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Article by Brad King

Much has been made in the off season about Kentucky's lack of depth in the backcourt. After losing Ramel Bradley, Joe Crawford, and Derrick Jasper; Kentucky is left with having to fill the void left by the loss of UK's 2 most prolific guards and perhaps the most reliable ball handler on the team in Jasper. However, it's not all bad for the UK guards. Assuming they will both become eligible (which as reported by AlleyOopScoop.com's David Money is probable), Kevin Galloway and DeAndre Liggins are a step in the right direction.

The Kentucky backcourt consists of three point guards and a shooting guard. . Liggins at 6'6 and Galloway at 6'7 will inevitably create a barrage of mismatches for just about any opponent the team will see next season. Both are highly athletic players and good defenders due to their quickness and size. Michael Porter returns for his 3rd season at Kentucky, and while he might be a role player, it's very possible he could receive a good amount of playing time at shooting guard filling in for Jodie Meeks.

The biggest probalem this team faces is rooted in the backcourt. Kentucky has one reliable outside shooter in Jodie Meeks, who could very well face more injuries in the future. After Meeks, Kentucky's perimeter shooting is on the shoulders of players such as Liggins and Galloway (who are not good outside shooters by any stretch of the imagination), Darius Miller, Ramon Harris, and Michael Porter. The shooting contribution of the new comers, in this light, could very well mean the difference in 20 wins or 25 wins.

In short concerning the backcourt,

the good:

Size
Athleticism
Ballhandling
Defense
Rebounding

The Bad:

Untested freshman and JUCO transfers
Lack of shooting prowess