‘An interesting question’ awaits Kentucky freshman expected to take over at point
With John Calipari repeatedly saying he likes the ball in Terrence Clarke’s hands, a Kentucky team handicapped by too few assists and too many turnovers will start the freshman at point guard against North Carolina on Saturday.
Clarke came to UK billed as a five-star prospect and one of the best shooting guards in the high school class of 2020. On his radio show Monday night, Calipari suggested Clarke had not played point guard before this Kentucky season.
But Clarke is not a point guard novice. He played the position at times for his AAU team, Expressions.
“To show his versatility,” the coach, Todd Quarles, said. “And to increase his rankings maybe 15 to 20 percent.”
Clarke welcomes the chance to play point guard for Kentucky, Quarles said.
“I think his marketability goes up when you have that type of versatility,” the AAU coach said. “I think that’s good for his career at the next level. I think he sees that.”
Roger Harden, the only other point guard on a UK team since 1927 that began a season with a 1-4 record (1984-85), said there’s one overriding key in playing the position.
“It all depends on what the coach is looking for . . . ,” Harden said. “An interesting question for Clarke is what does Cal want? How does he want (the point guard) to run the team? Every point guard ought to be able to answer that question. If he can’t, it’s a problem.”
The coronavirus pandemic and other factors have complicated that important coach-point guard partnership, Harden said.
COVID-19 reduced preseason practice time and removed the exhibition games and so-called early-season “buy” games that allow a coach to study his players without being overly distracted by the immediate need to win. Maybe more than ever, a freshman-dependent Kentucky is learning about itself on the fly.
As he does annually but maybe with more urgency this year, Calipari has spoken about needing to figure out the best approach for a largely new UK team. That’s even more true this season with only one returning veteran, Keion Brooks, who has yet to play because of a calf injury.
“So I have a lot of empathy for the two guys who have played the point guard position to this point,” Harden said of freshman Devin Askew and transfer Davion Mintz. “Not all of it was their fault.”
When asked about the point guard role, coaches talk about intangibles.
“We expect him to do a lot of reading,” Tennessee Coach Rick Barnes said in the preseason. “We expect him to get the ball where we want to get it . . . while knowing everybody in the arena knows those five defenders are trying to stop him from doing that.”
Harden, who ranks third on UK’s career list for assists (498) and seventh in assists per game (4.08), suggested a point guard must juggle several factors that do not appear in a box score. Those include serving as an extension of the coach on the floor and getting the ball to teammates who haven’t shot much.
“Because when guys are involved offensively, I think it’s easier to be locked in more on defense,” Harden said. “You need five guys in a good mood out there playing together to really win the way we expect to win at Kentucky.”
Point guards can also control the tempo of a game and exploit favorable matchups. Although Olivier Sarr got off to a productive start against Notre Dame on Saturday, Kentucky went away from low-post offense for stretches of the first half, Harden said.
At 6-foot-7, Clarke might be the tallest point guard in Kentucky history. After the loss to Notre Dame, his teammates saluted his ability to get in the lane, draw defenders and then look to pass to an open man.
Harden saw this as the essence of what Calipari looks for in a point guard. “He likes point guards who can create offense on their own,” Harden said.
Against Notre Dame, Clarke lost focus on the defensive end after a turnover or a missed shot, Calipari said.
On his radio show, the UK coach said that his star guard at Memphis, Derrick Rose, would be incensed by a turnover and look to salve his wounded pride with a steal or a block.
After a turnover, Quarles suggested Clarke should “run that guy down like he just stole something from you.”
Against Notre Dame, Clarke also committed four turnovers: three on passes off drives and one an impossibly high lob in transition.
Calipari said Clarke left his feet without being sure of the pass rather than coming to a stop and making a controlled pass.
Quarles recalled a pass thrown backward over the shoulder that Notre Dame intercepted and cashed in with a transition layup.
“What I would call a cutesy pass,” the AAU coach said. “Put a little mustard on it. I think that’s part of the learning process.”
Saturday
Kentucky vs. No. 22 North Carolina
What: CBS Sports Classic
When: 2 p.m.
Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland
TV: CBS-27
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Kentucky 1-4, North Carolina 4-2
Series: North Carolina leads 24-16.
Last meeting: Kentucky won 80-72 on Dec. 22, 2018, at the CBS Sports Classic in Chicago.
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 3:28 PM.
