PREVIEW SERIES: Tai Wynyard
Cats Illustrated will preview every scholarship player on the 2017-2018 Kentucky Wildcat's basketball roster.
The series will take start from the veterans and work its way down to the freshmen. Every weekday will be a new a player and older previews will be linked. On Monday August 7th Cats Illustrated previews Tai Wynyard.
What happened last year: The redshirt sophomore averaged .7 points and .9 rebounds last season for Kentucky.
The New Zealander appeared in 15 games last year. His best performance was a four point and three rebound game against Cleveland State in November.
The 6-foot-10, 254-pound forward didn't see any game action after UK's win over LSU on February 7th. There were rumblings that Wynyard would transfer to another school where he would get more action but that didn't happen and he will be back for his third year at Kentucky (Wynyard redshirted half a semester in 2015-2016).
Wynyard wasn't given too many opportunities but when he was on the floor effort was never the issue. Foul issues allowed Wynyard to play 12 minutes in a close game against Georgia. He only recorded two rebounds but did a solid job defending.
There weren't many flashes for Wynyard last season but he has an impressive body and he showed last year year he's not afraid to be physical.
Summer rumblings: For many UK players the summer rumblings will be gossip and pick-up game reports, but for Wynyard we have facts. He played in the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup for New Zealand.
And Wynyard shined.
New Zealand didn't compete for a medal but it was no fault of Wynyard. He averaged nearly 14 points and over nine rebounds per game. He shot 60 percent from the field while playing just over 26 minutes per game. He was New Zealand's best player and had some of the most impressive numbers in an event that featured two UK players and several of the most elite recruits in high school basketball, plus a plethora of other college stars.
Wynyard may have given Calipari something to think about heading into this fall. Wynyard was a force on the block but also showcased versatility from the perimeter and was able to put the ball on the floor.
It was a great summer for the sophomore.
2017-2018 prediction: Despite an impressive run at the FIBA 2017 World Cup, Wynyard finds himself in another logjam at Kentucky. Last year he couldn't beat out Bam Adebayo or Derek Willis for minutes, which is understandable because both signed NBA contracts, but Wynyard wasn't next in line.
Wynyard was given just a few chances last year and although he's another year older, stronger and better, the Cats brought in another loaded frontcourt in the 2017 recruiting class. P.J. Washington and Nick Richards could be lottery picks in the 2018 NBA Draft. Jarred Vanderbilt could also play some four for Kentucky. He was another five-star player.
It was good news for Wynyard to see Isaac Humphries leave for the NBA Draft, but his teammates Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones will be back for another season. Wynyard will have to find a way to beat out those two for minutes, too.
All things considered it doesn't seem like from a numbers standpoint Wynyard will be much better in 2017-2018. He will likely get a few more opportunities but he will still be a bench player and likely won't average over four points or four rebounds per game.
Wynyard has a lot of potential but 2018-2019 seems like the more likely time for him to make some noise.