Bilas: Older Kentucky team not exempt from time it takes to mesh
ESPN analyst Jay Bilas used a Tuesday teleconference to offer lighthearted observations about the unusually older Kentucky team this season.
“It’s going to be different now,” he said of the UK team for 2021-22. “They’re getting AARP cards in the mail.”
Later, Bilas noted that this Kentucky team will not have a foundation of one-and-done players. “All of a sudden, they look like an old folks home,” he said.
Jokes aside, Bilas did offer a cautionary note to the assumption that older means nothing but better. In this, he echoed the cautionary words John Calipari has expressed.
“Cal did an amazing job in the transfer portal bringing in older (and) experienced players,” Bilas said. “But one thing about transfers is they may be older and experienced, but they’re not older and experienced in your system.
“So, it still takes some time for them to mesh together. But I don’t think it’ll take as much time as it would take with (UK’s typical) group of super-talented freshmen.”
Last season
Bilas was asked how Kentucky should deal with last season: Forget it? Calipari has spoken of last season’s 9-16 record, the proud program’s second losing season since 1927. Or use it as motivation?
“I don’t think you can wipe it from your memory because you’ll be reminded of it all the time,” Bilas said. “But it certainly leaves a scar, which scar tissue is not necessarily a bad thing. (It can mean) having a team play with an edge. …
“Is it going to be remembered? Damn right, it is. Is it going to be an anchor they carry around their neck? I don’t think so. I think it’ll just provide them (with a reason to) play with a little more edge.”
First for Cal
Bilas noted that Kentucky will be returning its leading scorer for the first time in Calipari’s time as coach.
Barely.
Davion Mintz is back after leading UK in scoring with an average of 11.5 points.
Brandon Boston also averaged 11.5 points.
But Mintz scored 288 points in 25 games. Boston scored 287 points.
In chronological order, the leading scorers who did not return were John Wall, Brandon Knight, Anthony Davis, Archie Goodwin, Julius Randle, Aaron Harrison, Jamal Murray, Malik Monk, Kevin Knox, PJ Washington and Immanuel Quickley.
UK on CBS
CBS announced its schedule of games for the upcoming season.
Among ranked teams, Kentucky and Michigan will have the most appearances with five games each. Ohio State is next with four.
Other ranked teams with more than one appearance scheduled are UCLA, Kansas, Purdue, Memphis, Alabama and Houston.
UK’s five games being televised by CBS are against Ohio State in Las Vegas on Dec. 18 (5:15 p.m. ET tip), at Auburn on Jan. 22 (1 or 1:30 p.m. ET), home against Alabama on Feb. 19 (1 p.m. ET), at Arkansas on Feb. 26 (2 p.m. ET) and at Florida on March 5 (2 p.m. ET).
Sleepers
When asked about teams that might surprise this season, Bilas mentioned six: St. Bonaventure, Colorado State, Richmond, Belmont, Drake and Liberty.
Bilas also touted UCLA, which returns all five starters from a Final Four team. That includes former UK guard Johnny Juzang.
The Bruins will be better than last season, Bilas said before adding, “now, whether better at the end of the year, that’s the big question.”
At the top
Bilas said he considered the Big Ten and the SEC as the best conferences.
Of the Big Ten, he said, “It’s going to be hard to go unblemished in that league.”
Upcoming games
Exhibition: Miles at Kentucky, 7 p.m. Friday (SEC Network)
Season opener: Kentucky vs. Duke in Champions Classic in New York, 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9 (ESPN)
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 3:29 PM.
