It would probably be wise not to read too much into Kentucky's 85-61 victory over the Bahamas national team, but it's all anyone has to go on at this point.
Here are some things that stood out during the game, which was in doubt until a second half run gained the Cats separation, breathing room and finally a blowout.
1. More than almost any Kentucky team in recent memory, this year's version makes it extremely difficult to identify who the best players are.
Who will take the shot(s) in crunchtime? That question comes way down the line. This group makes it hard to identify the top three players, much less the best starting five. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? It's too early to tell. This team is deep. There's no question about that. It also might be John Calipari's first Kentucky team that won't have a lottery pick in the next draft. Nick Richards was the high scoring man tonight but most people went into the season talking about P.J. Washington as though he could be the breakout player that puts the team on his back. One exhibition game in and we're still obviously a very long way from having any clue as to how the minutes will shake out for this team.
2. Ashton Hagans is a flat out dog on the defensive end of the court.
Early in the game Immanuel Quickley probably looked more comfortable running the offense, which shouldn't be a surprise, but Hagans' quickness, tenacity and ability to defend the ball and disrupt the other team quickly became apparent. That defense is something Hagans should be able to duplicate game in, game out, so even while he's learning how to run a set and determine what works for him on offense, it's going to be hard to take him off the court because of what he brings in terms of perimeter defense.
3. Tyler Herro might have the most polished offensive game of anyone on the team.
Is that an overreaction? Some might say so, but probably not. Herro's ability to create his own shot is real. He can put the ball on the floor and beat a man off the dribble, or at least get enough breathing room to launch a look he's comfortable with, in part because he probably doesn't see many shots he won't like. His biggest difficulty this year might be realizing that just because he can get a look off doesn't mean it's the best shot to take. But that's a testament to his skill set as well. He's probably a better athlete than he was given credit for (no surprise there, very cliche) by some. Herro is going to score points in bunches at times this year.
4. Nick Richards' confidence has been reset and his offensive game looks more polished.
It wasn't a perfect game for Richards or anybody, but this was a major step forward even in an exhibition setting for the sophomore big man. Last year Richards pretty much only scored when he was on a straight line to the basket. In the first half of this exhibition game alone he finished an offensive rebound with a strong put back off the glass (something he did poorly last year), nailed a sweet baby hook and stepped out to swish a baseline set up shot. He led Kentucky in scoring with 19 points and looked confident for most of the game. Occasionally he got the ball and looked hesitant but that happened almost all of the second half of last year and was rare tonight. Because he's probably Kentucky's best post defender, it will be tough to take Richards off the court if this improved confidence holds, even if that level of scoring is unlikely to duplicate itself often.
5. Reid Travis had his struggles, but don't take the good for granted.
When I was watching the game and caught up in temptation to react too quickly on social media it was hard not to notice Travis struggling against length, perhaps putting the ball on the floor a couple of times in the paint when it didn't help, taking a contested jumper (he only hit 20-percent of those at Stanford last year), or struggling at times. But Travis quietly put together a solid game. He racked up a bunch of rebounds (14), he showed nice soft hands that allowed him to snatch the ball whenever it was nearby, and made it clear that he's going to scoop up a bunch of loose balls and finish with touch around the rim. There will probably be some lower scoring games this year when those little things are the difference for Kentucky.
6. Quade Green shot poorly but did little things and led Kentucky in +/-.
Kentucky was +25 with Quade Green on the floor tonight. It might not have always felt like the Wildcats were dominating with Green on the court, and his 1/11 shooting (0/6 from 3-point range) had a lot to do with that. But Green, like Travis, did a lot of little things that fans should recognize and Calipari certainly will. He dished out five assists to only one turnover, made the extra pass in transition to help convert easy baskets and made a couple of steals. For Green to get the kind of minutes he wants he's going to have to shoot better, because Herro is going to make a strong play to eat up a lot of time on the court. But Green played better than his shooting line indicates.
