Summer basketball preview: Surprising Sacha
Kentucky's class of 2016 is in the conversation for best UK recruiting class of all time, filled with five-star talent and future NBA players.
And with fans wondering if De'Aaron Fox can be the next elite UK point guard, if Malik Monk will be a top five pick, Wenyen Gabriel's versatility and just how dominant Bam Adebayo will be, you can't help but think Sacha Killeya-Jones is being overlooked.
Senior success: Killeya-Jones didn't have the 50-point performances like Fox and Monk, but the 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward may have been just as consistent.
During his senior season at Virginia Episcopal he had 13 games of scoring over 20 points and recording 10 rebounds. Killeya-Jones had more double-doubles than any other UK commit and notched a few triple-doubles as his shot-blocking ability is something that isn't talked about enough with Killeya-Jones.
There's a lot that wasn't talked about enough with Killeya-Jones. Primarily a four-star recruit for most of his high school career, until his final bump to five-star status, he was once a Virginia commit with next to no fanfare.
Killeya-Jones committed to the Cavaliers in January before opening things up in June. It was no coincidence that Kentucky offered right around the time he decommitted. Killeya-Jones blew up in the summer of 2015 and despite being from Chapel Hill, N.C., he decided in August UK was the best place for him, becoming the first 2016 commit to pledge with UK.
Killeya-Jones' senior season was good enough to earn him an invite to the McDonald's All-American game and a final Rivals ranking at No.24.
Killeya-Jones' versatility made him one of the best players in Virginia high school basketball, being named to the VISAA Div. II First Team and Player of the Year. He played multiple positions in high school and if you're just getting over your annoyance of hearing about Willie Cauley-Stein playing wide receiver in high school, Killeya-Jones played quarterback.
Killeya-Jones has stated he always thought his path to a DI scholarship would be via football, but an Anthony Davis like growth-spurt put an end to his gridiron dreams.
Basketball became his No.1 love and being able to bring the ball up the floor, post up and knockdown outside jumpers will make him a fun player to coach for John Calipari.
Killeya-Jones' freshman impact: Throughout the entire summer preview series, predicting Killeya-Jones' freshman season may be the toughest. He doesn't bring one thing that UK desperately needs, as of now, but Killeya-Jones will be able to impact the game in a variety of ways.
Fans have to remember that the height and weight listed above is from Killeya-Jones' senior year. Early in his senior year, to be exact. Where he will be after a months of conditioning and lifting with a college strength and conditioning trainer is anybody's guess.
But one thing UK could use next season is another bona fide rebounder and interior defender. Killeya-Jones was last seen at the McDonald's All-American game on April 1st looking his normal long and wirey self. If Killeya-Jones is nearly 7 feet tall and weighing 225 pounds would that be enough for him to make a difference on the boards and on the block?
It's easy to be skeptical given his frame, but if Killeya-Jones were to put on another 10 pounds of muscle it doesn't seem far fetched.
If the forward can be an elite rebounder and help defend other post players, there's playing time to be had for Killeya-Jones. There will likely be playing time even if he takes his time in developing. We saw very little of Isaac Humphries last season and it's unclear how he will progress in 2016-2017. We know Bam Adebayo will be a monster on the boards but his aggressive style of defensive could cost him minutes due to foul trouble.
UK isn't overly deep on the frontline so Killeya-Jones will get his chance to shine. Offensively fans can expect a player that won't be the star of the offense, but will make great plays at random times of the game.
There may be a possession where Killeya-Jones goes missing, doesn't touch the ball, then when the shot clock gets down to three seconds he makes a terrific cut and finishes at the rim. Despite the offense not running through Killeya-Jones he's skilled enough where he will be a threat.
It will be fun to see how Calipari plays Killeya-Jones. He's no stranger to playing out the perimeter and has a decent outside shot. Don't expect him to drain threes during his first year at UK but Killeya-Jones will be able to spread the floor with 15 footers and has shown he can also put the ball on the floor.
He has also been vocal about being comfortable on the block. We haven't seen him dominate on the block but we have seen him make a few post moves that show there is some potential there.
Overall, Killeya-Jones will be an intriguing player on offense that will have some quiet possessions mixed in with athletic plays that may save UK in desperate situations. Defensively, Killeya-Jones length will create problems but if he's unable to have presence on the glass he may see his minutes go to someone else.