At one point, the outlook on Kentucky’s frontcourt situation in the 2020-21 season looked troublesome, at best.
Losing Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery to the NBA Draft and Nate Sestina to graduation, the Wildcats had only Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware – ranked No. 28 and No. 34 in the 247Sports Composite Rankings, respectively – signed on for next season. Keion Brooks Jr. – Kentucky’s lone returnee from the 2019-20 rotation – can, and likely will, serve as a small-ball four option next season, but to say the Wildcats are thin down low would be an understatement.
Kentucky dove head-first into the recruitment of Purdue center Matt Haarms – who later committed to BYU – opted to pass on VCU transfer Marcus Santos-Silva, and missed on 2020 top-ten prospect Greg Brown III.