Kentucky plans to have 'best frontcourt in the country' -- with Brandon Garrison leading the charge

When he signed with Kentucky out of the transfer portal from Oklahoma State, Brandon Garrison knew he was going to Lexington on a two-year plan. It was going to be Amari Williams‘ team as far as the frontcourt was concerned and whatever the former McDonald’s All-American could provide off the bench was a bonus. Then when the fifth-year senior went on to the NBA, it’d be Garrison’s time to shine as a junior.

The 6-10 forward was great at throwing flashes at you in his debut season as a Wildcat, but it was all about tapping into that star ceiling and turning it all into consistent production. He couldn’t just bring it every once in a while with a winning play here and a head-scratcher there — his game had some growing up to do.

With a full summer behind him and the start of fall camp well underway, how close is Garrison? Well, he’s leading maybe the most talented frontcourt in college basketball, if that tells you anything.

“I give credit to Brandon Garrison. He had an unbelievable summer — like, he worked, man,” Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean told KSR. “He’s taken pride and he’s gonna have a huge jump this year. He’s been leading that group.”

It’s not so much about Garrison’s individual jump as a talent as it is the way he’s galvanized the entire group, bringing the best out of everyone around him. He’s anchoring the frontcourt both on and off the floor as everyone else has worked to figure themselves out.

“He’s encouraging (Jayden Quaintance) when he’s on the sideline,” McLean continued. “Now that JQ is doing more stuff on the court, he’s been able to lead JQ, to lead Malachi (Moreno), to lead Reece Potter by example and with his voice. For him to take that step up as a leader (is huge).”

How has the rising Garrison tide lifted all ships specifically? Let’s start with the guy who enters his debut season at Kentucky in a similar situation as the OK State transfer a year ago — a day-one contributor, but maybe a year away from breaking through as the guy.

From one Burger Boy to another, Malachi Moreno has gone above and beyond to exceed early expectations. The coaches wrote him an on-court program last winter to get the Xs and Os down while the strength and conditioning staff put together their own program to make sure he had his body right ahead of his freshman season.

He took his preparation seriously.

“Malachi Moreno came in ready to play,” McLean told KSR. “The impact he had before he got hurt at USA (U19 Training Camp) — he was penciled in as a starter, for sure gonna be on that team. He came in ready for college basketball. I don’t want to make up a number, but he’s put on a lot of muscle mass and weight. He was in great shape already, even before we got to fall training camp. He’s always a guy that’s going to be top-three in sprints, he’s always going to finish at the top.

“He has a lot of growing up to continue to do, but we’ve been really proud of how hands-on he’s been with his development and improvement and seeking out film. He has a professional mindset already as a freshman.”

Then you have another freshman only in title — Andrija Jelavić is 21 years old with plenty of international experience overseas as a standout for Mega Superbet in the Adriatic League. He’s young in terms of time in college basketball, but old everywhere else.

There will be an adjustment period in terms of pace and style of play, but absolutely no concern about getting in game shape. Part of the reason for his delay to Lexington was the fact that his pro season ran into the late spring, so he’s all good there.

“Yelly, Jelly, AJ — I call him the Croatian Gangster. He has such a mature mind. He’s a European, he plays the game the right way,” McLean said. “We need to tone him up sometimes to be a little bit more aggressive because European basketball is all about making the one more, making the extra pass. … He’s so talented, man. He’s figuring it out, he’s another guy that came in in shape. We have not had to spend three to four weeks to get his body right, to get in shape. He came in in shape.

“He has a professional mindset, he has a skill set that’s a little bit different than (Alabama forward transfer) Mo Dioubate, but they are both going to be really impactful at that swing man four-man spot.”

Don’t forget about the generational talent the Wildcats have in their back pocket, waiting to unleash him a little later in the season once he’s back to full strength returning from a torn ACL. Jayden Quaintance is a likely lottery pick and a potential top-five selection next June, coming off a freshman season in which he earned Big 12 All-Freshman Team and Big 12 All-Defensive Team accolades as the youngest player in the sport.

The 6-10.5, 255-pound sophomore just might be the biggest prize of them all.

“Guys, JQ has been working, right? Coach (Randy) Towner and (Brandon) Wells, since the second this guy stepped foot on campus, it’s been every single day, 24/7, Monday through Sunday,” McLean told KSR. “They’re working to get him back on the court, but JQ has also been working mentally.

He’s watching a ton of film on last year’s games, he’s watching film of this year’s team. Kentucky’s team last year, Amari Williams and Brandon Garrison had some big games, some big wins and a few losses, so he’s learning our system inside out.

“He’s always been a guy that can outpower people with his body and his athleticism, but he’s learned to think the game. It’s going to be scary.”

Just how scary?

“A combination of those guys, I think it’s safe to say we have the best frontcourt in the country with those guys with Jelavic, with Mo Dioubate,” McLean continued. “I’m confident in saying we have a really good frontcourt that’s ready to perform.”

Garrison is the straw that stirs the drink with that group, but the talent and depth is everywhere.