:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/60378207/usa_today_10723520.0.jpg)
With Kentucky’s roster finally complete for the upcoming basketball season, people will now start to debate the starting lineup for the Cats. But just how many different options will Cal have when he is setting his lineups?
ESPN’s Myron Medcalf takes the Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky rosters and tinkers with it to form different lineup possibilities.
Due to the fact that we returned PJ Washington and added Reid Travis as well as signed some of the country’s top recruits, Kentucky will have options that we haven’t had the last couple seasons.
The first lineup that he proposes is “The Two-PG Lineup”.
- PG: Quade Green
- PG: Immanuel Quickley
- G: Keldon Johnson
- F: PJ Washington
- F: Reid Travis
Medcalf notes that this lineup will provide Cal with two sure ball handlers. Having two guys that can handle the ball on the floor at the same time will be a huge advantage for Cal and the team with the way that he likes to run after a defensive stop, look for one of those two guys and go.
However, this past season we saw a lot of Quade playing off the ball after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took over the PG role and Green seemed to do a good job in that role. So, for me I would move Green to the secondary PG and insert Ashton Hagans for Quickley.
The next way Cal could go is with “The Long and Athletic Lineup”.
- G: Immanuel Quickley
- G: Keldon Johnson
- F: PJ Washington
- F: EJ Montgomery
- F: Nick Richards
This lineup would be a fun one to watch on the glass and attacking the rim on the offensive side of the ball. Not to mention all the second chance opportunities that the size down low would give them. PJ Washington as a SF could be a bit of a reach, but it would be fun to see how it worked out.
Finally, Medcalf created “The Let’s Get Crazy Lineup”
- G: Immanuel Quickley
- G: Keldon Johnson
- F: EJ Montgomery
- F: PJ Washington
- F: Reid Travis
This lineup would make teams wake up the next day feeling like they were just ran over by a train. This lineup is so physically tough that no team would be able to match the power that they would bring to the court. Hagans could easily be added into this lineup over Quickley if you could get enough shooting out of Johnson.
One thing that stands out to me is Keldon Johnson always makes the cut. The way he has been talked about and the fact he was in all the lineups makes me believe that the Keldon Johnson hype is real and that kid is going to be a fan favorite this season.