Five takeaways from Friday’s Kentucky-Georgetown basketball interviews
Five takeaways from Kentucky’s men’s basketball media availability on Friday:
1. When asked about how his players are adapting to the longer distance for three-pointers (from 20 feet, nine inches to 22 feet, 1 3/4 inches), John Calipari said there have been more than a few shots taken by players who are stepping on the new line.
2. Michigan State played Gonzaga in a closed scrimmage. Calipari was asked if UK would like such a test. He seemed to suggest he liked the idea, but the sacrifice in revenue from an open exhibition made that all but impossible. Although there are regularly record payouts from the Southeastern Conference, any loss in revenue would affect the UK budget, Calipari said.
3. No starting lineup is in place for Sunday’s exhibition against Georgetown College. The lineup listed in media notes is not meaningful. That listed lineup was Ashton Hagans, Kahlil Whitney, Tyrese Maxey, Nick Richards and EJ Montgomery.
4. Calipari said it’s too early to know who might be the go-to player when Kentucky needs a basket at the end of a close game. Nor has a leader emerged to serve as an example of toughness.
5. Keion Brooks said UK players will want to show toughness in Sunday’s exhibition. He smiled as he said his slender body build does not suggest toughness. Nick Richards said baseball import Ben Jordan’s role is to be a physical opponent in practice. Jordan has been told not to worry about scoring nor rebounding, Richards said. His job is to be physical.
Sunday
Georgetown College at Kentucky
What: Preseason exhibition game
When: 5 p.m..
TV: SEC Network
