Johnson, Poythress returning give Kentucky stacked frontcourt
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky will have the biggest team in college basketball next season, if not ever. Seven-footer Dakari Johnson solidified that Wednesday with his announcement that he'll wait on the NBA and return to school for his sophomore year.
His decision, along with forward Alex Poythress' announcement earlier in the day that he'll return for his junior season, means the Wildcats will have seven players 6-8 or taller, six of whom are former top-40 recruits, five of them McDonald's All-Americans and three skilled 7-footers.
"After looking at the information provided to me by Coach (John) Calipari and the NBA committee, my family and I made the decision for me to return to UK for my sophomore year," Johnson said in a school-issued statement. "Returning to school allows me to build on my leadership skills, improve my individual basketball strength and conditioning skills, and have another opportunity to accomplish one of my individual goals: winning an NCAA national championship in college.
"In addition, it will give me the opportunity to continue my studies because the ball will stop bouncing one day."
Johnson started 18 of the Wildcats' last 20 games at center, including every game in the NCAA tournament. He averaged just 5.2 points and four rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game for the season, but his per-40 minute averages are much more impressive: 14.7 points and 11.2 rebounds.
His role grew over the course of the season, and Johnson delivered when it mattered most with 15 points and six rebounds against Louisville in the Sweet 16, then 10 points and seven rebounds against Wisconsin in the Final Four. Johnson also provided the line of the tournament after teammate Aaron Harrison's second straight game-winning three-pointer: "He got big (guts)."
Johnson's decision also means Kentucky will have at least seven total McDonald's All-Americans on the roster next year — nine if twin guards Andrew and Aaron Harrison also return. They're the only remaining Wildcats who haven't made their intentions known.
Forward Julius Randle and swingman James Young are both leaving early for the NBA, while Johnson, Poythress, forward Marcus Lee and center Willie Cauley-Stein will return. Kentucky is adding four McDonald's All-American freshmen this summer.
The frontcourt will be loaded and long with the 6-8 Poythress, 6-9 Lee, 6-10 rookie Trey Lyles and 7-footers Johnson, Cauley-Stein and freshman Karl-Anthony Towns. All of them were top-40 overall recruits coming out of high school. Former Bullitt East star Derek Willis, who is 6-9, will also be back as a sophomore.
Johnson will certainly have good practice competition to sharpen his game. ESPN draft guru Chad Ford rated him the 36th-best prospect available in this year's draft — a guy who could sneak into the late first round thanks to a dearth of big men — but sees huge potential in Johnson returning to school.
"He's not ready and he can continue to improve," Ford told The (Louisville) Courier-Journal. "Because of his size and strength, he's a person that could really move up the draft board next year with more experience and more playing time."
Johnson will have to fight for that last part. The Wildcats are officially stacked in the frontcourt.
Kyle Tucker writes for The Courier-Journal in Louisville, a Gannett affiliate.