7. The defense was sloppy, as you'd expect in this setting with a young team, but the outcome wasn't bad.
Kentucky held the Bahamas national team to 31.8-percent shooting and 20-percent from behind the arc, and that's a defensive outcome that you take every time. In the first half and early in the second when the Bahamas team was keeping it close or even taking the lead, there were lapses that were apparent. The team was not communicating especially well on that end of the court and went through struggles defending the pick and roll and cutters at times. But over the course of the game Kentucky did guard better, its quickness and length caused problems, and the final product was better than it probably felt to most fans watching. It remains to be seen whether this team has the DNA of some of Calipari's better defensive teams but because they are so deep with a balanced roster the potential for a lot of improvement on that end of the court is definitely there.
8. Kentucky pounded the offensive glass and they'll probably do that all year.
The Cats will face some strong rebounding teams out of conference and in SEC play but should be one of the nation's best teams on the boards itself throughout the 2018-19 season. We saw glimpses of why during the 85-61 victory on Wednesday. Kentucky outrebounded a team of older players by a dozen and racked up a whopping 21 offensive boards leading to 19 second chance points. Travis alone accounted for six of those offensive rebounds.
9. We're a long way from seeing players find their roles and fitting into a comfortable place.
If history is any indicator it's probably wise to assume that Kentucky won't fully hit its stride until February or some time a couple of weeks before the SEC Tournament roughly. But with so many players and lineup possibilities this team seems to have a long road ahead of it in terms of players finding out where they fit in and what they do well. What's an efficient or an inefficient shot? Who can exploit which matchups? These were questions that Kentucky wasn't close to answering and that goes for pretty much everyone. No surprise at all.
10. E.J. Montgomery could be the big X-Factor and variable inside.
It's pretty clear by this point in Reid Travis' career what he does well and where his limitations are. In P.J. Washington's case, it's easy to project where and how improvement might come. Nick Richards has a foundation of strong post defense to build on. But what will the Cats get from Montgomery? He was a surprisingly efficient 4/6 from the field with six boards. Montgomery is a massive presence with insane length on the court and that was noticeable. It's impossible not to dream on what he might amount to if he hits his stride at some point as a freshman.
Here are some things that stood out during the game, which was in doubt until a second half run gained the Cats separation, breathing room and finally a blowout.
1. More than almost any Kentucky team in recent memory, this year's version makes it extremely difficult to identify who the best players are.
Who will take the shot(s) in crunchtime? That question comes way down the line. This group makes it hard to identify the top three players, much less the best starting five. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? It's too early to tell. This team is deep. There's no question about that. It also might be John Calipari's first Kentucky team that won't have a lottery pick in the next draft. Nick Richards was the high scoring man tonight but most people went into the season talking about P.J. Washington as though he could be the breakout player that puts the team on his back. One exhibition game in and we're still obviously a very long way from having any clue as to how the minutes will shake out for this team.
2. Ashton Hagans is a flat out dog on the defensive end of the court.
Early in the game Immanuel Quickley probably looked more comfortable running the offense, which shouldn't be a surprise, but Hagans' quickness, tenacity and ability to defend the ball and disrupt the other team quickly became apparent. That defense is something Hagans should be able to duplicate game in, game out, so even while he's learning how to run a set and determine what works for him on offense, it's going to be hard to take him off the court because of what he brings in terms of perimeter defense.
3. Tyler Herro might have the most polished offensive game of anyone on the team.
Is that an overreaction? Some might say so, but probably not. Herro's ability to create his own shot is real. He can put the ball on the floor and beat a man off the dribble, or at least get enough breathing room to launch a look he's comfortable with, in part because he probably doesn't see many shots he won't like. His biggest difficulty this year might be realizing that just because he can get a look off doesn't mean it's the best shot to take. But that's a testament to his skill set as well. He's probably a better athlete than he was given credit for (no surprise there, very cliche) by some. Herro is going to score points in bunches at times this year.
