Kentucky is losing its top 7 scorers and it probably won't matter
Will the last one left in Lexington please turn out the light?
Bam Adebayo's decision to sign with an agent and remain in the 2017 NBA Draft means Kentucky will be without its top seven scorers for next season.
Add Isaac Humphries to that equation and the Wildcats are losing 95 percent of their scoring from a 2016-17 season that saw them lose to eventual champion North Carolina in the Elite Eight.
| Player | Points | Shot attempts |
|---|---|---|
| Malik Monk | 19.8 | 14.7 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 16.7 | 12.4 |
| Bam Adebayo | 13 | 7.5 |
| Isaiah Briscoe | 12.1 | 9.6 |
| Derek Willis | 7 | 5.4 |
| Mychal Mulder | 4.7 | 4 |
| Dominique Hawkins | 4.7 | 3.7 |
| Isaac Humphries | 2.8 | 2.3 |
| TOTAL | 80.8 | 59.6 |
While most coaches would consider quitting the profession if their team was hit with the mass exodus the Wildcats currently face, John Calipari simply nods knowingly and rebuilds with the next crop of high school superstars hitting the campus.
He's dealt with this type of situation as recently as 2015, when he lost his top seven scorers accounting for 87.2 percent of the team's points heading into the season. Kentucky would finish that campaign 27-9 with a hard-fought second-round tournament exit to Indiana.
Here are the departures from among the team's top seven scorers that Calipari's program has suffered in each of the past five seasons:
| Year | Players | Points | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 5 | 60.5 | 76.5 |
| 2014-15 | 7 | 64.6 | 87.2 |
| 2013-14 | 2 | 29.3 | 39 |
| 2012-13 | 5 | 54 | 73.9 |
| 2011-12 | 6 | 72 | 92.3 |
The legendary coach has never won less than 21 games in a season during his time with Kentucky, and has won at least 29 contests in six of his eight years with the Wildcats.
What this all ultimately means is while they may not be national-title favorites, Kentucky is going to be just fine next season.
Calipari is once again reloading with some of the top talent in the country, as the Wildcats currently have six players in the ESPN 100 committed for next season.
| Player | National Rank | Position Rank | Rating/100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PJ Washington | 11th | 3rd (PF) | 95/100 |
| Nick Richards | 16th | 5th (C) | 93/100 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 18th | 5th (PF) | 93/100 |
| Quade Green | 23rd | 5th (PG) | 92/100 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 33rd | 9th (PG) | 89/100 |
| Jermarl Baker | 63rd | 16th (SG) | 85/100 |
Should Hamidou Diallo decide to drop out of the draft and return to school, that would give Kentucky five freshman rated as five-star players heading into next season.
The names on the back of the jerseys will be different next season, but as long Calipari roams the sidelines in Lexington, expect Kentucky to be one of the top teams in the country each year.