Commentary

CBB Summer Buzz: Kentucky

The Wildcats lost a lot of talent to the NBA but could rebuild quickly this season

Updated: July 21, 2010, 1:02 PM ET
By Mike Hume | ESPN Insider

Insider knows you're hot for hoops during the summer, so we're bringing you a closer look at a few of the big-profile schools before most freshmen have even moved into their dorms. We continue today with Kentucky.

Kentucky Wildcats

2009-10: 35-3 (NCAA tournament - Elite Eight)

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

You've probably heard that adage before. And at first glance you can also see how it applies to Kentucky's men's basketball program under John Calipari. Last season, Coach Cal revitalized the Wildcats by bringing in a four-pack of fresh faces that started as wide-eyed rooks and finished as first-round NBA draft picks.

Flash forward to this fall and, lookee here, another wave of wunderkinds is rolling into Lexington. With the No. 1-ranked recruiting class, Kentucky is reloaded for another NCAA tournament charge. For all the similarities from a season ago, however, there are crucial differences between the two rosters. And even Calipari believes that anyone reflexively putting the Cats on the fast track to the Final Four may want to consider a few factors first.


To read the summer preview of the Kentucky Wildcats, including season outlooks from Jay Bilas, Doug Gottlieb, Fran Fraschilla and Joe Lunardi, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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