There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Kentucky basketball this year but there are plenty of unknowns as well.
One of the biggest unknowns is Dontaie Allen.
After sitting out his first year with the program, what kind of impact might he make in year two when he's finally healthy?
Jeff Drummond: This is perhaps the most intriguing question for the entire roster. We really don't know what to expect from the redshirt freshman wing after he sat out the entire 2019-20 season while rehabbing a surgically repaired knee. This much we do know: In high school, he was as good a raw scorer as we have seen in Commonwealth for quite some time. The kid knows how to put the ball in the hoop. He also provides excellent size and length on the wing.
The big question for me is how will Dontaie's athleticism translate to this level? Does he have the lateral quickness and defensive ability to earn considerable minutes in John Calipari's rotation? As we've seen over the years, no matter how well you're able to shoot the ball, you've got to be able to defend and rebound to play for a significant role for Cal.
David Sisk: I have seen the Dontaie Allen workout videos, and honestly it is what I expected. One cannot take a ton away from it except that he looks completely healthy. I'm not sure exactly where the recovery window stands now, but a decade ago it was thought that a complete recovery took eighteen months. That's basically the time frame since he had the knee injury.
I love his offensive repertoire. He was an elite scorer in high school with size on the wing. This is going to be a two deep roster. I presume there will be a battle between Allen and Cam'Ron Fletcher for time at the three. If that does indeed happen, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. They are two different players. Allen is more of a shooter in the half court. Fletcher is better in the open floor and a stronger defender. Interestingly enough, it could revolve around Olivier Sarr's eligibility.
If he plays it becomes more of a halfcourt team with a bigger lineup. That favors Allen. If Sarr doesn't get the ruling he needs, then John Calipari may have to scrap the playbook and go to small ball. That means more running and more transition. That should favor Fletcher. Only time will tell.
Travis Graf: I try not to overhype or oversell players coming off of major injuries until they prove that they’re past the mental hurdles of their return. However, Dontaie Allen is a very gifted scorer, eclipsing 3,000 career points at the high school level and averaging 42.9 points and 14.2 rebounds per game in the 13 games he appeared in as during his senior year before tearing his ACL. His scoring off of the bench could end up being a major surprise for Kentucky in 2020-2021, but with very talented wing players ahead of him on the roster, he won’t be forced into action and everything you get from him will be considered a bonus.
