Who returns? Your guess?

[MaysviileKY]

I think:

Lowe- I think he signed a 2 year deal to come to UK.

Kam Williams - I think Pope gives him a starting guarantee.

Brandon Garrison - I think UK gives him more money than anyone else will offer.

Malachi Mareno - I think he likes being close to home and will ultimately be convinced to stay at least one more year.

Hawthorne and Potter - they have no tape to make a case for anywhere else.

I think these players leave…Chandler I think will want a more shooter friendly system. Noah I can see doing what Perry did. Johnson probably wants out unless he is guaranteed a starting spot. Quaintance enters draft.

Forgot about Jelly…he’s gone. He obviously did not like his role here.

Diabate I think is 50/50.

 

[SkyPrince]

None of those guys will make or break the team
It's all about who's coming instead of who's staying.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

There’s no such thing as a 2 year deal.

I think Lowe returns for the same reason Garrison and Noah return, no one will pay them what UK will.

The rest are already gone.

 

[CT_ForThree]

Lowe- gone
Jasper- gone
Kam- stay
Mo- gone
Jelly- stay
Moreno- stay
Hawthorne - stay
Chandler - stay
Noah - gone
Reece Potter - stay
Garrison - gone

 

[MichaelGray]

Lowe-stay
Kam-stay
Chandler-stay
Garrison-stay
Mo-50/50
Hawthorne-stay
Noah-gone
JQ-draft
Jelavic-gone
JJ-gone
Potter-stay

 

[TFCat11]

If Pope is back, it wouldn’t matter if he brought back/ in 8 Stokes level players… Dude is cooked as cooked can get.

 

[bigblue1971]

Let's be real none that can come back are starter quality. ALL are bench options for a true contender next season. Start over.

 

[JwUKFan11]

Kam, Hawthorne, MM, and Chandler are the only ones I care for back. The others need to be upgraded over and I’m not sure Pope is capable of finding better talent

 

[JSquad0070]

Bring back Kam, Chandler and Moreno and that’s good with me. Everyone else can go. (If Moreno leaves I’d be okay with BG returning.) But you can’t have both of those guys as your bigs rotation and be legit.

 

[Ukwazoo3]

Lowe-stay
Kam-stay
Chandler-stay
Garrison-stay
Mo-50/50
Hawthorne-stay
Noah-gone
JQ-draft
Jelavic-gone
JJ-gone
Potter-stay

My guesses are the same, except I think Chandler is 50/50, Noah is 50/50, JJ is 50/50, & Mo is gone.

 

[Wildcat_in_DC]

i dont know how you bring in better talent when you bring back chandler, moreno, williams and mo d.....all 4 would expect to be starters.

we are building the same exact team minus oweh.

 

[Coach Ken Reeves]

I want them all gone!

 

[Bleedin Blue in Ohio]

The Kentucky kids all come back Malichi Moreno, Jasper Johnson, Trent Noah, and Reese Potter. Colin Chandler is all in with Mark Pope and will return also. After that Kam Williams and Braydon Hawthorne will return. I see everyone else transferring due to themselves or Coach Pope letting them know they will not fit his scheme next season. I think Pope knows he MUST produce next year and will want his style players running his scheme. Live and die with what you do best. He will then make a major offer to try and get Tyron Stokes and add 4 transfers 2 post players and 2 point guards. Next years line up will look like this

C- Moreno / Transfer/Potter
F- Transfer / Williams
F - Stokes / Williams/Noah/Hawthorne
G - Chandler / Johnson
PG - Transfer / Transfer

 

[JakeKx]

HOPEFULLY ZERO

 

[UK_Kelly]

I literally can not stand a single player or coach. I almost despise this whole bunch.

 

[Bluegrass79]

Hopefully nobody.

 

[19CatOfBlueBlood96]

Kam Williams returns. He's the only one that wants the smoke. Maybe Chandler. Expect everyone to leave.

