Shawne Williams, Rodney Carney and Darius Washington are gone. And it's up to a team comprised of one senior and a whole lot of youth to re-create the glory last year's team achieved.
Returning to the Elite Eight is going to be tough losing nearly 44 points of scoring, 15 rebounds and three key leaders.
As three leave, three others are in the spotlight to step up. Joey Dorsey, junior center, Chris Douglas-Roberts, sophomore guard, and Antonio Anderson, sophomore guard, are the leaders on a team whose only seniors either did not play or spent a majority of their time on the bench.
However, what indicated leadership is how a player or players carry themselves on the floor and according to head coach John Calipari, it is too early to tell who will be the leaders on this team.
"No, no not yet," he said. "It will evolve when stuff gets real, and it becomes a little more heated."
Dorsey, Anderson and Douglas-Roberts have carried themselves as best they can in the first two exhibition games against LeMoyne-Owen and Christian Brothers University.
Dorsey scored a game-high 22 points against LeMoyne-Owen and posted seven rebounds and four blocks. He didn't play in last night's game against the Buccaneers due to an injury to his lower leg.
Chris Douglas-Roberts has tallied 29 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds in two games. Anderson has come close to those numbers recording 22 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and 11 steals in 48 minutes over the two games.
"That's what me and Chris are here for," said Anderson when asked who would take the reigns of this team and lead it on the floor. "Coach asked us to be leaders this year so we have to take our role."
Jeremy Hunt, who was suspended last year for off the court issues, returns as the lone senior who will receive major playing time.
Although he didn't play a role on the floor last year, he still stayed close to the team and learned about the players.
"It is kind of tough (to take a leadership role), but I've been around these guys for a year or two even though I didn't play," he said. "I know them. It's not like I'm a newcomer. They respect me, and I respect them.
"I'm just trying to lead by my actions on and off the court."
