Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s victory over winless Albany
Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 86-61 win over the Albany Great Danes on Monday night at Rupp Arena:
1. What can we learn from another “tune-up” game?
One thing we can learn from another “tune-up” game, as John Calipari has called them, is that many fans don’t see the need to make the trip to Rupp Arena. Even with there only be streaming coverage — not television — there were plenty of empty seats at the Central Bank Suite for the matchup between the Wildcats and the winless Great Danes.
Little wonder. Kentucky entered the game ranked No. 12 by Ken Pomeroy in adjusted efficiency. Albany ranked No. 301 in that category.
As for what happened on the floor, we learned that Kentucky still needs polish on the rough spots. The Cats committed 17 turnovers on the night, including nine in the first half. They made just five of their 15 three-point attempts. And it wasn’t until midway through the second half that Kentucky started putting some daylight between itself and the visitors from the America East Conference.
Up 43-35 with 16:52 left in the second half, the Cats went on an 18-4 run to seize control with a 61-45 lead at the 8:25 mark when Kellan Grady drained a three-pointer, followed by freshman Daimion Collins jamming home a follow shot.
“I could tell Coach Calipari was getting upset with his guys,” said Albany head coach Dwayne Killings, his team now 0-5. “That means we were playing the right way.”
2. There were things to like about UK’s win
Freshman guard TyTy Washington led the way with 20 points, his second straight 20-point game. Keion Brooks added 17. Point guard Sahvir Wheeler scored 15 points and dished seven assists. (Wheeler did commit five turnovers, however.) Oscar Tshiebwe snatched 14 rebounds even though he was limited to 23 minutes by foul trouble.
Most encouraging was Grady’s play. The starting guard and grad student from Davidson didn’t score in last Friday night’s victory over Ohio. He was more into the flow Monday, hitting four of his seven shots, including three of five from three-point land.
“He’s on the scouting report,” Calipari said afterward. “They’re working hard to not let you get shots. So what do you have to do? You’ve got to work really hard to get those shots.”
One other positive: Kentucky is a little beat up right now. Davion Mintz missed the game because of illness. Jacob Toppin (shoulder) and Lance Ware (ankle) are still on the DL. Brooks wore an ice pack on his left shoulder while on the bench. And Washington showed up for his postgame interview with an ice pack on his left wrist.
“I was diving on the ball and one of my teammates fell on me,” he said, refusing to identify the culprit.
So how was any of this a positive? Individually, no. But as a team, the Cats showed they have enough depth to overcome early adversity. Collins had his moments. Fellow freshman Bryce Hopkins did some good things in the first half. And Washington ended up playing 37 minutes with no ill effects.
“We just have to be in tip-top shape right now,” he said.
3. Calipari said he has a job to do
Said the coach, “We’ve got some pieces to do this.”
Now 4-1, the coach’s task to find out which pieces fit together best. That’s the purpose behind these “tune-up” games. Build confidence. Work out the kinks. Identify weaknesses to work on in practice. The usual mid-November type matters.
For instance, when asked about Brooks’ play, Calipari replied, “He’s got to fight more.” The coach then was quick to say that three or four of Brooks’ teammates “are not where they need to be” from an effort standpoint.
When asked about Tshiebwe’s mid-range game, Calipari said of the center, “We’ve got to get him better around the goal.” In other words, Calipari doesn’t want to see his ability to hit a mid-range shot take away from his ability to score underneath, as well.
Cal also said he told Grady to watch Rip Hamilton, the former UConn and NBA star. Hamilton “sprinted” down the floor to get shot opportunities, said Calipari. He wants to see Grady do the same.
Ultimately, said Calipari, “I’ve got a job to do.”
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This story was originally published November 22, 2021 at 10:29 PM.
