Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s disappointing NBA Draft Decision Day

Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s NBA Draft Decision Day on Wednesday:

1. Kentucky went 0.5-for-3 in NBA Draft decisions

In something of an upset, I was almost right and could be fully right. (Imagine that.) I predicted this week that Oscar Tshiebwe and Chris Livingston would remain in the NBA Draft, while Antonio Reeves would withdraw before Wednesday night’s 11:59 p.m. deadline and return to school in Lexington.

Reeves still could. By all reports, Reeves will weigh his options first, however. That means the former Illinois State transfer is expected to meet soon with John Calipari to discuss playing time and NIL money. I still think Reeves returns, but we’ll see.

The Tshiebwe decision might have been a surprise a month ago, but not now. The choice was trending in the professional direction. Oscar played well in the NBA Draft Combine. He had received workout invitations from several clubs. He apparently decided there wasn’t much more to prove by continuing to play college basketball. Time to take a crack at the next level. Best of luck to him.

From the start, the smart money said Livingston was draft-bound. He’s athletic. He has a nice upside. He has an NBA body. It’s sensible that a team could take a shot on Livingston in the second round. Or he could go the G League route. Livingston could have used another year in college, but you can’t blame him for starting the process now.

2. John Calipari really, really needs roster reinforcements

If Reeves does return, Calipari still has roster holes to fill and the clock is ticking. He’d have just eight scholarship players. He needs experience. There will be five scholarship freshmen on the roster. Yes, it’s the nation’s No. 1 freshman class, but they are freshmen. Two more will be sophomores. Excluding Reeves, that’s it. And with Tshiebwe gone, more size wouldn’t hurt.

To this point, Calipari hasn’t exactly taken a deep dive into the transfer portal waters for next season. He swung and missed on Hunter Dickinson (Michigan to Kansas) and Keshad Johnson (San Diego State to Arizona). UK has been vaguely linked to a few other portal possibilities, but that’s about it.

Surely that changes now. Creighton’s Arthur Kaluma received a lot of play on Big Blue Twitter after Tshiebwe’s announcement. But is that a belief, or a hope? Kaluma is an interesting prospect, but he’s not Oscar. He’s a 6-foot-7 junior-to-be who averaged 11 points, six rebounds and shot 42 percent last season. Tshiebwe’s numbers were 16.5 points, 13.7 rebounds and 56 percent shooting.

Kentucky could also use another shooter, especially if Reeves does end up elsewhere. Poor perimeter shooting has played a factor in recent UK postseason losses. Is there another shooter out there? Can Calipari (a) locate him and (b) convince him to come to Lexington? That’s another we’ll see.

A large BBN faction is ready to bury Calipari for his roster management. I haven’t reached for my shovel just yet. I’m willing to wait until this plays out. The buzzer hasn’t sounded just yet.

3. We’ll see much more Ugonna Onyenso and Adou Thiero

Looking for a silver lining in Wednesday’s Big Blue sad news?

Start with Ugonna Onyenso. Is the 6-11 center really a future NBA star? Is he still too raw to make an impact? We’re going to find out. Without a late portal addition, Onyenso is going to have to play. A lot. I’m on record saying that’s a good thing. I think Onyenso owns tremendous untapped potential. I also think the hiring of John Welch as an assistant coach with an emphasis on development should help Onyenso’s development.

We’ll also see more of Adou Thiero. There are those around the UK program who believe Theiro is going to be a tremendous college player. Calipari even said Adou will “be a guy that has a major impact on college basketball. He will.”

We’ll be watching. With a thin bench, Thiero will have to get more PT. And Cal will have to let him play through mistakes. Same with Onyenso. That might be painful to watch in November and December but could pay off in February and March.

The John Clay Podcast: What does Kentucky basketball do now?

Oscar Tshiebwe is leaving Kentucky. How can UK fill the void left by his departure?

Chris Livingston is staying in the NBA Draft. Here’s what that means for Kentucky.

Antonio Reeves is returning to college. But he might not be coming back to Kentucky.

This is a huge week for Kentucky basketball. Here are some predictions.

There can be no doubt now as to who is Kentucky basketball’s most successful alum