A brand new era begins for Kentucky basketball. After fifteen seasons at the helm, John Calipari opted to leave the program for Arkansas and the Wildcats have moved forward with former player Mark Pope as their new head coach. Last season ended in major disappointment as Kentucky was upset by Oakland in the NCAA Tournament, with this program looking to recapture some of Calipari’s magic from a decade ago.
Last year’s squad was full of young talent and veteran excellence and it won’t shock you to hear that basically nobody returns for this upcoming season. Both Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard were outstanding as freshmen and have NBA futures ahead of them. Top scorer Antonio Reeves saw the end of his collegiate career while a long list of players transferred, like DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw among others.
Pope has wasted no time building a new roster using the Transfer Portal. They grabbed intriguing young center Brandon Garrison from Oklahoma State, elite shooter Koby Brea from Dayton, talented scorer Otega Oweh from Oklahoma, and several other players. Former West Virginia point guard Kerr Kriisa could assume a major role while March Madness hero Lamont Butler arrives from San Diego State. This staff also lured Jaxson Robinson from BYU and nabbed an elite forward in Amari Williams out of Drexel.
There’s no telling how this roster will come together or who will stand out, but we’re going to spend some extra time focusing on Andrew Carr. A 6’9 forward originally from Pennsylvania, Carr played well as an underclassman at Delaware before spending the last two seasons as a starting forward at Wake Forest. As a senior, Carr just averaged 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game, becoming a vital part of a talented Demon Deacons squad.
There are several reasons why those in Lexington should be excited for one year of Carr. He was one of the best shot blockers in the ACC and also rates an above-average rebounder. He solidifies a definite need in the frontcourt for a team that will also lean heavily on younger talent like Garrison. When throwing together a team of transfers it’s important to have strong athletes with plenty of experience and Carr fits that role well.