Kentucky’s poor three-point shooting so far ‘nothing to worry about’
In assessing the loss to Evansville, Kentucky Coach John Calipari questioned the wisdom of his team taking — and missing — a couple of three-point shots late in the game.
He said the shots caught his eye because — sarcasm alert — “we’re shooting a very high percentage from the three.”
Through games on Saturday, Kentucky ranked 337th out of 351 Division I teams in average number of three-point baskets (4.0 per game) and 328th in three-point shooting accuracy (24.5%).
Not to worry, freshman Johnny Juzang said. He pointed out that it was way too early in the season for making judgments.
“We’re what? A couple games in? Three games?” he said. Juzang attributed UK’s 12-for-49 three-point shooting in the season’s first three games to a small sample size.
“Nothing to worry about,” he said. “We’re shooting it well in practice. You know, it’ll even out.”
Juzang echoed what Calipari said in meeting with the media few minutes earlier. The UK coach said he’d guess Kentucky did not shoot the three-pointer well at the beginning of last season.
“My guess is at the beginning of every year (some might say), ‘Man, I thought you said this team (is good at three-point shooting),’” he said.
After the first three games last season, Kentucky had made 14 of 44 three-point shots.
Calipari maintained that better three-point shooting lies ahead. He likened the Cats of 2019-20 to his UK teams featuring Derek Willis.
“This should be one of my best three-point shooting teams …,” Calipari said. “Because you got a lot of guys who can make threes.”
Calipari blamed players holding onto the ball too long, which gave defenses time to get into position to contest shots.
“Which means we don’t trust each other,” he said.
Blame game
Graduate transfer Nate Sestina took the blame for Kentucky’s loss to Evansville.
“I got outplayed today,” he said after the game. “I gave up a bunch of points at the end. (I) couldn’t really guard anybody. I’ve got to take a lot of the blame for that late in the game. Just not being able to sit down and guard people who are smaller than me.”
Calipari said Sestina got beat on drives.
“On a guy we said, ‘He’s not a great shooter; he’s a driver,’” the UK coach said. “Basically, when you watch it, it’s almost like we panicked.”
In his postgame news conference, Calipari also said UK did not establish a post-up offense against Evansville. Again, Sestina took the blame.
“Coach is right,” he said. “I got out-toughed. I was standing straight up. It’s a mental thing for me. I’ve got to be mentally tough late in games, especially when I’m tired.”
Nick Richards vouched for Sestina’s ability to defend an opponent on the perimeter.
“It was just one of those days for him,” Richards said of the Evansville game. “Everybody has those days.”
Since that game, Sestina has been leading by example by working diligently on defensive footwork, Richards said.
Bad timing?
It would seem like a case of bad timing for Utah Valley having to play Kentucky in the next game after UK lost to Evansville in a stunning upset.
When asked about this circumstance, Utah Valley Coach Mark Madsen laughed.
“Look, basketball is a game where anything can happen on any given night …,” he said. “The schedule is what it is for every team.
“Really, in terms of our preparation, we prepare for every game (by) focusing on, “What preparations can we make? What adjustments can we make? How do we get better?’”
‘Part of tradition’
Kentucky opened the 2017-18 season with a home game against Utah Valley. Former UK player Mark Pope was the Wolverines’ coach.
Kentucky needed a second-half rally to beat Utah Valley 73-63. UK trailed 34-25 at halftime. For the game, Utah Valley out-shot (41.1% to 39.4%) and outrebounded UK (39-38).
“That’s part of the tradition at Utah Valley we want to create,” Madsen said. “Year in and year out, we want to play some of the top teams whether it’s Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State, Michigan, Georgetown. Because ultimately, we want to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. To do that, we have to win the WAC (Western Athletic Conference) Tournament, and what better way to prepare for the WAC Tournament than to have a tremendous non-conference schedule.”
Etc.
Tom Hart and Jimmy Dykes will call the game for ESPN2.
