Kentucky Wildcats build super-player versions of themselves

Kentucky is already expected to be very good, Mark Pope building one of the deepest, most talented rosters in college basketball going into year two. It cost a pretty penny — it was apparently the most expensive team in the sport, thanks to NIL — but the early returns are that the investment could lead to the program’s first Final Four since 2015, and potentially even banner No. 9. He said he understood the assignment, didn’t he?

Now, what if I told you that a path exists for this roster to get even better, and it won’t even take any additions or modifications? All we need is a little sharing to do the trick, a little bit of this and that distributed among the team. You take my shooting, I take your height, that sort of thing.

Combine the superpowers and you have a superteam.

We’re joking, obviously, but the Wildcats were asked about one skill or trait they’d take from a teammate to make a bigger or better version of themselves. It’s a silly exercise that actually reveals more about what they think about everyone else — a bad shooter needing shooting help from the best and calling upon Kam Williams, for example. The answers paint the picture of what fans should expect this season in Lexington (and help them dream of 7-0, 250-pound Malachi Moreno as a sniper from deep).

Let’s enjoy the player answers.

Jasper Johnson: “Mo Dioubate’s downhill driving.”

Otega Oweh: “I would definitely add J-Lowe’s speed to my game. We always talk about how twitchy and fast he is, so I feel like if I get that, it’ll be a plus.”

Malachi Moreno: “Wish I could add Trent Noah’s shot-making. I feel like we’re in practice and anytime he gets the ball, I just know it’s going in the rim. I don’t even have to look. If I had that in my game, I feel like I’d be the No. 1 pick.

Braydon Hawthorne: “Kam Williams’ shooting, Trent Noah’s shooting, Mo Dioubate’s strength and offensive rebounding. Give me Jaland Lowe’s speed, Denzel’s defense, Otega’s shoulder, his bump — he takes contact really well. Give me (Malachi’s) height, and that’s it for me. Oh! And Jasper’s scoring.”

Trent Noah: “If I could take one skill from a teammate, I would take Braydon Hawthorne’s build and makeup. I would love his wingspan.”

Reece Potter: “Jasper Johnson’s handles, for sure. He’s just crafty with the ball.”

Brandon Garrison: “The skill I wish I had was Trent’s three-point shot-making.”

Mo Dioubate: “A teammate’s skill I would like to add to my game is Kam’s three-point shooting ability. He’s got a good shot.”

Andrija Jelavic: “I would like to have my brother Jasper Johnson’s hesi.”

Jayden Quaintance: “If I could have one teammate’s skill, I would take Kam Williams’ shooting.”

Collin Chandler: “I wish that I had Jayden Quaintance’s chess ability.”

Walker Horn: “I would take Malachi Moreno’s height because he’s seven-foot and he’s a lot taller than me.

Jaland Lowe: “I said this already, but I wish I had Collin Chandler’s bounce.”

Kam Williams: “I would go with J-Lowe’s speed. He’s easily the fastest on the team. I wish I had that.”

Zach Tow: “I wish I had Mo’s strength and his defense.”

Denzel Aberdeen: “JQ’s athleticism.”

Who do you think brings the most lethal skills??? 👀 pic.twitter.com/gHaWGejT0h

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 2, 2025

What did we learn from this? Trent Noah and Kam Williams are very good shooters, Jaland Lowe is very fast, Mo Dioubate is very strong and Malachi Moreno is very tall.

And most importantly, Kentucky is still very good.