Kentucky Basketball: 5 Bold Predictions for Wildcats' 2011-12 Season

The Kentucky Wildcats have predictably high expectations heading into this year’s basketball campaign.

John Calipari is in a familiar position in his third season at Kentucky. He starts three freshmen and has another coming off the bench.

Calipari has proven that it is possible to win a lot of games by relying on freshmen. He has not yet proven that freshmen can take a team all the way.

The Wildcats’ fanbase is chomping at the bit for national championship No. 8. But will this be the year Calipari and the Cats finally break through?

Here are five bold predictions for the 2011-12 Kentucky basketball season.

Freshmen Won’t Reign Supreme

This kind of statement will turn heads in Kentucky. With three straight No. 1 recruiting classes and a slew of one-and-done players, the freshmen better dominate or else there is no one left. 

This year, however, John Calipari has the luxury of veterans. Well, sort of.

Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb opted not to enter the lockout-infested NBA draft and are both back for a second season at Kentucky. They are joined by real life senior (not a common sight in Wildcats blue) Darius Miller, who is still waiting for the breakout year everyone expects of him.

Jones, Lamb and Miller will provide a steadying presence and work ethic that will rub off on the freshmen. Those three players got to the final four last year and will accept nothing less than winning a championship.

When the players are finally seeing eye to eye with Kentucky’s rabid fanbase, it could lead to a special season. 

Anthony Davis Will Be Just as Good as Advertised

In the first two games of the season, Anthony Davis has looked every bit like the No. 1 recruit in the country. He had a double-double in his first collegiate game and recorded seven blocks against Kansas.

Davis spent most of his basketball career playing as a guard and that has clearly helped his post game. Davis can put the ball on the floor against big men and drive right past them. Alley-oops are seamless as Davis has good hands and looks almost graceful as he finishes above the rim.

Davis still needs to get stronger (much stronger) and develop a few more post moves before he will really be able to compete with the top big men in the country. At this point in the season though, he looks more than ready for the challenge. 

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Will Be Better

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will simply be better. Better than Anthony Davis, better than advertised, just better all around.

Kidd-Gilchrist is a player who can fill up a stat sheet seemingly without trying. He is tall enough to go up with forwards and centers and snag rebounds.

He is quick enough and has confidence dribbling the ball so he is the perfect candidate for John Calipari’s dribble-drive offense. His huge wingspan and tenacity have made him the best defender on the team.

Beyond statistics, though, Kidd-Gilchrist brings a fire that Kentucky sometimes lacks to begin games. He goes as hard as he can from the opening tip, and his energy has boosted the rest of the team.   

Kentucky Will Not Play a Complete Game Until After the New Year

Last season, it took arguably until the NCAA tournament for this to happen, so fans should not worry.

I admit it, I’m siding with John Calipari on this one. When Kentucky’s coach says things like the Wildcats are “not a good team yet,” many sigh and look the other way. But Calipari is right.

I’m not saying Kentucky won’t win games. They are a talented team. Against Kansas, Kentucky opened the second half with an 11-0 run, breaking open a tie game. Kentucky has a roster that is capable of huge runs that can bury the opposition.

Those runs take maybe 10 minutes. For the other 30 minutes, Kentucky is not playing to the best of its ability.

Kentucky’s defense is what gets them going. When the Wildcats deny passes, play up on the ball and stay at home on their man, a new kind of energy is injected into their play. When the team is lazy on defense, it translates to their offense as well. 

Relying on freshmen as much as the team does, Kentucky should expect a few growing pains. Hopefully, by the time the NCAA tournament rolls around, the Wildcats will have worked them out.

Terrence Jones Will Live Up to Preseason All-American Status

Terrence Jones’ stats through the first two games of the season have not been overly impressive. He is averaging 11.5 points and eight rebounds. However, the forward will improve drastically before the season is over.

Last year, Jones was an enigmatic player. He looked unstoppable at stretches but too often was lazy and did not fight for points or rebounds.

Jones came back for his sophomore season even though he could have been a lottery pick in the NBA draft. In the Wildcats’ preseason, he looked like a man on a mission.

Jones has stopped settling for three-pointers when he can take his man inside (mostly). He has gotten stronger, and most importantly, he has a hunger and a drive that was missing from his freshman campaign.

Jones might have to step up as the leader of this team. So far, it looks like he has all the tools to do so.