We all witnessed the devastating, humiliating conclusion of Kentucky basketball’s season at the hands of an Iowa State squad that was without Joshua Jefferson, its top player.
It was more than a loss in a tournament. On the largest stage, there was a 19-point disaster. Kentucky had a 12-point lead at one point, but the Cyclones took control and outscored them by 31 points the remainder of the game. To make matters worse, Iowa State players publicly boasted about how the Wildcats’ body language suggested that they simply wanted the game to end once the momentum shifted.
What may have been, oh.
It is hard to overlook the players Kentucky was in the running for the previous cycle but, for whatever reason, was unable to bring to Lexington when you look at the rest of the NCAA Tournament.
Transfer Portal targets Kentucky should have stuck with
Alvaro Folgueiras
His skill set was a fantastic fit for the offensive system Mark Pope was known for creating, so his name appeared in the portal very instantly. However, Pope moved away from Folgueiras after deciding, for whatever reason, that he wanted to rethink his worldview.
The outcome? The big man just made the game-winning shot that eliminated Florida and advanced Iowa to the Sweet 16.
Folgueiras averaged over 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists in 29 minutes each night while attending Robert Morris. Even though he played nine less minutes at Iowa and his stats dropped to 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, his winning influence is indisputable. His NCAA Tournament run, his superior passing as a frontcourt player, and his floor spacing are all still going strong. That’s what he ought to have been doing in Lexington.
Donovan Dent
Another big name that was strongly associated with Kentucky early in the previous year’s portal season was Dent. However, he stayed in the West to play for UCLA rather than travel to the SEC.
This season, the explosive point guard averaged 13 points and 7 assists. This is precisely the kind of guy that Mark Pope was referring to when he recently acknowledged that his club was “desperate” for creativity. When the half-court offense stalled and the season slid away, Dent was the real shot-creator and floor commander that Kentucky sorely wanted.
Andrej Stojakovic
Andrej, a player specifically designed for Pope’s method, was the son of NBA legend Peja Stojakovic. He has a great basketball IQ, plays incredibly smoothly, and can create plays for both himself and other players.
However, he is still competing for Illinois in the NCAA Tournament, getting ready to play Tennessee in the Sweet 16, rather than donning blue and white. On a Kentucky team that endured severe, protracted scoring droughts this season, his shot-making and offensive spacing would have made a huge difference.
You can’t strike out
You can miss some shots, but you can’t miss them all, according to John Calipari. It is imperative that Mark Pope include the same principle into his next transfer portal plan.
A head coach may never be able to meet every goal on his board, but he cannot afford to miss the most important opportunities.
The Big Blue Nation lost out on a March Madness run as a result of Pope’s whiffing on this particular set of offensive difference-makers. He can’t make the same error twice because the portal opens on April 7.
