Jon Rothstein predicts the starting five for the Kentucky Wildcats

Who will start for the Kentucky basketball team this season.

Mar 24, 2024; Spokane, WA, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard Lamont Butler (5) reacts in the second half against the Yale Bulldogs at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

The start of the 2024-25 Kentucky basketball season is almost here, which means at practice over the next few weeks, Mark Pope will be trying to finish deciding who his starting five will be this season.

CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein was recently at a Kentucky basketball practice, and after he tweeted out that he believes the starting five for the Wildcats will be Lamont Butler, Koby Brea, Jaxson Robinson, Andrew Carr, and Amari Williams. This is the starting lineup that many figured would be out there for the Wildcats during the offseason, but hearing from someone who was recently at practice, it seems like this will be Kentucky's starting lineup.

This lineup gives Kentucky a perfect balance of offense, defense, and size. The Wildcats will have two big guys who can defend the rim and rebound in Williams and Carr. The Wildcats will have a facilitator in Butler who will find open teammates but score when he needs to. This team has the guys who will be asked to score, and they are Brea, Robinson, and Carr. All of these players have different roles, and if these players execute their role well, this team will be really good.

Kentucky has a ton of players who will come off the bench, like Kerr Kriisa, Otega Oweh, and Brandon Garrison, who will be very good when the starters need a rest.

The Kentucky Wildcats have a ton of depth on this roster, and that will help them stay fresh during the season and within each game.