‘We’re still experimenting.’ UK’s point guard trio keys comeback at Vandy.
You could say guarded optimism fueled Kentucky’s 78-64 victory at Vanderbilt on Tuesday night and made John Calipari speak of more good things ahead for his team this season.
“We’ve got three point guards,” he said. “We should be making good plays. We just weren’t earlier in the year.”
Nor was UK making so many good plays early in this game. As in the first matchup against Vanderbilt two weeks earlier in Rupp Arena, Kentucky trailed at halftime. This time the deficit was 36-27.
Then, with those three point guards leading the way, Kentucky outscored Vandy 51-28 in the second half.
As Calipari saw it, freshman Tyrese Maxey showed a new-found competitiveness. Ashton Hagans showed, if not new-found then re-discovered discipline. And Immanuel Quickley again lived up to the nickname Johnny Juzang gave him at Tennessee last weekend: “Killer.”
Maxey: Greater effort
Calipari saluted Maxey, who led Kentucky with 25 points, 15 of which came in the second half.
“The best thing that happened (in the game was), for the first time this year, Tyrese Maxey played with a toughness to win,” the UK coach said, “versus just playing basketball. You have to understand, I’ve been all over this, and all over him and not settling (for less). So that was a good sign.”
Maxey’s competitiveness showed in a greater effort to rebound, Calipari said.
“Tyrese stuck his nose in there,” the UK coach said. “Which he hadn’t done in a game. (Previously) he’ll go in and act like he’s trying to get the ball. He’s not. He’s hoping somebody else will grab it.”
Calipari saluted how Maxey played through contact on drives to the basket.
“He played through bumps … for the first time in his college career,” Calipari said. “That means, you get hit and you keep going versus you get hit and you throw the one-handed fade.”
Calipari spoke excitedly in saying Maxey had six deflections inside the first 10 minutes of the second half.
“I just say, where had that guy been?” he said. “He told on himself. Do you mean you can play that way?”
Hagans: Nearly historic
Hagans came within two assists of the fourth triple-double in Kentucky basketball history. He finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. And he had only one turnover — in the game’s first minute — in 31-plus minutes on the court.
“I did not know,” Hagans said of this flirtation with history. He then added with a smile, “I would have passed it if I did.”
Calipari said he called a timeout with 2:08 left and Kentucky ahead 70-58 because he saw Hagans experiencing cramps. Rather than simply take Hagans out, he hoped a timeout would let the player recover and keep playing.
“If I have to burn another (timeout), I will,” Calipari said he told Hagans. “I’m not taking you out.”
Hagans reacted with a laugh, the UK coach said.
“He has an air about him that the other guys feed off him,” Calipari said of Hagans. “He makes them more confident.”
Calipari also spoke of Hagans demonstrating a willingness to lead UK’s transition to what Calipari likes to call a player-driven team. This demonstration came in the form of shoving Nick Richards out to contest a potential three-point shot.
“He one-hand chucked him,” Calipari said approvingly.
Quickley: Locked in
When a 12-point lead in the latter stages of the second half lead became a 62-57 test of wills, Kentucky turned to — who else? — Quickley.
UK’s Mr. Clutch delivered with a step-back three-pointer that could have evoked thoughts of James Harden. Then after Vandy missed two free throws, Quickley hit another three-pointer to put Kentucky ahead 68-57 with 3:03 left.
“I ain’t going to lie to you,” Hagans said when asked about Quickley’s shot-making at possession-by-possession time. “Every time I passed it to him, I just turn around and go down the court and just start smiling. Because I already know he’s hitting it. … He’s way locked in, and he’s trying to prove something.”
Kentucky wanted to go to Quickley as the game began in order to get off to a good start. Calipari acknowledged that confusion reigned and the ball did not go to Quickley. The UK coach linked this to UK falling behind 7-1 to start. Kentucky trailed by as much as 14 points down the stretch of the first half and didn’t take its first lead until Maxey’s fast-break layup with 11:15 remaining.
That UK’s three guards did not take charge until the second half puzzled Calipari.
“Their guards were really hurting us …,” Calipari said of the first half. “OK, how are they beating us downhill and we’re not beating them? That was my challenge to the guards at halftime.”
Of Kentucky’s position at this stage of the season, Calipari said, “We’re still experimenting.”
No doubt, the trial and error will involve UK’s three guards.
Next game
Mississippi at No. 12 Kentucky
2 p.m. Saturday (ESPN)
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 11:10 PM.
