David Padgett probably never thought he would get his first chance at being a head coach like this. With his mentor Rick Pitino making a disgraceful exit under a cloud of alleged recruiting impropriety, Padgett is left to hold together what looked like a top-ten team before the scandal.
What’s to like: Potential in the backcourt
Deng Adel showed in three postseason games last season why he’s so intriguing to NBA scouts. He led the team with 17.7 points. Now that Donovan Mitchell is in the NBA, it’s up to Adel, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, to carry the team’s offensive load.