QUICK TAKES: GLOBL Jam Game 2 - UK vs. Canada
Kentucky freshman wing Justin Edwards lined up a jumper in Thursday's win over Canada. (Chet White/UK Athletics)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
In our regular postgame feature, the Cats Illustrated staff offers its first impressions from Kentucky's 93-69 win over Canada on Thursday night in the Wildcats' second game of the GLOBL Jam event in Toronto, Canada...
JEFF DRUMMOND:
The buzzkill segment of the fan base will rush to remind you that this is only July -- we know -- and it's hard to gauge the strength of these opponents -- we know -- and that there's a long way to go until March Madness -- again, thank you, we know -- but this Kentucky team was a lot of fun to watch tonight. Loved the way they spaced the floor and shared the rock, dishing out 27 assists on 35 field goals. Antonio Reeves was fantastic again with a team-high 23 points. Reed Sheppard brought back memories of his pops with some of those run-out jams, and it was nice to see his 3 ball drop a couple of times en route to 14 points. Justin Edwards played a lot better than he did in the opener and finished with 16. Adou Thiero has the feel of a "glue guy." In both games of the GLOBL Jam so far, he has been a stat-stuffer. He goes for 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists to go along with a team-best +22 in the +/- column.
JUSTIN ROWLAND:
This team looks really good but it's early of course. There's just a lot of firepower in the backcourt and we aren't just talking about the starters. Dillingham was electric to start the game. Eight assists in ten minutes? Reed Sheppard left his fingerprints all over the game, playing the passing lines and bringing some nostalgia looking just like his dad in the open court flying in for dunks. Tre Mitchell's passing and Antonio Reeves efficiency were reminders of just how much Kentucky needed their experience coming into this season. The number of turnovers forced and the overall offensive efficiency has been impressive to see. Again, we can't read too much into anything, but you have to love the backcourt and there's a lot of skill everywhere.
TRAVIS GRAF:
Once again, it’s early and you can’t get too high or too low from this game, but there’s a lot to like about this team. Reed Sheppard being better than people expected this early is allowing DJ Wagner to not have to do it all every game, and it's and also letting Rob Dillingham grow through mistakes. Rob’s shot hasn’t been falling, but I’ve been impressed with his floor game and poise. Adou Thiero determines this team’s ceiling as I’ve said before. I love how interchangeable he is with this roster. Antonio Reeves looks like a completely different player mentally, and he should be a steady hand. Justin Edwards’ flashes are very intriguing as well. Most of all, this team plays unselfishly and seems to have good chemistry already.
DAVID SISK:
Scoring 93 points should be enough to get the fan base excited. Kentucky has been able to put up big offensive numbers against opponents who can’t match up athletically. But that doesn’t diminish what the Cats have done the past two days. It is fun to watch the team get up and down with a small ball lineup. A different set of players stepped up tonight as well. Justin Edwards had 16, Reed Sheppard had 14, and Rob Dillingham led the team with nine assists. Tre Mitchell and Adou Thiero did a lot of different things. This trip is about potential, and this young Kentucky team is showing plenty of it.
