Andy Katz: UK on verge of roster cuts

ESPN – Kentucky coach John Calipari said late Thursday that he has already talked to three players who will not be returning in order to get the Wildcats down to the NCAA maximum of 13 scholarships.

UK went over the maximum with the high-profile signings of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe — coupled with the return of Patrick Patterson from the NBA draft. Calipari wasn’t ready to name the players who are affected.

But Kentucky officials had previously acknowledged that under former coach Billy Gillispie one reserve knew that he was on a one-year scholarship, another had already graduated but had a year of eligibility remaining while a third was apparently not talented enough for the SEC. There could be more attrition to come, according to Calipari. The Wildcats will need to come up with one more scholarship if Jodie Meeks withdraws from the NBA draft by June 15.

The “one-year scholarship” guy has to be Donald Williams, the already graduated senior has to be Jared Carter, and I’m not sure who the one who is not talented enough would be. However, I was already assuming that Donald Williams and Jared Carter would not be on the roster, so that means at least one player still has to go:

1. Patrick Patterson
2. Darius Miller
3. Ramon Harris
4. Perry Stevenson
5. Kevin Galloway
6. John Wall
7. DeMarcus Cousins
8. Eric Bledsoe
9. Daniel Orton
10. Jon Hood
11. Darnell Dodson

That leaves 2 spots (1 if Jodie returns) for Matt Pilgrim, DeAndre Liggins, Josh Harrellson, and AJ Stewart. One of those guys has to be the one who is not talented enough (my first guess would have been Josh Harrellson, but he is said to have surprised in workouts; it could be Stewart or Pilgrim as well), so that means there are 3 guys for those 2 spots. One more cut will need to be made, 2 if Jodie returns.