Closing lineup (defense): Butler, Robinson, Oweh, Carr, and Williams
This one goes back to the type of player that Coach Pope and his staff have prioritized early, as this lineup features three elite defenders.
For Carr, his defensive numbers aren’t as good as his offensive stats, but he averaged 1.5 blocks per game last season for Wake Forest.
Chandler is still a question mark for one of these spots, but at the moment, he is the player that projects with the most upside on both ends of the floor. Will it all click? That’s the question, but his recruiting ranking speaks for itself.
The wild card here would also be Brandon Garrison. The Oklahoma State transfer big man has shown some solid promise as a defender. If he continues to grow, he could take over Carr’s spot pairing him next to Williams to get a key stop.
Overall, Coach Pope and his staff have pieced together an impressive first roster that should be pushing the top-15 in the preseason rankings. If it all clicks, then it could be a fun first season of the new era in Lexington.
Is it November yet?