 

[KentuckyFan1965]

Hopefully nobody.

This. I’ll be honest, with Alberdeen and Oweh out of eligibility, there’s not much I want back. Chandler is a player, I think he comes back. Guys I don’t want back: Johnson, Noah, Garrison, Diabate, Lowe. Jelavic is gone. But here’s the sad part. I have no faith in any member of this coaching staff to go find the type of players we need to restore this team. Absolutely abysmal season that has embarrassed this fanbase like never before. Forget injuries, everybody had them, the makeup of this team, the lack of focus on fundamentals, the putrid display of offense, not to mention the coaching moves that were completely asinine were just a total embarrassment.

 

[RunninRichie]

Who even cares? As long as Pope is back, the season is already over.

 

[Drcatfan]

I hope they all leave. Need a complete reset.

I'm in this group, but it is funny the complaint was that Cal didn't return and develop players and now most of us want none of this team to return.

 

[JimboBBN]

There’s probably only three guys I even want back. The rest I don’t want anywhere near Rupp again.

Kam
Moreno
Chandler

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Chandler isn’t going anywhere IMHO.

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

As already noted, Pope is coming back and we're boned.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

i dont know how you bring in better talent when you bring back chandler, moreno, williams and mo d.....all 4 would expect to be starters.

we are building the same exact team minus oweh.

And that's the problem. You aren't winning anything that matters with thise guys as your anchor.

 

[kywildcat1021979]

I want them all gone!

Exactly take Pope with them also.

 

[Yardeth]

MM
Chandler
Williams
Jelly
Garrison
Hawthorne
Potter
(We need to add 3-4 starters)

 

[USARMYWILDCAT]

Chandler, Cam, Moreno, Mo and Jelly are who I want back. I think they would be a good start to your roster. You have to go out in the portal and get some studs to put around them. Those five cannot be your primary scores. I honestly would prefer upgrades over Chandler, Mo and Jelly. I would love to see those three coming off the bench.

Cam is the perfect 3&D wing in college basketball. You’re going to have to put more athletic playmaker around him.

Moreno is very skilled, he needs to lose about 15 pounds of fat and put on about 15 pounds of muscle. There might be arthritic grandmothers with stronger hands than him. Needs to work on his shot.

Chandler is who he is. He can be a sniper from outside but he needs like Cam multiple playmaker around him. If you can just take the ball out of his hands and make him a cutter and come off screens. You will see the best version of him.

Mo is very limited offensively. I will take his fight and effort off the bench any day. He would’ve been the perfect player to have on Pope’s first team here. He’s exactly what that team needed. He wouldn’t have had to worry about scoring. Just go run through walls and be the toughest guy on the court.

Jelly seems to have some skill and talent. I just don’t know to what level his skill and talent can get to. I don’t think we got to see the best version of him this year. I don’t know how good his best version can be either. He’s the biggest question in my book?

If we could get Santa Clara Garrison every game, I would love to have him back. The problem is we’ve only seen that version of Garrison a few times in two years. He needs to go.

Johnson will eventually become a good player. I just don’t think Pope can afford to keep someone that’s going to expect big minutes next year with so many flaws in his game at this point. It would suck to see a junior Johnson lighting it up for Alabama or Arkansas ext. Pope is going to be fighting for his job next year. He cannot afford to give Johnson 20+ minutes a game.

Hawthorne already said he’s coming back. Hopefully he works out. He still looks pretty skinny to me. I guess time will tell with him.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

MM
Chandler
Williams
Jelly
Garrison
Hawthorne
Potter
(We need to add 3-4 starters)

Yep! First thing we need is a STUD PG. Bring Lowe back to be the backup. He cannot be the starter. If he don’t wanna be backup, let him go. Collin can’t be our 2/3 option, but bring him back. Bring back Kam, MM, Hawthorne and maybe 1/2 more. Let JJ go. He’s never gonna be an elite college guard. Too many deficiencies.

