After five games, five things we know about this Kentucky basketball team
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Game day: No. 16 Kentucky 96, Saint Joseph’s 88 (OT)
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Monday night’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Saint Joseph’s in Rupp Arena.
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After five games, here are five things we’ve learned about this season’s model of Kentucky’s basketball Wildcats:
1. UK is definitely still in need of a big man
Even after issuing a chorus of compliments on the occasion of his team’s 96-88 overtime win over Saint Joseph’s on Monday night, John Calipari took hammer to head. “We’ve got to get one of these bigs back,” said the Kentucky coach. “Hopefully two.”
That the Cats are 4-1 with a trio of 7-footers sidelined and no one taller than 6-foot-9 on the floor is a testament to their talent and early-season scheduling.
The Cats could thrive against the likes of New Mexico State, Texas A&M-Commerce, Stonehill College and Saint Joseph’s. They could even go toe-to-toe with Bill Self’s top-shelf Kansas Jayhawks in the Champions Classic. They could not overcome the 27 points and 21 rebounds of Kansas’ 7-footer Hunter Dickinson, however.
They couldn’t outrebound Saint Joseph’s. Part of what kept the Hawks in the game, and helped them almost win the game, was the visitors’ 16-9 advantage in second-chance points. “We’ve got to rebound better,” Calipari said.
2. This team is not afraid to let it fly
It’s early, but this young-and-gun group of Wildcats is trying its best to bury the notion that Ol’ Man Calipari won’t allow his players take three-point shots.
Through five games, the Cats are attempting an average of 29.4 bombs per game. They are making 11.6. They took 38 against Kansas, 32 against Stonehill and 25 in the overtime thriller against St. Joseph’s.
The good news is they made 17 threes against Stonehill for 53.1 percent and a dozen more against Saint Joseph’s for 48 percent. The bad news is only 12 found the net in the loss to Kansas. That included a 3-of-15 second half, one reason behind the failure to hold a 14-point lead.
Through five games, Kentucky has taken 147 three-pointers. Last year, the number was 117. The year before that, it was 79. So you can’t say Cal isn’t letting this team shoot.
3. This team is fun to watch
“Kentucky made some amazing plays in transition,” said Saint Joseph’s coach Billy Lange on Monday night before calling UK’s fast break “a stampede.”
If Calipari is letting this team go bombs away, he’s also letting them fly, which is exactly what a team with four guards, tons of quickness and an unselfish manner should be doing.
And, amazingly, Kentucky is running-and-gunning while committing a surprisingly low number of turnovers. Ken Pomeroy’s computer ranks UK 10th nationally in turnover percentage despite being 22nd in possession length.
Calipari mantra: “We’ve got guys who can dribble, pass and shoot.”
4. Thank heavens for Tre Mitchell
The world works in mysterious ways. Bob Huggins and John Calipari are friends. Yet a pair of Huggins misfortunes have turned into Cal’s good fortunes. There was the industrial glass-cleaner that was West Virginia transfer Oscar Tshiebwe. Now there’s the look-what-we-found West Virginia transfer in Tre Mitchell.
Where would UK be without Mitchell, who arrived on campus only after Huggins lost his job at WVU? In a world of hurt, that’s where. Mitchell has not only provided much-needed size, he’s a veteran presence among the college newbies. He knows how to handle the ball and himself.
Monday night, Mitchell buried back-to-back three-pointers to spark the Cats’ overtime effort. He finished with 22 points, six rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots. And Kentucky escaped with a win.
5. A pair of shiny new pieces are still adjusting
Among Kentucky’s first-timers, the reserves have started quickly. Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham belong. Sheppard knows basketball, no surprise given his parental units. Dillingham is fearless.
Starters D.J. Wagner and Justin Edwards are still adjusting to their new level of competition. Wagner was 1-of-12 from the floor versus Kansas. Edwards scored all of one point that same night and was 0-for-9 from three-point range during a three-game stretch.
Both showed encouraging signs Monday. Wagner scored 22 points, including seven in overtime. Edwards saw a pair of his three-pointers pass through the rim. Remember, it’s a process.
And we have 26 regular season games to go.
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