While losing weight, PJ Washington renews bond with three-point game

Kentucky’s less-is-more man, PJ Washington, is also proving that more is more, too.

Washington, whose recent improved play has been attributed to a loss of weight, has been shooting — and making — more three-pointers lately. He’s made one of two in each of the last two games after shooting only one three-pointer previously (a miss against Fort Wayne).

“I’m really comfortable now because I’ve been — obviously every day — just working on my shot,” he said Thursday. “Getting reps up. And I think that builds confidence for me. Seeing shots go in is just a big confidence-builder for me.”

It might seem that a player listed at 6-foot-7 and 236 pounds would be out of his element at the three-point line. Not so, Washington said.

“Last year in high school, I shot the most three-point shots on our team,” he said with a smile. “And I shot, like, 35 (percent) from three. This year is just me getting comfortable with the coaches, and knowing they’ve got my back and they can trust me shooting threes.”

Of course, UK Coach John Calipari credited Washington’s improved play lately to a weight loss. After Washington scored a career-high 20 points against Monmouth, Calipari pointed out that the player had lost 15 pounds in the previous 17 days.

Defensively, Washington played not one, not two, but three spots in UK’s 2-3 zone against Monmouth. He played the middle of the back line because Nick Richards got in foul trouble and fellow “big” Sacha Killeya-Jones was sidelined. Later, after Quade Green had to leave the game because of getting poked in the eye, Washington shifted to one of the two guard spots at the top of the zone.

“Coach told me to get to the top. I was confused a little bit,” Washington said, “because I’d never played it.”

In losing weight, Washington said he did not change his diet. He did not stop eating some foods or begin eating other foods. He attributed the weight loss to his daily runs of about 2 miles on a treadmill before practice.

After the Monmouth game, Calipari joked (?) about Washington losing 7 or 8 more pounds in order to play even better.

“I think he’s a little bit serious,” Washington said of Calipari’s suggestion. “It’s kind of a joke. We’re still running, so it’s going to get there.”

Going postal

Richards made no secret of his reluctance to be Kentucky’s low-post strongman. NBA teams don’t use a player in such a way, he said earlier this season.

But Richards said Thursday that he’s warming to the task.

“I’m getting more comfortable with it,” he said. “My confidence is increasing because of how much work I’m putting in with coach Kenny Payne and all the coaching staff.”

Before Wednesday’s practice, which Calipari invited the media to observe, Richards worked with Payne on up-and-under moves.

“You can see how much better I’m getting in the post,” Richards said. “So I can say probably at the end of the season, you’ll see the best I can be in the post.”

Fair or foul?

With the exception of the game against Monmouth when Richards picked up two fouls in about five seconds of the first half, he’s stayed out of foul trouble lately.

When a reporter facetiously asked if the referees were adjusting to him, Richards said, “I wouldn’t say the refs are adjusting to me. I’d say I’m adjusting to the refs.”

Richards said that a greater understanding of college basketball helped him reduce his fouls.

As for the two quick fouls against Monmouth, Richards said, “Both of them weren’t fouls. But what can you do?”

Help wanted, accepted

During football signing day Wednesday, UK recruiting coordinator Vince Morrow thanked Calipari for his help.

Calipari said he and his fellow UK coaches try to support each other.

“We’re here to help each other because this is really hard,” he said.

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 5:43 PM with the headline "While losing weight, PJ Washington renews bond with three-point game."