Chris Livingston is vital to Kentucky Basketball’s success

Joining the Wildcats as a five-star prospect, Chris Livingston could be vital to Kentucky Basketball’s success during the 2022-23 season.

A couple of major basketball stars have been born out of Akron, Ohio such as LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Curry was born there but spent a substantial amount of time, growing up in North Carolina where his father Dell Curry played and commentated professionally for the Charlotte Hornets. Steph was not a hot commodity coming out of high school but got recruited by Davidson and suddenly increased his draft stock to later be drafted in the lottery round of the 2009 NBA Draft. Curry has without a doubt become one of the most skilled shooters, if not the all-time best.

James on the other hand is broadly known suiting up for St. Vincent St. Mary high school in Akron where he became, “The Chosen One,” coined by Sports Illustrated. Unlike Curry, James skipped college and proceeded to the NBA as the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft whereas Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade were selected in the same class of draftees. Fast forward to 2022, and Chris Livingston hence enters the spotlight as a vital member of the Kentucky Wildcats this coming season.

Just like James, Livingston was born and raised out of Akron. He grew accustomed there and traveled through parts of Ohio to play ball at Buchtel High School. He later transferred to Oak Hill Academy and became a five-star recruit under John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats.

The last time Kentucky Basketball reached and won the national championship game was 10 long years ago, which featured one of Calipari’s best teams, that included Michael Kidd Gilchrist, Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague and Willie Cauley Stein. A paramount goal of Livingston is outmatching that 2012 Wildcat team and winning a championship with fellow McDonald’s All-American Cason Wallace and Antonio Reeves, as well as unanimous national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler as the fourth ranked team in the AP preseason poll.

The 2022 team will run roughshod with Livingston. Livingston plays with tremendous athleticism by being explosive on both ends of the court and running in fine transition. Livingston is eventually going to be the strongest, physical wing Calipari coaches. It may be a concern Livingston bullied opponents in high school, but will ascertain how he performs against sizable competition in Kentucky and out rebounds tougher opponents.

Livingston is certainly a vital member of this year’s Kentucky Basketball team and will be an x-factor based off his impressive shooting and relentlessness.