Let’s have a frank talk about UK basketball and in-state players
The unhappiness in the Kentucky Wildcats basketball fan base over the lack of playing time so far for homegrown Dontaie Allen seems to be a gathering storm.
An online petition demanding more court time for the former Pendleton County star is up and running.
So, too, is a Twitter feed devoted to the same goal.
Even a past state of Kentucky hoops legend has taken to his social media feed to gripe about Allen’s usage this season.
If you gave UK basketball head coaches, not just the current one, a truth serum, they have at times been reluctant to sign players from the commonwealth because they did not want to deal with the fan backlash John Calipari now faces over the lack of playing time Kentucky’s 2019 Mr. Basketball has received.
The Allen situation has two sides.
In his last meaningful playing time, early in what became UK’s blowout loss to Georgia Tech, the former Pendleton County star committed three turnovers in a four-minute stint.
Calipari appeared to lose confidence in Allen after that showing. Over the three games since, Allen has logged exactly one minute of court time.
None of us are in UK’s practices. We don’t have the information Calipari gleans there in evaluating his players.
For that matter, given how little Allen has played in the games, we can’t know for sure how much “rust” his game has after he missed most of his senior season of high school and all of last year at UK while recuperating from both a torn ACL and a broken collarbone.
Conversely, as Kentucky’s dysfunctional offense has continued to grind away during the Cats’ 1-6 start, one understands why Wildcats backers are agitating to see Allen given more of a chance.
UK’s offense hurts the eyes to watch. The Cats have scored 64 points or fewer in all six of their losses.
Kentucky shooters have lobbed errant missile after errant missile toward the rim. As a team, UK is shooting 41.4 percent from the field, a horrid 25 percent on three-point tries and 66.2 percent on foul shots.
It is not farfetched for UK backers to think the 6-foot-6 Allen — who scored 3,255 points in high school and was averaging 42.9 ppg in his injury-aborted high school senior season — could help Kentucky get the ball in the basket if given the chance.
Instead, he’s played 20 total minutes this season.
The unrest over Allen’s playing time is not occurring in a vacuum. As UK has churned out one NBA player after another during its one-and-done era, chances for homegrown players to wear the Kentucky uniform have been few and far between.
Before Allen in the class of 2019, Kentucky had not signed an in-state player since Bullitt East’s Derek Willis and Madison Central’s Dominique Hawkins each came on board in 2013.
One should not have to apologize for thinking “the UK basketball experience” is better when you have homegrown players playing contributing roles for the Wildcats.
It remains a historical fact that UK has never won an NCAA championship without an in-state product among the Wildcats’ top six scorers.
The problem when this issue comes up is the arguments always get taken to the extremes.
Our state does not produce enough high-level talent that UK could win at the level to which it is accustomed with rosters dominated by homegrown players.
But you also do not have to have every roster slot filled by a future first-round NBA Draft choice to build a college team capable of winning at a high level.
Seems like there should be a middle way.
A UK program that, going forward, could use more veteran presence on its rosters and more consistent outside shooting on the court could likely find both with a commitment to astute, in-state talent evaluation.
This season in college basketball, ex-North Oldham star Justin Powell is shooting 51.4 percent on three-pointers while leading Auburn in scoring (13.9 ppg), rebounding (6.4) and assists (4.5) as a true freshman.
Ex-Covington Catholic standout CJ Fredrick is averaging 10.4 ppg for Iowa as a redshirt sophomore while making 55.9 percent of his three-point shots.
Though not a three-point specialist, ex-Paul Laurence Dunbar star Taveion Hollingsworth has averaged 14.8 ppg in 16 career games vs. major conference (the football Power Five plus the Big East) teams in his four seasons at Western Kentucky.
Long term, some multi-year players who can make jump shots would not be a bad thing for Kentucky to prioritize — while also continuing to recruit future NBA stars, too.
UK should be able to find the former in-state if it is willing to look and then to give such players a viable chance to develop and play.
Short term, it would sure calm some rough waters in the Kentucky fan base if:
1. Calipari could develop enough confidence in Allen to get the ex-Pendleton County star into some games;
2. Allen, when next given an opportunity to play, could show his Georgia Tech performance was not a true reflection of the current status of his game.
