Kentucky basketball fans know one thing for certain after this season: the roster construction simply cannot look like this again.
A program with the resources, tradition, and expectations of the Wildcats should never feel this disjointed. Yet despite managing to scrape together 21 wins, the flaws were obvious from the opening tip of the season. The team lacked balance, identity, and the type of carefully built structure that elite programs depend on to contend.
There was only one consistent shooter. Just one true point guard capable of running the offense. And the rest of the roster was crowded with talented wings who all wanted the ball but often looked unsure of how to create efficient offense.
It wasn’t a talent problem.
It was a roster construction problem.
And now, thanks to the recent firing of Wes Miller at University of Cincinnati, Kentucky may have a chance to fix it.
A name suddenly available on the market could be exactly what the Wildcats have been missing: Corey Evans.
The Missing Piece Kentucky Needs
For years, the structure of college basketball staffs has evolved. Programs now operate closer to NBA franchises than traditional college teams. Recruiting coordinators, NIL strategists, analytics departments, and roster managers all play critical roles.
But one position has become especially important in the transfer portal era: a true roster architect — essentially a general manager.
That’s exactly the role Evans has grown into.
Kentucky, led by head coach Mark Pope, clearly needs someone who can step into that role and bring a more calculated approach to building the roster.
This past season exposed a key weakness: Pope is a strong tactician and motivator, but roster construction requires a different kind of discipline. It requires someone who can step back, analyze the full picture, and make sure every piece fits.
Sometimes that means saying “no.”
No to another slashing wing.
No to another athletic forward who can’t stretch the floor.
No to adding more talent that doesn’t solve the actual problem.
Instead, Kentucky needs someone who looks at a $20+ million NIL budget and says something like this:
“We don’t need another 6-foot-7 ball-dominant wing. We need an elite catch-and-shoot player who hits 40% from three and spaces the floor.”
That’s the kind of thinking Evans specializes in.
The OKC Influence
Before moving into the college basketball personnel world, Evans worked as a scout for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Inside that organization, he was exposed to the philosophy often referred to as “Presti-ball,” shaped by Thunder executive Sam Presti.
In that system, every roster decision is calculated. Every spot on the roster has a purpose. Flexibility, long-term planning, and efficiency guide the entire process.
That NBA-style thinking is exactly what Evans later brought to Cincinnati.
When he joined the Bearcats’ staff, the impact was immediate.
Even though the team struggled on the court under Miller, Evans delivered major wins on the recruiting trail. He helped secure a Top-20 recruiting class and brought in four highly rated transfers from the portal.
For a program without the brand power of Kentucky, that’s a significant achievement.
It showed that Evans could identify talent, build relationships, and convince players to buy into a vision.
Imagine what he could do with the resources of Kentucky.
A Proven Eye for Talent
Before entering college front offices, Evans built his reputation as one of the most respected evaluators in basketball during his time at Rivals.com.
There, he spent years evaluating high school prospects across the country. That experience helped him develop deep relationships with coaches, AAU programs, and recruits — relationships that still matter today.
In the modern era of recruiting, connections are everything.
Players move frequently between high school programs, the transfer portal, and professional opportunities. Having someone who understands that landscape and knows how to navigate it gives a program a massive advantage.
Evans has that network.
More importantly, he has the “eye” — the ability to identify not just talent, but fit.
And that’s where Kentucky desperately needs help.
Solving the Roster Puzzle
The Wildcats’ biggest issue this year wasn’t effort or coaching. It was how the pieces fit together.
Too many players wanted the same offensive role. Too few could space the floor. The lineup often lacked a traditional playmaker who could stabilize the offense when things broke down.
That’s not something a coach can always fix midseason.
It’s something that must be solved months earlier during roster construction.
A personnel director like Evans would ensure that every recruiting cycle answers key questions:
Do we have enough shooting?
Is there a true floor general?
Are roles clearly defined?
Does the roster complement the coach’s system?
When those answers are clear, the team becomes far more efficient — and far more dangerous.
The Call Kentucky Needs to Make
Athletic director Mitch Barnhart may be nearing the end of his tenure, but he still has the ability to make a move that could reshape the future of Kentucky basketball.
Hiring Evans wouldn’t make headlines the way a five-star recruit would.
But it might be just as important.
In today’s college basketball landscape — defined by NIL deals, constant transfers, and massive rosters turnover — the programs that win are the ones that treat roster building like a science.
Kentucky has the money.
Kentucky has the brand.
Kentucky has the fan base.
What it may need now is the architect.
Corey Evans is one of the rising stars in basketball personnel circles, combining NBA scouting experience, elite recruiting relationships, and a relentless work ethic.
If Mark Pope hopes to still be leading the Wildcats in Lexington by year four, adding someone like Evans might be the smartest move the program can make.
At the very least, Kentucky should pick up the phone.
Because sometimes the most important addition to a roster isn’t a player.
It’s the person who builds the team.
