Louisville coach Pat Kelsey and Kentucky coach Mark Pope overachieved this men's basketball season, hastily assembling rosters without the benefit of any scholarship returnees. It’s a good thing they proved they can mold a team in that manner.
They’ll do the same thing again in their second years at the helm, possibly to a lesser degree, this offseason. As important as playcalling and scouting are to winning games, putting together the right personnel might be the toughest part of coaching in this climate.
Kelsey and Pope made it look simple last year. Better accept the fact now that there will be some guesswork involved and the roster and rotation may not all come together perfectly as it did for each coach this past season.
It’s not so easy to find replacements for two of the best point guards in the nation: U of L’s Chucky Hepburn and UK’s Lamont Butler.
Kelsey has maintained the recruiting philosophy that high schools will always be important to building a program. He’s chosen to replace Hepburn by signing Mikel Brown Jr., who is considered a top-10 player in the Class of 2025, according to 247Sports.
Pope still is looking for the next Butler. Kerr Kriisa, who was the Wildcats’ top backup until he injured his foot in December, made it official Monday that he’s transferring from UK.
Although UK signed point guard
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