Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s win over Fairleigh Dickinson
In addition to my column, three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 83-52 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday at Rupp Arena:
1. EJ Montgomery is building his confidence
The 6-foot-10 sophomore, who missed three games with an ankle injury, is starting to show just exactly what he can do. In last week’s win over UAB, Montgomery scored a career-high 16 points, hitting seven of his 13 shots. Saturday, he topped that and then some, pouring in 25 points with nine rebounds. Over his last two games, Montgomery has made 19 of 29 shots from the floor.
“After I made my first shot, I just felt confident out there and I just went out and tried to compete,” he said Saturday.
Confidence has been something of a missing piece in Montgomery’s game. A touted recruit when he arrived on campus last season, Montgomery struggled with his confidence as he learned to play through contact and battle against defenders of similar size. His perimeter game might be the best part of his game, but given the Florida native’s size he needs to be able to battle under the boards, as well, especially on a UK team that lacks front-court depth.
That’s what makes the eight rebounds he grabbed against UAB and the nine he grabbed against FDU important. Four of his nine Saturday came on the offensive end. That’s key for a player who is key to this team’s success.
Now, to work on Montgomery’s defense. “I told him he was trading too many baskets,” said UK Coach John Calipari afterward.
2. Ashton Hagans could be living up to Cal’s promotional campaign
After the sophomore’s 12 assists against UAB, Calipari bragged on Hagans, saying that if there is a better point guard in the country the coach would like to see that point guard. Well, UK saw a pretty good point guard in the season opener in Michigan State’s Cassius Winston. And there are plenty of other excellent points guards out there in college basketball this season.
But maybe Calipari is starting to have a point. First there’s Hagans’ defense, especially his on-the-ball defense. That particular attribute might be the best in the country. But now Hagans is starting to show his ability to set up his teammates on offense without turning the ball over. He committed just two turnovers in the win over UAB. Saturday, he had 11 more assists with just two turnovers against the Knights.
He also did not take a three-point shot, which is not the strongest part of his game. Perhaps Hagans is comfortable enough now he doesn’t feel the need to prove he can shoot from beyond the arc. He was three of four from three two games back against Lamar, after all.
3. One more potential softie before the schedule stiffens
Calipari claimed Saturday this his former Memphis assistant Josh Pastner had played the type of tough games at Georgia Tech this season to prepare the Yellow Jackets for next Saturday’s game at Rupp Arena against the Cats. Apparently, Cal had not seen Georgia Tech’s Saturday score, a home-court 97-63 loss to visiting Syracuse.
That’s a Syracuse that was 4-4 before its pleasure trip to Atlanta. The Orange led Georgia Tech 48-28 at the half and extended the margin by outscoring the Jackets 49-35 in the second half. The loss dropped Pastner’s club to 4-3 with losses to Georgia, Arkansas and now Syracuse. Tech has beaten North Carolina State in overtime and Nebraska in the Orlando Invitational.
As I wrote in my column, matters get much tougher after next Saturday. There’s the Las Vegas trip that includes games against high-scoring Utah (Dec. 18) and soaring Ohio State (Dec. 21). The latter laid waste to a good Penn State team on Saturday in Columbus. That came after the Buckeyes schooled North Carolina in the Dean Dome. Chris Holtmann’s club is humming right now.
And then after that, it’s that Dec. 28 against the team up the road. That would be No. 1-ranked Louisville. The rest of December should be fun.
This story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 8:09 PM.
