UK Basketball Recruiting: Could Wildcats add another 2019 reclass recruit?

The Kentucky Wildcats could be in for another major offseason overhaul.

To this point, UK has seen Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Knox declare for the NBA Draft and sign with agents. Sacha Killeya-Jones announced his will transfer. PJ Washington is testing the NBA Draft waters, and there’s no certainly he returns.

Then there’s Hamidou Diallo likely leaving for the NBA Draft, and he could be followed by Jarred Vanderbilt and/or Wenyen Gabriel.

Needless to say, UK may need more bodies to fill out the roster for next season. While adding E.J. Montgomery and Ashton Hagans (assuming he reclassifies) helps that, don’t be surprised if UK adds more players to the 2018-19 roster.

Not long after Hagans committed to UK, SEC Country’s Kyle Tucker said he thinks UK could still end up adding two more players.

And before you say James Wiseman, don’t expect that to happen, but it still could be a 2019 recruit who reclassifies.

There have been rumblings that current UK 2019 commit D.J. Jeffries could reclassify, though he’s already shot those down.

UK is in great shape for 2019 five-star point guard Tyrese Maxey, but would he want to join a roster that is already set to have Quade Green, Immanuel Quickley, and Hagans?

Maybe if Green makes a surprising decision to transfer. It’s been bantered about, including KSR’s Aaron Torres saying Green could be at least considering a transfer.

If that were to happen, then UK should look to add another guard for next season, and maybe that’s where Maxey comes into play.

But there are other 2019 recruits that UK is in good shape for, including Scottie Lewis, KyKy Tandy, Bryan Antoine, Keion Brooks and Jalen Lecque.

It was actually Lecque who was once rumored to be considering a move into the 2018 class with UK being a possible destination.

Of all the names mentioned, Lecque would be the most realistic since he’s more of a combo guard that could fit this roster better, but don’t sleep on those other names either.

Saying all of this, the ideal situation if for UK to return as much of its current roster as possible, including Washington, Green, Vanderbilt, Gabriel, Nick Richards and Jemarl Baker to pair with Quickley, Hagans, Montgomery, Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson.

That’s 11 of 13 roster spots filled, and I think Calipari will end up keeping a scholarship free in the event someone like Wiseman or another 2019 recruit decides to be a mid-year enrollee, ala Diallo in 2016-17.