Mark Pope will be relying on the players he retained making a big jump

These players improving during the offseason would be huge for Kentucky.

Jan 10, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) motions for the crowd to cheer during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats lost a ton of players to the transfer portal this offseason, but a few members of last year's Kentucky team will be back in Lexington next season. The four players who will be back are Malachi Moreno, Kam Williams, Braydon Hawthorne, and Trent Noah.

Moreno's wasn’t expected to have a massive role as a freshman, but the Jayden Quaintance situation made Moreno a starter. He really turned heads as a true freshman, and fans expect him to be great next season. Williams came to Kentucky with high expectations, and right when he hit his stride last season, a foot injury derailed the rest of his year. Fans are really excited to see what Williams can do in Lexington next year with another offseason in the Pope offense under his belt.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Kam Williams (3) reacts against the Santa Clara Broncos during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Hawthorne didn’t play last season as Coach Pope kept his redshirt, but he has the upside to turn himself into an NBA player. Hawthorne has all of the potential in the world, and if he is able to find it this offseason, he will put the college basketball world on notice. Noah didn’t have the season shooting the ball last year that fans would have hoped, but he was a big help on the boards.

Pope is adding a lot of players to this team from the portal and foreign players, but these four will have a role next season. Moreno will be the Wildcats' starting center, and Williams will more than likely also start for Kentucky next season. Coach Pope really needs these two players to improve this offseason for Kentucky to be better next year.

Mar 12, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) lays the ball in against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

I don’t expect Noah to play a ton next season, but in the minutes, he gets, the Wildcats need him to knock down some threes. If he can do this, plus his rebounding continues to be great, he can help the team next year.

Hawthorne really is the wildcard because he could turn into a superstar this season or not play much at all. The upside of Hawthorne has a lot to do with the ceiling of this Kentucky basketball team. These players really need to improve in the offseason for Kentucky to be good next season, but all four of these guys are capable of doing this.

It seems that fans get so focused on the portal and recruiting, but sometimes the biggest help to a roster is the players a team retains getting better over the offseason. This will be the hope for Moreno, Williams, Hawthorne, and Noah.