LEXINGTON, Ky. — The college basketball offseason hasn't shaped up well for John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats.
While the team does have the No. 1 ranked recruiting class, a recent report indicated incoming freshman Aaron Bradshaw suffered a foot injury and may miss the start of the 2023-24 season, leaving them potentially without a key piece early in the year.
Kentucky is already down to just six incoming freshmen and two seldom used returners on the roster, while they await a decision from guard Antonio Reeves.
Reeves averaged 14 points per game for the Wildcats last year, but a recent report revealed he is taking classes at Illinois State, which could imply he is setting himself up to be a graduate transfer where he would be free to join a new program next season.
Locked on Kentucky host Lance Dawe believes the Wildcats can't afford to wait for Reeves to make a decision and need to fill his role as soon as possible.
"It's gonna be a minute before he makes a decision," Dawe said. "I think it's very clear the path Kentucky needs to take from this point forward. If there's not going to be any news or reports they need to do what they needed to do with Oscar Tshiebwe and they need to go out and get somebody to fill the role."
Tshiebwe ultimately stayed in the NBA draft process, a decision that left Kentucky with a gaping hole to fill at center. They were connected to prized transfer portal star Hunter Dickinson before he picked Kansas, and the uncertainty around Tshiebwe's plans likely contributed to his decision.
Tshiebwe wasn't the only key departure for the Wildcats, who also lost Sahvir Wheeler, CJ Fredrick, Lance Ware, and Daimion Collins to the transfer portal and Chris Livingston and Cason Wallace to the NBA.
Kentucky can't afford to wait for Reeves if there is a possibility he might depart, as they are already short on bodies for the 2023-24 season.
The talent pool in the transfer portal is also drying up by the day, although plenty of premier talent still remains including center Jordan Brown (Louisiana) guard Paul Mulcahy (Rutgers) and forward Alexis Yetna (Seton Hall).
How Calipari and the Wildcats navigate the rest of this offseason will go a long way in determining what kind of success they have next year.