After taking a cue from Santa Claus and checking it twice, the surprising (and perhaps sobering) fact could not be denied: Neither PJ Washington nor Reid Travis or any other Kentucky Wildcat made Andy Katz’s list of the top 20 players returning to college basketball next season.
Washington and Travis (along with Quade Green) are being counted upon to give next season’s Kentucky team a savvy veteran presence that can enhance the next group of ballyhooed freshmen. The mix of heralded recruits and productive veterans revives memories of 2011-12 when UK rode veterans (Darius Miller, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb) and freshmen (Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) to a national championship.