Early look at 2023-24 Wildcats: 3 Kentucky basketball newcomers already showing promise

Kentucky's roster for the 2023-24 season didn't crystallize until late last month. Tre Mitchell, a transfer forward from West Virginia, committed June 26. His addition came during a frenzied month in which the Wildcats also landed two more commitments for their 2023 signing class and welcomed the return of senior guard Antonio Reeves.

Despite practicing together for less than two weeks before traveling to Canada for the GLOBL JAM tournament, Kentucky's squad, with eight newcomers, shrugged off its lack of on-court familiarity over the last week in Toronto, going 4-0 to capture the gold medal — and doing so decisively, winning by an average of 15.3 points per game.

Reeves was the team's leading scorer during the event at 23 points per outing, earning tournament MVP honors.

But John Calipari's group wouldn't have returned to Lexington with gold medals in tow if not for the play of the newcomers.

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While all of the new faces flashed promise at points during the event, the showing from these three stood out:

Tre Mitchell

Mitchell arrived at UK billed as a "stretch four" — a front court player with the ability to step behind the 3-point line and knock down shots with ease. He lived up to those expectations in Toronto, connecting on 8 of his 18 attempts (44.4%) from distance. Mitchell's 3-point makes, and percentage, ranked second on the team, trailing only Reeves in both categories. Continuing to do that once the season tips off is important on two fronts: Reeves is the only returnee who made more than 10 triples in 2022-23, accounting for a team-high 80; the Wildcats also have lacked a consistent 3-point threat in the front court in recent years, with the offense heavily focused on the interior during All-American forward Oscar Tshiebwe's two seasons at Kentucky.

But Mitchell didn't just stand around the perimeter at GLOBL JAM. He also grabbed 31 rebounds, the most among all Wildcats. With freshman big man Aaron Bradshaw out indefinitely after having foot surgery and rising sophomore 7-footer Ugonna Onyenso out for at least "a couple of months," per Calipari, after having surgery on what The Athletic reported Tuesday was a broken foot, Mitchell will be relied on as one of the team's best board crashers in the interim.

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Reed Sheppard

Sheppard's shooting prowess never was questioned. During his career at North Laurel High, the in-state star (and UK legacy) sank nearly 40% of his 3-point attempts. While Reed struggled from deep during the Wildcats' gold-medal run — he made just 4 of his 13 shots (30.8%) beyond the arc — he was effective elsewhere, finishing the tournament with a field goal percentage of 50 (12 for 24).

Where Sheppard impressed most, however, was setting up teammates offensively: He had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.29 to 1 (23 assists, seven turnovers). That ratio would have ranked third among all Division I players last season.

Sheppard also showcased a knack for anticipating opponents' passes — his seven steals tied for the team high during the event.

And Reed's defensive awareness also shined through in one of the signature sequences of the tournament: He blocked a 3 and started a one-man fast break, which he capped with a two-handed slam on the other end, just before the end of the second quarter of Thursday's win over Canada.

While Sheppard's assist-to-turnover ratio this coming season likely won't be as high as it was in Canada, the showing in Toronto proved he's far more than just a shooter.

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D.J. Wagner

Having scored more than 2,000 points during his high school career in New Jersey, Wagner's reputation as a scorer is well earned. He didn't have any issues putting the ball in the basket at GLOBL JAM, averaging 14 points a game on 24-of-57 shooting (42.1%). That included a 33.3% showing on 3-point attempts, the third-best mark on the team behind Reeves (18 of 32, 56.3%) and Mitchell. Yet he also showed a willingness to distribute the ball, with his 19 assists trailing only Sheppard's 23. Something Wagner needs to work on: not giving the ball away; his 10 turnovers led all Wildcats.

There's one attribute that can't be found in the box score, however: vocal, fiery leadership, which Wagner owns in spades. He plays with an edge — a trait that wasn't as clearly evident with last season's group of cool, collected veterans. That fire provides a balance to the less-boisterious, more even-keeled Justin Edwards — the fellow five-star freshman who also excelled in Canada, averaging 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and nearly two steals a game — who prefers to let his play do the talking for him.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball 2023-24 roster: 3 to watch on John Calipari's team