Bring in guys that fit his system. He has to bring guys in that can shoot, pass and dribble lol Just has to.

 

[Loucatfan30]

We have 11 that could return. If more than 7 return we are in trouble.

 

[clifmcc]

This. I’ll be honest, with Alberdeen and Oweh out of eligibility, there’s not much I want back. Chandler is a player, I think he comes back. Guys I don’t want back: Johnson, Noah, Garrison, Diabate, Lowe. Jelavic is gone. But here’s the sad part. I have no faith in any member of this coaching staff to go find the type of players we need to restore this team. Absolutely abysmal season that has embarrassed this fanbase like never before. Forget injuries, everybody had them, the makeup of this team, the lack of focus on fundamentals, the putrid display of offense, not to mention the coaching moves that were completely asinine were just a total embarrassment.

This team had very low basketball IQ, made some of the worse passes, played very little defense and didn't learn from made mistakes early on the season. They were making very same mistakes at the end of the season as they were in the beginning of the season. That is on coaching or not very high basketball IQ.

 

[Anon1760284409]

I think:

Lowe- I think he signed a 2 year deal to come to UK.

Kam Williams - I think Pope gives him a starting guarantee.

Brandon Garrison - I think UK gives him more money than anyone else will offer.

Malachi Mareno - I think he likes being close to home and will ultimately be convinced to stay at least one more year.

Hawthorne and Potter - they have no tape to make a case for anywhere else.

I think these players leave…Chandler I think will want a more shooter friendly system. Noah I can see doing what Perry did. Johnson probably wants out unless he is guaranteed a starting spot. Quaintance enters draft.

Forgot about Jelly…he’s gone. He obviously did not like his role here.

Diabate I think is 50/50.

Idc if Jesus, Joseph and Mary come and play, pope will F it up

 

[Ky_Bred_Cat]

If Pope brings back Garrison or Johnson then he just isn't serious about fielding an elite team. Even if they are backups. My guess is Pope brings Garrison back out of misguided loyalty but Jasper won't accept a bench role and Pope musters enough spine to let him go.

 

[Diggers_Matching_Highlighter_rivals62132]

I hope they all leave. Need a complete reset.

I'm in this group, but it is funny the complaint was that Cal didn't return and develop players and now most of us want none of this team to return.

This is a false equivalency.

UK fans wanted Calipari's players back because they had obvious untapped talent that was going to be realized in the NBA and not Kentucky.

Pope's players are what they are.

 

[MichaelGray]

My guesses are the same, except I think Chandler is 50/50, Noah is 50/50, JJ is 50/50, & Mo is gone.

Mo could go back to Alabama

 

[Diggers_Matching_Highlighter_rivals62132]

There is not a returning player that should be starting at Kentucky.

I am fine bringing them back as bench pieces, but none of them should be getting significant minutes here.

 

[OliverSimmonsTwinBrother]

Williams
Garrison
Hawthorne
Noah (huge NIL deal and starter role)
Lowe (60/40 on his return)

Chandler signs with BYU.

We add some players from the portal that we initially aren't excited for, then the UK media (propaganda) hype them up all summer and get us on board.

Finish somewhere around 18-16

 

[Crazy4Blue]

I like Mo's hustle but he is undersized to play the 4 in the SEC. With the fact that he cannot shoot I wish UK would get someone else.
Lowe would be good for a backup up point guard, Chandler the same at the two.
Marino has to toughen up as we all know. Would like to have him back after a summer of lifting and getting confidence.
Garrison is a back up at best.
Not sold on Williams and Jelavic.
Noah can stay. KY kid
Hawthorne gets a chance

Hope fully we can land Stokes. Pate seems to be coming. Hit the portal in a big way.

