Turnover could dominate UK’s roster after the Big Dance

By contributor Kurt Boehringer

After the Big Dance there could be some work to do.

With the UK Senior Day festivities coming this Sunday afternoon against the Florida Gators (20-10, 9-6 Southeastern Conference), the Cats (28-2, 13-2 Southeastern Conference) are looking to wrap up their 44th SEC Regular Season Title.

It is very likely that Patterson will leave after this season along with seniors Perry Stevenson, Mark Krebs and Ramon Harris. This would leave the Cats with 9 out of the NCAA allowed 13 scholarship players. Looking back at the work that UK head coach John Calipari accomplished in the short time he had to put together his recruiting class last year it would seem there would be little to worry about.

In a perfect world for UK, Patterson will comeback for one more year and all the freshman will stay instead of jumping to the NBA. If this did happen one could only imagine the possibilities the team could accomplish with a second year in Calipari’s system, but as soon as the tournament is over all the Cats fans are going to have to face the fact that more than half of this great team could be gone.

Let’s look at the numbers: Harris, Stevenson and Krebs will be gone leaving 10 scholarship players. Patterson will most likely leave after his degree is complete as well. Out of the remaining players, freshman John Wall will almost definitely be gone.

It wouldn’t be so bad if that was all the Cats were to lose because, believe it or not, Calipari could replace them. Freshman Eric Bledsoe could move into the primary point position and run the offense next year. Many forget that he was the No. 3 ranked point guard out of high school last year and is more than capable of running the team.

To make things even worse for the Cats fans, freshman forward DeMarcus Cousins will likely go to the NBA as well. So what does that mean for UK? It means that 7 of the 13 players from this year can possibly be gone. It means that 4 of the 5 starters could be in the NBA. It also means that out of that unbelievable recruiting class that was brought in last year three players will remain and three could be gone.

The worst part is that the six players that will be left on the roster have not received much playing time. Sophomores Darius Miller and Darnell Dodson have split the season in the fifth starting spot and Sophomore DeAndre Liggins has provided big minutes off the bench. Then the Cats have Freshman Daniel Orton who has provided good minutes and big things are expected from him when he hits the starting lineup. One of the others players is freshman Jon Hood who was named Mr. Kentucky Basketball last year and is the final member of the 2009 class. Then there is junior Josh Harrellson, who has received good minutes the last two years at UK.

There is no need to worry about the players that UK will have left if those seven mentioned do leave, but if that’s the case then Calipari will have some work to do. With only one recruit signed for next year at this time Calipari may not need another legendary recruiting class, but to keep the Cats back on the top where he’s brought them it wouldn’t hurt.