Following news from the University of Kentucky that Olivier Sarr and Jacob Toppin have been granted 2020-2021 eligibility, Cats Illustrated writers went to the roundtable to share takes on what it means for each player and the Wildcats as a whole.
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Jeff Drummond: The addition of Olivier Sarr, in my mind, elevates the Cats from a really good team that likely had a Sweet 16/Elite 8 team into a legitimate Elite 8/Final Four contender. Without the big man, I think UK would have been a lot like the 2016 team that had a lot of backcourt talent but was bounced by Indiana in the second round of the NCAA Tournament because it lacked a serious inside presence. The Wake Forest transfer has proven he can score against high-quality competition in the ACC. He should bring a lot of balance to UK on that end of the floor. Defensively, blocking shots hasn't been a huge part of his resume, but I think Calipari will bring some of that out of him. I look for him to be a decent rim protector and allow UK's long, athletic guards to extend their defense further than they would be able to if they did not have a big man behind them.
Jacob Toppin is a bit of a mystery for me. Obviously, a lot of people will be comparing him to his famous brother, Obi, who was a candidate for player of the year honors last season at Dayton. It would be unfair to expect anything like that from him, but I do think he can be a solid contributor off the bench and offer the Cats some quality depth and experience. Originally, I believe he was going to redshirt this year, but there's no reason to hold him back with the NCAA granting all players an additional year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Let's see what he can do. Early reports from practice have been favorable.
David Sisk: To steal a line from Travis Graf, Kentucky turned into one of the best teams in the country in just a matter of seconds. Without Olivier Sarr and Jacob Toppin (particularly Sarr) Kentucky was a top 15-20. With them they will be preseason top five. One of the perceived weaknesses on this team was the lack of inside experience. Sarr changes that. Not only does he have the experience, but it is successful repetitions. Now the Cats should have an inside game that can match up with anyone.
Sarr went for 13.7 points and 9 rebounds last season at Wake Forest. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes close to that this year because there will be more of an emphasis to get the ball inside. The Demon Deacons jacked a lot of ill-advised outside shots. He also offers rim protection on the other end. But here is a critical key to me. He brings three years of college experience to one of the youngest rosters in the country. I don't believe all of the buzz about him is overrated a bit.
The big surprise could be Toppin. There has been a lot of great talk about him from those around the program. He could be better than anticipated. Not only is there a question of how good he can be, but I also wonder what impact he could have on Keion Brooks, Cam Fletcher, and Dontaie Allen at the three/four spot.
Travis Graf: Over the last 24 hours, Kentucky went from a Sweet Sixteen team to a Final Four team with the eligibility decisions for Olivier Sarr and Jacob Toppin being announced. Expect Sarr to pick up right where Nick Richards left off last season, patrolling the paint and getting a ton of plays drawn up for him to score down low. The 7-foot big man should be the ‘Cats third leading scorer. Toppin should be better than people expect and could see an increased role as the season progresses. He’ll help Kentucky win a lot of ball games during his time in Lexington.
Justin Rowland: Olivier Sarr was a third team All-ACC choice last season and his numbers from the end of the season were really impressive. He seemed to be taking his game to another level. I like the way he runs the floor and how active he can be for a guy his size. He gives you a 7-footer that you don't have to be a plodding team with. He'll block some shots but I'm not sure what all to expect from him on the defensive end. He's become a much more skilled offensive player and he certainly answers a big question.
As for Toppin, there's obviously some growing hype now but I'm not sure how much to read into that so he's definitely one of the many players on this team who is tough to forecast. I thought top-20 was fair for this team without Sarr, although the floor was substantial. I would put Kentucky in the 5-8 range preseason with the caveat that the ranking is based on the fact that I expect some growing pains as they figure out the shooting, the point guard play, and put an entirely new team together. They may take some lumps but I expect them to be in the Elite Eight, Final Four conversation come tournament time.
