UK Basketball: Will Andrew Wiggins' Decision Make or Break UK's 2014 Season?

Last week I went over Kentucky's chances of landing top 2014 recruiting prospect Andrew Wiggins. Today, however, the question is whether or not Wiggins choosing to go to school in Lexington this fall will make or break Kentucky's 2014 season.

First of all, let's get one thing straight: You can never "not need" a player like Andrew Wiggins. The kid is a phenomenal talent that will tremendously benefit any program that he is a part of. As a frame of reference for Kentucky fans, Wiggins is in the Anthony Davis/John Wall class of players— someone whom teams will have to focus their entire game plans around if they want to have any chance of beating the Wildcats.

But when looking at Kentucky's team next season, it seems as though they may actually be just fine without him (and trust me, I'm having trouble believing that I just said that myself).

For one thing, UK's recruiting class already has a great true small forward in James Young. When you add in the fact that Alex Poythress is coming back next year, the position almost seems a bit crowded.

And yes, I realize that Poythress was a bit of a disappointment during his freshman season. But he also showed flashes of greatness that with a year of experience and maturity under his belt should lead to a much better sophomore campaign.

It's also worth noting that most of Poythress' problems last year stemmed from issues with confidence and game awareness, which are very typical freshman issues. It's sometimes easy to forget with so many of John Calipari's players going pro after their freshman season that there is usually a huge jump in on-court capability for talented players like Poythress after their first year (if they stick around). 

Now don't get me wrong; if Andrew Wiggins commits to Kentucky, it would be a HUGE boost to their title chances next year and a reason for the Big Blue Nation to celebrate. But even if he ends up going to FSU (or one of the other schools on his list) next season, UK should still easily be considered as one of the top contenders for the national championship next season. 


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