A UK site and insider is saying that a big group of players from the 2019-20 team are expected to go to the NBA, including all their guards and frontcourt players. This group includes guards Ashton Hagans, Tryese Maxey, and Immanuel Quickely and forwards Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery. This is on top of losing Johnnie Juzang to transfer and Khalil Whitney during the season. Grad-transfer Nate Sestina has also exhausted his college eligibility.
I'm not surprised that most of these guys are at least testing the NBA draft process. Why not? But the idea that all would leave UK for the NBA is a little more interesting.
If all of these guys do leave, the only returning players will be forward Keion Brooks, Jr., a reserve from this past year, and guard Dontaie Allen. The latter did not play this past year after a significant injury in high school. Brooks averaged just 4.5 pts/3.2 reb per game.
The Wildcats have a big recruiting class coming in with at least one top recruit at nearly all position except center. But the 6 freshmen + Allen and Brooks would be one of the smallest and thinnest rotations John Calipari has had in his time with UK. I expect that, if both Richards and Montgomery do both leave, the Wildcats will snag a grad transfer or 3.
https://www.nationofblue.com/source-...a-mass-exodus/