Poythress, Johnson return to school, Kentucky frontcourt is loaded

Update: Freshman forward Dakari Johnson announced today that he will also return to school.

So far, here’s the Kentucky stay/go scorecard:

The return of both Poythress and Cauley-Stein is a big surprise, and it means that even without Johnson returning, the Kentucky frontcourt will be absolutely loaded next season.

That’s a four-star junior, a five-star junior, a five-star sophomore, two five-star freshmen. With Johnson staying, add another five-star sophomore. Now that Poythress and Johnson are officially a member of the 2014-15 Wildcats, coach John Calipari is going to have quite the longjam to deal with as he tries to get the most out of his talent. It won’t be as easy as it looks:

Each offers something a bit different than the rest, and each is quite talented in his own way. But none can run the offense, and a huge lineup featuring many of these players together would handicap the Wildcats’ offense and defense. Calipari will have his hands full with the best problem a coach could have: finding enough playing time for a whole bunch of players who all deserve it and would likely flourish given the opportunity.

Still, while the added depth in the frontcourt is nice, the Harrison twins’ decisions are important to next year’s success, as A Sea of Blue broke down. If they don’t return, Kentucky won’t have much depth in the backcourt. But if they decide to come back, the Wildcats will be loaded everywhere on the floor.