Mark Story of the Herald-Leader believes there are five things Kentucky men’s basketball fans should be worried about heading into the 2023-24 season.
The five things are injuries to big men, rim protection, defense/offense synchronicity, rebounding and the maturity gap.
Here’s an excerpt:
Worry 1: Injuries to big men
About the only thing that went wrong for Kentucky in Canada was the left ankle injury suffered by 6-foot-11, 225-pound sophomore Ugonna Onyenso in a scrimmage before the actual GLOBL JAM tourney tipped off. Subsequently, Calipari reported that Onyenso had undergone a “successful, minor (surgical) procedure” and would be sidelined for “a couple of months.”
Onyenso’s injury followed the news that 7-foot freshman Aaron Bradshaw had undergone surgery to repair an injured foot. As of early July, Calipari refused to put a timetable on Bradshaw’s return.
Though foot/ankle injuries to big men can prove problematic, there is no reason to think that Onyenso and Bradshaw will not be able to play for Kentucky in 2023-24. However, the development time for the two young big men in the run-up to the season is being compressed.
The uncertainty around Onyenso and Bradshaw may explain Kentucky’s apparent recruiting interest in 7-2, 220-pound Croatian Zvonimir Ivisic.