 

[ComebackCats98]

KSR gave these percentages of likely to return:

Chandler: all were above 50%. 70% - 85%
Moreno: Ryan 50% and everybody else 70% or higher.
Kam: Ryan 60% and everybody else 70% or higher.
Mo D: Ryan 45%, Matt 50%, Drew 70%
Jelly: Less than 50. Matt said 25% has heard no buzz hardly on coming back.

Garrison: Less than 25%
Lowe: Less than 30%
Noah: Everybody says less than 50%
Jasper: Sounds like a sure transfer

On getting Stokes: Matt said 50% and everybody said less than 30%. It depends if Self is retiring, who they hire and who UNC hires

 

[FitchandMurray29]

I’ll look at each player’s decision through a free agency lens like we’re looking at NFL players or something.

Lowe: probably got 2.5M plus to come originally. After a disappointing sample of injured games and a torn up shoulder, his market value undoubtedly takes a hit. My guess is he’s somewhere between 1.5-2M. The guy was a preseason Cousy finalist(top 20 PGs in the country) that has an all conference season in a major conference. I think the conversation for Lowe and UK goes much more to role discussion than money. I don’t think Pope can guarantee him the starting role and thus he hits the portal.

Jasper: not much to say. He will still get another pay day due to HS pedigree, just will probably be elsewhere.

Kam Williams- market probably also suppressed compared to last year. The DraftExpress nonsense with his potential wouldn’t be there. He proved to be a solid depth piece but also broke his foot. Should be expected to return imo.

Garrison- I’m not sure either side really will want to reunite. Some may not realize but Garrison was our lowest scorer that played assuming you don’t count Noah. You just can’t pay big money to a sub 5 PPG knucklehead center that has random displays of ability.

Chandler: he earned a big pay raise going from 2.7 PPG to 9.8 while being above 40% from 3. Wouldn’t be shocked if he made a million this year and him doubling it next year. Would be surprised if he passes that up.

Moreno- don’t think he considers transferring unless he doesn’t get the NIL offer he desires. Wouldn’t be surprised if his NIL starts closing in on 2.5M. HS pedigree, decent freshman season, and shortage of centers will lift his value considerably.

Hawthorne and Potter-why become a free agent when no one has seen you play in a year? Both will be back unless it was obvious Potter wouldn’t ever be playable in an emergency role.

Noah- when you have plenty of DNPs as a non freshman, it’s probably safe to assume you leave.

Dioubate- this is a tough one. His market definitely didn’t improve. Probably got 1.5-2M last year. My guess is he’s around 1.5M this year. I don’t think he was a personality or player fit and thus leaves.

Jelavic- don’t think they paid a ton for him last year and imo his value even went down from there. This is a 6 figure player, not a 7 figure player imo. Does Pope want him as a backup 4 man for cheap while he doesn’t have better options? Does he just want to go home?

My little free agency exercise has Chandler, Moreno, Williams, Hawthorne, and Potter back. Roster looking like this:

PG: none
SG: Chandler
SF- Williams, Hawthorne
PF: none
C: Moreno, Potter

My little caveat here are the wings. If we appear to be getting Stokes/Pate/SF from portal, do one of Williams/Hawthorne just peace out.

 

[JimboBBN]

KSR gave these percentages of likely to return:

Chandler: all were above 50%. 70% - 85%
Moreno: Ryan 50% and everybody else 70% or higher.
Kam: Ryan 60% and everybody else 70% or higher.
Mo D: Ryan 45%, Matt 50%, Drew 70%
Jelly: Less than 50. Matt said 25% has heard no buzz hardly on coming back.

Garrison: Less than 25%
Lowe: Less than 30%
Noah: Everybody says less than 50%
Jasper: Sounds like a sure transfer

On getting Stokes: Matt said 50% and everybody said less than 30%. It depends if Self is retiring, who they hire and who UNC hires

Just listened as well. I’ll be completely fine if we get the top 3 back. I could give or take Mo but I’d prefer someone that’s better on offense.

Addition by substation with BG, Lowe, Noah, and Jasper.