4. Nick Richards' confidence has been reset and his offensive game looks more polished.
It wasn't a perfect game for Richards or anybody, but this was a major step forward even in an exhibition setting for the sophomore big man. Last year Richards pretty much only scored when he was on a straight line to the basket. In the first half of this exhibition game alone he finished an offensive rebound with a strong put back off the glass (something he did poorly last year), nailed a sweet baby hook and stepped out to swish a baseline set up shot. He led Kentucky in scoring with 19 points and looked confident for most of the game. Occasionally he got the ball and looked hesitant but that happened almost all of the second half of last year and was rare tonight. Because he's probably Kentucky's best post defender, it will be tough to take Richards off the court if this improved confidence holds, even if that level of scoring is unlikely to duplicate itself often.
5. Reid Travis had his struggles, but don't take the good for granted.
When I was watching the game and caught up in temptation to react too quickly on social media it was hard not to notice Travis struggling against length, perhaps putting the ball on the floor a couple of times in the paint when it didn't help, taking a contested jumper (he only hit 20-percent of those at Stanford last year), or struggling at times. But Travis quietly put together a solid game. He racked up a bunch of rebounds (14), he showed nice soft hands that allowed him to snatch the ball whenever it was nearby, and made it clear that he's going to scoop up a bunch of loose balls and finish with touch around the rim. There will probably be some lower scoring games this year when those little things are the difference for Kentucky.
6. Quade Green shot poorly but did little things and led Kentucky in +/-.
Kentucky was +25 with Quade Green on the floor tonight. It might not have always felt like the Wildcats were dominating with Green on the court, and his 1/11 shooting (0/6 from 3-point range) had a lot to do with that. But Green, like Travis, did a lot of little things that fans should recognize and Calipari certainly will. He dished out five assists to only one turnover, made the extra pass in transition to help convert easy baskets and made a couple of steals. For Green to get the kind of minutes he wants he's going to have to shoot better, because Herro is going to make a strong play to eat up a lot of time on the court. But Green played better than his shooting line indicates.
7. The defense was sloppy, as you'd expect in this setting with a young team, but the outcome wasn't bad.
Kentucky held the Bahamas national team to 31.8-percent shooting and 20-percent from behind the arc, and that's a defensive outcome that you take every time. In the first half and early in the second when the Bahamas team was keeping it close or even taking the lead, there were lapses that were apparent. The team was not communicating especially well on that end of the court and went through struggles defending the pick and roll and cutters at times. But over the course of the game Kentucky did guard better, its quickness and length caused problems, and the final product was better than it probably felt to most fans watching. It remains to be seen whether this team has the DNA of some of Calipari's better defensive teams but because they are so deep with a balanced roster the potential for a lot of improvement on that end of the court is definitely there.
8. Kentucky pounded the offensive glass and they'll probably do that all year.
The Cats will face some strong rebounding teams out of conference and in SEC play but should be one of the nation's best teams on the boards itself throughout the 2018-19 season. We saw glimpses of why during the 85-61 victory on Wednesday. Kentucky outrebounded a team of older players by a dozen and racked up a whopping 21 offensive boards leading to 19 second chance points. Travis alone accounted for six of those offensive rebounds.
9. We're a long way from seeing players find their roles and fitting into a comfortable place.
If history is any indicator it's probably wise to assume that Kentucky won't fully hit its stride until February or some time a couple of weeks before the SEC Tournament roughly. But with so many players and lineup possibilities this team seems to have a long road ahead of it in terms of players finding out where they fit in and what they do well. What's an efficient or an inefficient shot? Who can exploit which matchups? These were questions that Kentucky wasn't close to answering and that goes for pretty much everyone. No surprise at all.
10. E.J. Montgomery could be the big X-Factor and variable inside.
It's pretty clear by this point in Reid Travis' career what he does well and where his limitations are. In P.J. Washington's case, it's easy to project where and how improvement might come. Nick Richards has a foundation of strong post defense to build on. But what will the Cats get from Montgomery? He was a surprisingly efficient 4/6 from the field with six boards. Montgomery is a massive presence with insane length on the court and that was noticeable. It's impossible not to dream on what he might amount to if he hits his stride at some point as a freshman.
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