KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 02: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts to a turnover in the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on March 02, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)2020 saw one of the worst Kentucky basketball seasons of all time. Now heading into a new year, the Wildcats are getting some more bad news.
Incoming four-star point guard recruit Nolan Hickman has decommitted from the Blue Blood program, making the announcement via Instagram story on Friday afternoon.
Wildcats insider Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio shared a screenshot of the message on Twitter.
“I got nothing but All love for BBN.. Coach cal.. and the entire kentucky coaching staff. Thank you,” Hickman wrote.
Point Guard Nolan Hickman has decommitted from Kentucky pic.twitter.com/bYoELb8FML
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) April 30, 2021
Coming out of Wasatch Academy in Mount Pleasant, Utah, Hickman is ranked as the No. 4 point guard and No. 29 overall recruit in the 2021 class. His distinction as a top-tier recruit earned him a slew of offers before he ultimately decided to commit to John Calipari’s Kentucky squad prior to this last season.
With Devin Askew transferring to Texas earlier this offseason and Davion Mintz graduating, Hickman would have virtually no competition at the point guard position next season. In fact, just a few months ago, the 6-foot-2 PG didn’t seem concerned about his future playing time.
“I’m not worried about playing at all,” Hickman said in an interview with Sports Illustrated back in January. “What I’ll bring is my ability to facilitate, competitiveness and ability to win games. My goal is to definitely be the starting point guard next season.”
With playing time concerns seemingly out of the question, Hickman’s decision could’ve boiled down to the major struggles the Wildcats faced in 2020.
With their worst start in decades, the usually-dominant Kentucky program tipped off the season with a 1-6 record. Things didn’t get much better from then on, finishing the year with a 9-16 overall record and failing to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.
Leaving Coach Cal’s No. 7 ranked recruiting class, Hickman will now be on the hunt for a lucky new team.
