Lexington, Ky., has become a factory for NBA prospects. Five-star high school talents choose UK, catch up to the speed of the college game, then become professional basketball players, usually after just a year with the Wildcats.
Improvements Kentucky’s returning players need to make
Next year’s UK squad is loaded with potential NBA talent, but they each need to make more strides before heading to the Association. Let’s look at what each of them need to improve.
Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
That wasn't the case this season. There was speculation that as many as six guys could potentially leave after their freshman year. But only two players — Julius Randle and James Young — are leaving. The two sophomores — Willie Cauley-Stein and Alex Poythress — are both staying an extra two semesters, as well.
So what do the returning guys need to do to improve their draft stock?
Willie Cauley-Stein
Cauley-Stein needs to polish his offensive game. That starts with hitting free throws. Cauley-Stein shot just 48 percent his sophomore season, after netting only 37 percent at the stripe in his freshman campaign. That number needs to jump up around 60 percent.
Adding another post move also would go a long way toward improving his stock. Cauley-Stein flashed a hook shot over both shoulders last season, but it was inconsistent. Cauley-Stein could still be top 10 pick next summer, but he needs to show progress on offense.
Alex Poythress
Poythress needs to round out his game on the wing. At this point he dribbles with his head to the ground. This is a problem. Poythress has the perfect frame for an NBA small forward (6’8, 7’ wingspan), but he’ll never be able to play there unless he can tighten up that handle.
He’ll also need to add a three-point shot: He shot just 24 percent (8-of-33) from behind the arc in his sophomore season. Luckily for Poythress, UK has minutes available at small forward.
If Harrison wants to play point guard in the NBA, he’ll need to improve his ability to play the position. He averaged just five assists to 3.4 turnovers per 40 minutes. He recorded more turnovers than assists in 11 games. That can’t happen during his sophomore season.
There’s always a chance that Harrison could transition to shooting guard. Kentucky is bringing in five-star point guard Tyler Ulis and John Calipari will have the option to roll with Ulis and the Harrisons on the wing. Andrew Harrison shot over 35 percent from long range. Maybe we misjudged him as a lead guard.
Aaron was better than Andrew in their freshman campaign, even though Andrew was more hyped. Aaron is a solid three-point shooter (35.6 percent) and a pesky defender. But he needs to become a better playmaker for himself and his teammates. His assist rate (11.6 percent) is very low for a shooting guard. For comparison, Rodney Hood, considered a one-dimensional scorer, recorded a 13.2 percent assist rate in his only year at Duke.
All of Johnson’s limitations stem from his lack of elite athleticism. He wasn’t great around the rim (61.4 percent, per Hoop-Math) and he fouled a ton (5.7 per 40 minutes) because he couldn’t move fast enough laterally to stay with quicker opponents. He will never be a superior athlete, but he could add some bursts with another summer of training. Like Cauley-Stein, Johnson also needs to work on his free throw shooting. He netted just 44.7 percent of his 85 attempts.
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