As the college basketball season draws closer, CBS Sports put together a position-by-position look at the game’s top players, and Kentucky showed up in a big way.
Writer Isaac Trotter sorted out the best point guards, combo guards, shooting guards, true wings, off-ball wings, stretch 4s, bruising 4s, small-ball 5s, and true 5s. Kentucky landed four players on the list, each in a different spot.
The headliner from the backcourt was Zoom Diallo, who was listed among the initiator point guards. Diallo is expected to start at point guard for Kentucky this season, where his job will be to set the tone and run the offense.
Last season, Diallo averaged 15.7 points per game and 4.5 assists per game. If he can keep feeding the rest of Kentucky’s key pieces - including combo guard Alex Wilkins, forward Milan Momcilovic, center Malachi Moreno, and others - that assist number could climb into the six- or seven-assist range.
Wilkins earned his own spot as a combo guard. He comes to Kentucky after a strong freshman season at Furman, where he nearly helped the Paladins knock off UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
He brings plenty of scoring punch, averaging 17.8 points per game, but he’s not just a bucket-getter. Wilkins also averaged 4.7 assists per game, giving Kentucky a guard who can score, create, and handle plenty of responsibility.
Momcilovic landed at No. 1 among off-ball wings. His production at Iowa State made the case loud and clear. He averaged 16.9 points per game while shooting 50.6% from the field and 48.7% from three-point range on 7.5 attempts per game.
That kind of efficiency is hard to ignore. If Momcilovic keeps that same level of production, he has a chance to be one of the best players in college basketball.
Moreno rounded out Kentucky’s four selections as a true 5. He flashed enough last season to show why Kentucky believes he can be the big man it needs.
Moreno averaged 7.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 58.2% from the field. His strong showing was enough to nearly keep him in the NBA Draft before he ultimately chose to return to Kentucky for another season, with hopes of becoming a lottery pick.
He spent the offseason working on strength, physicality on both ends, and rebounding, all areas that could help him take another step and boost his NBA Draft stock.
For Kentucky, having four players recognized across Trotter’s list is a strong sign heading into the season.
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