College basketball analyst explains what will decide if Kentucky is good or great

What will decide the ceiling and floor of the Kentucky Wildcats?

Mar 1, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope yells to his players during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Mark Pope and his basketball team are rolling into practice with their exhibition game against Purdue officially one month away. The Wildcats are looking great but still have multiple weeks to keep getting better before the 2025-26 season begins.

Isaac Trotter of 247Sports wrote an article where he ranked his top 25 college basketball teams ahead of the 25-26 season, and he had the Wildcats fourth. One of the interesting quotes from Trotter on Kentucky in this article was what will decide if Kentucky is good or great.

Mar 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope in the first half during a Midwest Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Here is what Trotter believes will decide how good Kentucky is: "Point guard and center will determine if Kentucky is good or great. Lowe, a transfer from Pitt, is a tantalizing pick-and-roll maestro who can collapse defenses in a flash. There will be nights when Lowe is the best player on the floor. Can he keep the train on the tracks? Can Kentucky find a trustworthy big man who can make reads from the top of the key, similar to Amari Williams?"

Jaland Lowe is, without question, a big part of Kentucky hitting their ceiling. He comes to Lexington with all of these questions about his field goal percentage last season at Pitt, and Kentucky fans are saying it will improve in the Pope system. There is a really good chance that this is the case, but he still has to go out and prove it.

Mar 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers guard Jaland Lowe (15) drives to the basket against Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Tae Davis (7) during the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Trotter is also correct that Amari Williams was an elite point center, and the Wildcats will need their big men to run this at a high level. Brandon Garrison has experience running this system, but he is the only returning forward on this team.

Jayden Quaintance hasn't been able to do much practice-wise during his rehab, and this could be a concern when it comes to him learning how to be a point center in the Pope system.

As is the case with any basketball team, there will always be some questions heading into the season, and this Kentucky team is no different. The good news is that the worst-case scenario for Kentucky does seem like they would still be a solid top 25 team.

If the point guard and center positions for Kentucky end up being strengths, this is a top three basketball team in the nation. If both of these position groups struggle, it could be a different story. Lowe needs to have a very good season for the Wildcats.