Aaron Bradshaw says he wants to play the 3 some at UK; also studies Anthony Davis’ game

Mar 27, 2023 - 8:39 PM

Oscar Tshiebwe and Jacob Toppin are set to depart Lexington, while there’s potential for Ugonna Onyenso and Chris Livingston to do the same this offseason. That means the Kentucky Wildcats' frontcourt is in desperate need of someone ready to step up and take on a major role next season.

The good news is John Calipari has already landed arguably the best big man in the entire 2023 high school recruiting class. That would be one Aaron Bradshaw, who’s actually spent time as the No. 1 overall recruit in 2023 and is currently ranked as high as No. 2 at 247 Sports.

The 7-foot-1 Bradshaw has the potential to give Kentucky a much-needed shot-blocking presence that’s been lacking over the last two years with Tshiebwe getting most of the minutes at center.

Bradshaw also has the kind of offensive game that could help spread out Kentucky’s much-maligned offense more, as he’s capable of knocking down mid-range shots at a consistent rate. He’s even hit threes on occasion while at Camden High School, where he’s a teammate of fellow Kentucky signee DJ Wagner.

In fact, during interviews at the McDonald’s All-American Game festivities, Bradshaw revealed that he’s planning to play the 3 some at Kentucky.

Calipari has already said he could play multiple 7-footers next season if Onyenso comes back, but playing Bradshaw on the wing sounds flat-out crazy. It’s safe to say much of the BBN’s collective heads would explode if Calipari actually trotted out three centers onto the floor at the same time.

To be fair, Bradshaw also said he’s studying the games of true bigs like Dennis Rodman, Dikembe Mutombo, and Kentucky legend Anthony Davis. That sounds a lot more reasonable.

Let’s hope Bradshaw and Calipari find the best-possible role for him in what’s almost certainly going to be one year in Lexington.