Kentucky men’s basketball’s frontcourt suffered a brutal blow on Monday afternoon after fifth-year transfer forward Mark Mitchell decommitted from the program following an abundance of eligibility issues with the NCAA and SEC.
Mitchell’s arrival was highly awaited, as the Missouri transfer was one of the best all-around hoopers in the SEC last season, pulling the Tigers to a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, leading the team in points, rebounds and assists. There’s no doubt that Mitchell’s presence would’ve elevated UK’s frontcourt tremendously, but now we’re back to scoping the roster that head coach Mark Pope had constructed before a messy couple of weeks involving fifth-year seniors arrived.
As per usual in the sports world, some questions need to be answered, and until the start of the season, when we actually get answers, there’s nothing to do but speculate. Here’s my main question: Is UK’s frontcourt strong enough without Mitchell?As of now, my answer is no; however, it certainly can be. Kentucky’s main frontcourt unit is comprised of center Malachi Moreno, center Franck Kepnang (Washington transfer), forward Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State transfer), forward Justin McBride (James Madison transfer), Kam Williams and forward Ousmane N’Diaye; embedded in there is a fair mix of strength, experience and uncertainty.
Moreno had the opportunity to declare for the NBA Draft, following a freshman season where he averaged 7.8 points, a team-high 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and a team-high 1.5 blocks per game while earning a spot on the All-SEC Freshman Team list. In deciding to return to Lexington, Moreno has serious potential to be one of the best centers not just in the SEC, but in the country; there’s no concern with his game. Moving to Momcilovic, he is expected to be the stud of this Kentucky team, ranked as the No. 2-ranked overall transfer in the portal and the No. 1-ranked power forward. There are no question marks surrounding Momcilovic’s ability to ball; he averaged a team-high 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and one assist with the Cyclones last season, while leading the entire country in 3-point shooting percentage at 48.7%. The newcomer spent three seasons at Iowa State and played in eight NCAA Tournament games over that span, making it as far as the Sweet 16 twice. We can check the experience box off on his resume as well.
McBride makes the move to the Bluegrass after averaging 15.3 points, a team-high 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Dukes in the Sun Belt last season. The 6-foot-7 rising senior shot 49.4% from the field and 40% from deep on an average of 3.1 3-point field goals attempted per game. McBride can consistently reach double figures, scoring 10-plus points 22 times last season; he even went on a 13-game stretch where he put up double digits, and while on that surge, he reached 20-plus points seven different times. The only concern that comes with McBride is that the difference in talent when comparing the SEC and Sun Belt is drastic, so I’m not expecting to see the same stats. However, if McBride can contribute at least seven to 10 points a night while grabbing boards, I think he could turn out to be a massive get for Pope.
Now with Kepnang, who is entering his seventh collegiate season, he is expected to serve as Moreno’s primary backup; unfortunately, though, his ability to stay healthy remains a significant concern ahead of the season. The veteran forward has redshirted twice and utilized the additional year of eligibility granted during the COVID-19 pandemic, missing a total of 69 games with injuries throughout his collegiate career at Oregon and Washington.When Kepnang is healthy, he provides physicality and length, which will help the Cats battle, primarily in a physical conference such as the SEC. But just going off history alone, his health will be something to keep an eye on throughout the season. An undeniable positive that comes with Kepnang, though, whether he is healthy or not, is his experience, meaning he can help out the rest of the team, not just the front court.
Moving to N’Diaye, he could be make-or-break in terms of how well the Wildcats’ front court unit competes throughout the season. The 6-foot-11 forward makes his way to Lexington following a three-year stint playing ball in Europe, suiting up for Palencia (Spanish league), Granada (Spanish league), Baskonia (Spanish league) and Cremona (Italian league). Most recently, with Cremona, N’Diaye averaged 9.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals across 28 games played, which are strong stats for an international player. His upside is huge, but the challenge that many international players get hit with is their ability to adjust to American basketball, including the physicality, the way plays are run and even minor things such as playing on a whole new continent. If N’Diaye can adjust fast, or even adjust at all, the Cats could’ve recruited a diamond in the rough, but until that question is answered, the question of how well Kentucky’s frontcourt is will remain a mystery.
Finally, we have Williams, a 6-foot-8 rising junior who averaged six points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists with the Cats last campaign. Williams is currently rehabbing a broken foot, which he suffered on Jan. 21 of last season in Kentucky’s 85-80 victory over the Texas Longhorns, and he was held out of UK’s summer practices throughout the course of the offseason. Williams may return a little rusty, and we can give him some grace there, but when he is back to himself, he can highly elevate UK’s scoring, which may answer the question we are trying to figure out when talking about the Cats’ frontcourt.
The Louisiana native can drain 3-pointers, which in today’s era of college basketball is 100% needed given that the 3-pointer has become a crucial part of national championship-winning teams’ success over the years. As a freshman, before transferring to UK, Williams shot 41.2% from deep on an average of 4.6 3-point attempts per game with Tulane, which is spectacular. This past season with the Cats, Williams shot 35.9% from deep on an average of 3.3 field goal attempts per game, obviously not as strong as his shooting in the American Conference. Now that Williams has rocked UK threads and experienced the pressure that comes with playing in Rupp Arena for a full season, fans can hope that he can raise that 3-point shooting percentage a bit, and if he does, he can without a doubt be a main factor when it comes to a win or a loss.
All in all, Kentucky’s frontcourt has the potential to be successful, but Mitchell’s departure leaves the Wildcats with far less room for error. N’Diaye may be the biggest wild card in the unit, but if he can make a smooth transition and provide consistent production alongside Moreno, Kepnang, Momcilovic, McBride and Williams, the Wildcats’ frontcourt could turn out to become a strength this season.
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