Thursday Quickies: Looking Ahead Edition

A look at the offseason ahead

By Zac Oakes@ZacOakes Apr 4, 2019, 6:40am EDT

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-Midwest Regional Practice

The end of the season always means a lot of looking back. It means plenty of “what if” and “if only” moments. However, the end of the season also provides an opportunity to look ahead, and there is still a lot left to unfold this offseason for the Kentucky Wildcats.

First of all, it is officially “Stay or Leave” season. With the new NCAA rule that allows players to declare for the draft and hire agents without foregoing their eligibility, expect several guys to toss their hats in the ring. As for Kentucky players, I break it down this way:

PJ Washington - definite gone

Keldon Johnson - 90 percent gone

Tyler Herro - 80 percent gone

Ashton Hagans- 50 percent gone

To me, I think Washington, Johnson and Herro leave for the draft while Ashton Hagans decides to come back and try to cement himself in the first round. These decisions are huge difference makers for a team. Can you imagine this year’s Kentucky team if PJ Washington decided to stay in the draft last year?

We’ll hear plenty of news on this in the coming weeks, as players will have until May 29 to withdraw their names.

Secondly, recruiting will be a big portion of the next few weeks. Kentucky already has signed Tyrese Maxey and Dontaie Allen. They are expected to sign Kahlil Whitney and Keion Brooks in the next few weeks as well.

The Wildcats missed out on all of their major frontcourt targets in this class, but are still in the mix for a couple frontcourt players that are uncommitted. Matthew Hurt and Jaden McDaniels will make decisions in the coming weeks. Neither is viewed as a heavy Kentucky lean, but Cal has been able to pull some surprise commits in the past.

Just for the record, I think they land Hurt but we will see.

Kentucky is also in the mix for Nate Sestina, the Bucknell grad transfer as well as some possible 2020 reclassification candidates. The frontcourt recruiting saga will definitely be a major storyline in the offseason to see how Kentucky plays their cards over the course of the next couple weeks.

Hopefully Kentucky can bring back both EJ Montgomery and Nick Richards, setting a solid foundation for the group going into the 2019-2020 season.

It should be an interesting offseason to see how next year’s squad unfolds, but as it looks, John Calipari is shaping up to have a team that can be a contender once again next year.

Tweets of the Day

It’s tough to accept that I won’t be able to put on that Kentucky blue and white again and play in front of the best fans in the country but I was truly blessed this past year to be able… https://t.co/pb5J3iIg26
— Reid Travis (@2ReidTravis2) April 3, 2019

Reid Travis is such a class act.

Kentucky DE/OLB Josh Allen is wrapping up his two-day private visit today with the SF 49ers, per source. From SF, Allen will go on to Detroit to visit the Lions, and then later visit the Bengals, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Bills, Giants, Jets and Raiders. Busy schedule.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 3, 2019