Mikhail McLean shares what he likes most about this Kentucky basketball team

Kentucky has valuable pieces at every position on the roster heading into next season.

Mikhail McLean | Instagram

Mark Pope and the Kentucky staff have built a team capable of being a title contender. With multiple huge additions in the return of Malachi Moreno and the pick up of top transfer Milan Momcilovic, the roster is filled with players who fit Pope's system perfectly. On Monday, summer practices kicked off and we're starting to hear how things are going.

It's no secret that this team is brand new to BBN, given many of those on the roster are incoming transfers. That's why it's important to analyze everything that the coaches and players say in the offseason. Well, on Monday, Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean spoke with UK Sports Network about day one of practice and the outlook for this team and he had some encouraging things to say.

Photo via UK Athletics

First off, how did things go on day one? "Today was great, guys really got after it. We went early this morning, 7:30 (a.m.), did a little conditioning. The thing I was really encouraged with was how much energy our guys had. We had like seven guys super vocal, encouraging one another. And then we came out onto the practice court a couple hours later and guys got after it, they competed. There was a lot of teaching, but the energy and effort was tremendous."

McLean was then asked what he likes most about this team as a whole. Outside of the incredible energy that they have presented so far, the Kentucky coach is really impressed with the team's length and versatility. "I like the versatility. We have a lot of depth at every position. We have a lot of guys that can play multiple positions. We've got a lot of length as well, so just really excited for that. Excited to see the jump that a lot of our returners are gonna make and just see a couple of our new guys just come and make their footing here."

Feb 28, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) spins to the basket around Vanderbilt Commodores forward Jalen Washington (13) during the second half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky has some key returners in Malachi Moreno and Kam Williams, but they also have some very, very important additions like bringing in Zoom Diallo as a pass-first point guard, Alex Wilkins as a shot-creator at the two, and Milan Momcilovic as an extremely valuable wing that can stretch the floor as the best shooter in all of college basketball. Add in the versatility of Ousmane N'Diaye, and you've got yourself a dangerous team.

As summer practices roll on, BBN is going to love getting to know this team more by the day.

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