Best point guard in the nation? Cal says it after Hagans plays like it.
Half of Ashton Hagans’ 12 assists resulted in baskets for Nick Richards. After a 69-58 victory over UAB on Friday night, Richards paid tribute to Kentucky’s point guard.
“In my opinion, I thought he was the best player on the court tonight,” Richards said.
As John Calipari saw it, you might think Richards was damning with faint praise.
“We could say there are better point guards in the country,” the UK coach said. “But you’ve got to tell me who you’re talking about.”
Hagans, who also contributed nine points and only two turnovers in 34-plus minutes, seconded that emotion.
“I would agree with him,” he said with a wide smile. “But, you know, I’m going to go out there and compete day by day. All 40 minutes on the court, I’m going to go out there and get after it.”
Hagans, the Southeastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, made a statement against UAB. That statement: He’s a good offensive point guard, too.
The last UK player to match Hagans’ career-high tying 12 assists was De’Aaron Fox, who had 12 of his own against Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 11, 2016.
Hagans continued to demonstrate a symbiosis with Richards with six of his assists. He also found EJ Montgomery twice for scores.
“Me and EJ and Ashton, that’s that chemistry we’ve built,” Richards said. “It’s getting better and better each game.”
Hagans did not forsake his defensive duties. He led the defense that held UAB’s leading scorer, Tavin Lovan, scoreless in the first half. Hagans also had UK’s two steals. Lovan, a native of Franklin, Ky., made one of six shots and scored two points.
Hagans’ pass-first floor generalship left for another game any fan impulse to fret about Nate Sestina’s absence. Two days earlier, UK announced that Sestina, one of three “bigs” on the team, would be sidelined three to four weeks after breaking his left wrist in practice.
With Hagans getting credit for eight assists in the first half, Kentucky led 38-25 at the break.
The Hagans-and-Richards connection clicked four times in the first half. It took all of 15 seconds for Hagans to find Richards on the game’s first possession for a dunk.
UAB called timeout 58 seconds into the game. The Blazers called another timeout at the 9:56 mark. Neither impacted the game.
Kentucky made five of 11 three-point shots in the half. That was more than UK made in three previous games (one against Utah Valley, two against Eastern Kentucky and four against Evansville). It was also one shy of the six UK made against Michigan State and Mount St. Mary’s.
The first-half shooting meant UK had made 15 three-point shots in the most recent 60 minutes.
Montgomery, who started in place of the injured Sestina, contributed eight points and six rebounds in the first half. The rebounds equaled the season-high six he grabbed against Mount St. Mary’s. He finished with 16 points and eight rebounds.
UAB struggled to score throughout the half. The Blazers got next to nothing around the basket (3-for-17 to start the game).
The Hagans-to-Richards connection resumed early in the second half. UK’s first two baskets were Richards dunks set up by Hagans. The second put Kentucky ahead 42-31 with 15:21 left. That was Hagans’ 10th assist.
The 11th came 48 seconds later. This time Hagans drove into the lane, then passed around a defender to Montgomery at the basket.
With 7:57 left, Hagans found Montgomery for a layup. That basket enabled Hagans to tie his career high for assists. Incidentally, the most assists by a point guard in Calipari’s 11 seasons as UK coach are the 16 credited to John Wall in a game against Hartford on Dec. 29, 2009.
A coach being a never-satisfied coach, Calipari found a way Hagans could have improved his performance.
“The way he guards, the way he disrupts the game, the hands that he gets on balls, he just needs to be more disciplined in what he’s doing,” the UK coach said. Then Calipari added, “I mean, I need to know who is better than him.”
When asked what point guards he admires and considers role models, Hagans cited Kemba Walker of the Boston Celtics and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets.
And true to the point guard spirit, Hagans dished a compliment Calipari’s way. When asked if others think he’s the best point guard, Hagans said, “You heard it from the GOAT (greatest of all time) himself. … If coach says I’m one of the best point guards, hey, I agree with him.”
Next game
Fairleigh Dickinson at No. 9 Kentucky
4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 (SEC Network)
