With Keshad Johnson Trending to Arizona, Chris Livingston’s Status Becomes Even More Important

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Vicky Graff Photo

With San Diego State transfer Keshad Johnson trending to be ready to pick Arizona over Kentucky today when he announces where he’ll play next season, it makes speculation about what Chris Livingston will do even more important to the 2023-24 Kentucky basketball season.

According to Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com, he has met with Utah and Detroit and has a workout set up with Boston.

Livingston averaged 6.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 22.4 minutes per game last year and started 26 games for Kentucky last season.

Livingston told the Herald-Leader’s Ben Roberts at the combine that he felt he was “getting better each day” and said he learned it was about more than just scoring.

“Learning the importance of defense and defensive assignments and adjustments and just being locked in on the game plan,” Livingston told Roberts were ways he improved last season.

But here is the quote that resonated the most with me: “Being at Kentucky, I knew I was going to be held accountable a lot more. To be able to be pushed by Coach Cal, rather than just being at a program where I got to do whatever I wanted to do. I feel as though that’s really going to prepare me for the next level, and I’m glad I was able to enjoy that at Kentucky. And I’m glad I went there.”

He told Roberts while no NBA team had guaranteed it would draft him, no team had told him he should return to college, either.

Livingston also said while he’s associated with the agency Klutch, he will be making the decision about his future and not the agency as some have speculated would make the final call.

“I’m also very religious, so I also pray on the things that I do. I might be getting advice from a circle — and obviously I’m not winging anything that I do — but nobody’s pushing me to do anything I don’t want to do. That wouldn’t make any sense,” Livingston told Roberts.

It also won’t make a lot of sense for Kentucky if it goes into next season and Livingston is not on the roster and then a player like Johnson opts for Arizona over UK when there seems such an obvious need for a player who was in the national title game last year. However, his coach told us on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk last week that playing style was important to Johnson and maybe UK’s pace is just not what he wants.

Kentucky won’t know about Livingston today. But it will know about Johnson and if he doesn’t pick UK, then a lot of UK fans might just be praying that Livingston opts to return to the Wildcats.

13 Responses

  1. Sure hope Kentucky’s recruiting is going better than I think! Coach Cal has a hard job , but he always comes through! Go Big Blue Nation! 🏀

  2. I agree, unlike most dumbass fans that love to hate on coach Cal especially at this time Im literally never worried with Cal as our coach especially with this recruiting class we got coming in, do idiots actually think with Coach Cals insane great history of not just at UK but also Memphis & UMass he’s gonna not get the best players for next yrs team? Whether it’s the returning players he probably knows coming back or knowing if we wiff on Johnson I’m sure cal has 2, 3, 4 & 5 back up plan players hell get better. UK Fans please trust our coach he’s done way enough for UK to be given benefit of the doubt for 2 lifetimes. I love UK & Coach Cal & will forever & I pray to g*d the dumbass bad apple UK fans don’t ruin UK by getting rid of the perfect coach UK’s ever had… GO BIG BLUE

  3. Odds are that either Livingston or Oscar one will return, but it certainly is not a sure thing. It certainly would be a great fit if Keshad Johnson decides to come to UK. In my mind, just thinking about playing style I feel that Johnson and Livingston are the more important. Two experienced 6’7" players to go with Thiero that can guard & play all over the court would be priceless for UK next season. I expect the the 2 returning 2nd year guys to both have a big year!! Don’t get me wrong, I also hope Oscar returns. Just my personal opinion.

  4. When players come out of high school, KU and UK are the top 5 schools who they of BK Blu bloods.
    UK is just above anyone else when it comes to BK recruiting.

  5. Coach Cal is the "perfect coach UK ever had"

    Really? Joe Hall? Adolph Rupp? Rick Pitino?

    I would love for the defenders to once provide objective facts to support their love. I have provided consistently provided facts to support my view that Calipari is leading this program in the wrong direction.

  6. I have been a Kentucky basketball fan since I was born in 1955 Rup till Cal and I have loved everyone of them because I bleed Blue and always will I hope you all get this message you either stay Blue or move on to some other school hey but no one is better than Big Blue 🔵💙🔵💙

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