Kentucky’s ever-dwindling roster is now down to 11. Not good. Yet we must resist the urge to wonder why Shagari Allene’s departure took so long. Not that Alleyne is a bad kid. He’s not. Not that wasn’t occasionally a useful player. Yet his chronic academic problems were a persistent pain. He will hopefully find his footing under that 7-foot-3 frame elsewhere.
In 2000, when Kentucky lost to Syracuse in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Tubby Smith was caught with a short bench. Options were limited. The UK coach claimed he would rectify that woe. And he did. Only his choice of re-enforcements have not always panned out. There is not always strength in numbers.
Allene is the eighth player to leave the program since the end of last year. Four departures are graduating seniors. One was an early NBA draft entrant. Allene makes the third transfer. That’s over half of last year’s roster. That’s quite a turnover.
Here are the remainders, at this point:
- Centers
- Randolph Morris 6-10
- Jared Carter 7-2
- Lukas Orbzut 7-0
- Forwards
- Bobby Perry 6-6
- Sheray Thomas 6-7
- Joe Crawford 6-4
- Perry Stevenson 6-9
- Guards
- Ramel Bradley 6-1
- Derrick Jasper 6-5
- Michael Porter 6-2
- Jodie Meeks 6-4
