![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/USATSI_28027879-1024x736.jpg\")
Jan 17, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) dunks the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images<\/p>\nIt\u2019s difficult to find accurate, reliable figures on NIL earnings in college basketball. But, according to most reputable outlets, the Kentucky Wildcats entered the season with one of the highest \u201cpayrolls\u201d in college basketball.<\/p>\n
They retained Otega Oweh, Brandon Garrison, and Collin Chandler from last year\u2019s Sweet-16 squad, recruited highly-touted freshmen Malachi Moreno, Jasper Johnson, and Andrija Jelavic, and they went into the transfer portal and nabbed Pitt\u2019s Jaland Lowe, Florida\u2019s Denzel Aberdeen, Alabama\u2019s Mo Dioubate, Arizona State\u2019s Jayden Quaintance, and Tulane\u2019s Kam Williams.<\/p>\n
Jan 17, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) dunks the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
You got all that? It\u2019s a lot, right? What\u2019s not surprising is that this team is now looking like a National Championship contender. What is surprising is how they got here \u2014 thanks to injuries, which created a classic \u201caddition by subtraction\u201d situation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This past offseason from Kentucky is a perfect example of BAD offseason strategy and management from a top-tier program. They looked to add any and every highly-regarded player that they possibly could. To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum\u2019s Ian Malcolm in \u201cJurassic Park,\u201d Kentucky was so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn\u2019t stop to think whether or not they should. They relentlessly added pieces from the portal with greed that would make Gordon Gecko blush.<\/p>\n
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Jan 10, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) dunks the ball during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
But basketball is a nuanced game. Just because you add a lot of pieces, doesn\u2019t mean you put together the puzzle. Kentucky was so preoccupied with adding the \u201cbest\u201d players, like a 12-year-old looking at overall ratings on NBA 2k, that they neglected how those pieces would fit together.<\/p>\n
Role players are a necessity in modern basketball. You have to have players who can play off the ball and provide floor spacing. You have to have players who are elite defenders and rebounders. There\u2019s a whole lot more to winning basketball games than just having guys who can score.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And with this strategy, Kentucky sat at 9-6 after 15 games. They sat in a perilous position where they were not looked at as an NCAA Tournament team. Anyone who watched them could tell something was just off, and Kentucky fans were quick to be critical of Head Coach Mark Pope. But after that 6th loss, the injury bug bit. Jaland Lowe is out for the season, and Jayden Quaintance is out without a timetable to return.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Jan 10, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Kam Williams (3) shoots the ball during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
I am not blaming Kentucky\u2019s woes on these two players. But after their exit from the lineup, something clicked. Kam Williams was back to being his \u201cglue guy\u201d self. Collin Chandler became a spark plug off the bench. Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson look like NBA draft picks. And Otega Oweh is back to being the high-usage player that he was last season. Since the injuries to Lowe and Quaintance, Kentucky has won three straight games.<\/p>\n
Two of the three were on the road, and Kentucky trailed by 12 points or more in all three victories. The Wildcats are playing with confidence and look the part of a team that can make some noise in the NCAA Tournament. Let this team be a cautionary tale that, when it comes to the transfer portal, greed is not good.<\/p>\n
The portal season should not be about the best \u201cgets.\u201d It\u2019s about building a roster of players who fit a cohesive system and have skillsets that mesh with each other. And the roster that Kentucky is rolling out right now is evidence of that.<\/p>\n