Could Kentucky’s center depth be derailed by health?
The Wildcats made a point of strengthening the five this offseason, and the biggest move was getting Malachi Moreno back in Lexington. Mark Pope made it clear how much that mattered, saying Moreno was the top priority heading into the offseason. After a freshman year that exceeded expectations, Kentucky has reason to believe he can take another step forward.
But Moreno won’t be asked to carry the whole load alone.
Kentucky added veteran big man Franck Kepnang to back him up, a bruising presence whose job description is pretty straightforward: bring toughness, protect the rim and give the Wildcats reliable minutes. Reece Potter, who is coming off a redshirt junior season, gives Kentucky another option in the middle. On paper, it’s a much deeper group at center than Kentucky had last season.
The question, though, is the one Pope raised himself: can they stay healthy?
Pope addressed Kentucky’s center rotation in a recent interview with The Field of 68, and he didn’t dance around the concern with Kepnang. The veteran has dealt with injuries throughout his college career and even missed some early summer practices as a precaution.
Pope said, "Franck Kepnang has not had a healthy season yet in his 17 years of college basketball,” Pope said. "But last year was his healthiest season, so he only missed six games at the end of the season last year.
Talk about an enforcer and a guy who plays hard. Part of the reason Franck is hurt all the time is he plays so hard.
He is like a wrecking ball. He’s one of the top shot blockers in the country.
He’s got incredible leadership skills. Reece Potter also is a guy that’s been off the radar for a year because we redshirted him last year, but he was a really good player at Miami of Ohio and he’s got some physicality. ...
If we stay healthy, we think we have a really, really good setup at the five."
Kepnang’s workload at Washington helps explain why Kentucky sees value in him. He averaged more than 20 minutes per game last season as a starter, and that has basically been his role throughout four seasons with the Huskies. At Kentucky, that burden should be lighter with Moreno expected to handle the bulk of the minutes.
That’s the upside for Kentucky’s frontcourt: quality, experience and enough bodies to survive the grind. The catch is obvious. The Wildcats’ center depth only matters if the group can stay on the floor.
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