#0 Quade Green 6-0 170 So (plays 1,2) 17pts, 9ast, 4reb, 2stls, 4to, 1-5 from 3
Quade was very good in this game with the ball in his hands. His 9 assists were a game high and he has appeared to have mastered the lob plays around the rim very well. He is obviously improved and knows this offense well. He was the best point guard on the floor in this game in regard to command of the half-court sets. That's not surprising given his experience. He will likely start at the 2 for the Cats but he may need to run the point for the Cats some early in the season (against Duke, for example). He looks more than capable of doing so. If I'm being a little more critical, I would be unhappy with his 4 turnovers and his 4 missed three pointers.
#4 Nick Richards 6-11 244 So (plays 5) 16pts, 16reb, 5blks
Where is the 6-11 kid (who strongly favors Richards) who was a turnover and fouling machine and couldn't seem to find his timing on blocking shots or manage to stay in games for more than about 3-4 minutes at a time? I can't seem to find him on the roster. But seriously, I love the development of Richards' game. He seriously doesn't even look like the same player. His confidence seems to be sky high right now. 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 blocks? I'll take that every game. I know everyone seems to be raving over PJ and Reid (and rightly so), but I don't see how you can keep Richards on the bench for very long with the way he's playing. If I'm being critical, I would be a little concerned about the 5 fouls he committed in this game.
#25 PJ Washington 6-8 228 So (plays 3,4,5) 23pts, 4reb, 2ast, 2stls, 4to, 1-2 from 3
Can I see the hands of everyone who is glad PJ decided to come back to school? Yes, I see all those hands BBN. It's clear he's focused and ready to compete for a title. He's picked up where he left off and seems ready to hit even another gear. He's taking and making mid-range jumpers now and he's even stepping out to the 3pt line in spots, and he has shown he can make them. He's still finishing with authority. The improved play of Richards and the addition of Reid Travis will make PJ Washington that much more dangerous. Last spring, he was the only reliable option inside for UK, but the extra help will take the pressure off him and give him more room to operate. You can't double-team everyone down there. If I'm being critical, I'm a bit unhappy with PJ's 4 rebs and 4 to's as well.
#22 Reid Travis 6-8 238 Grad (plays 4,5) 27pts, 13reb, 1blk, 1ast, 2to, 1-1 from 3
Did you hear the Hallelujah Chorus play when Travis decided to come to UK in June? I did. I love this guy. I love his experience. I love his strength. I love his attitude. I love that the team calls him the old man and he has embraced that. He won't have to score 20 per game like he did at Stanford last season but he has that capability every night out. He's not only skilled inside and can score with his back to the basket, he's also shown some mid-range game and long range game as well. He's a space eater under the basket and has a nose for rebounds. He may not start every game this season, with PJ and Richards in the line-up, but I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes most games. He's so strong and nearly impossible to block out, he will get to the ball. He's the kind of guy who gets rebounds outside of his own space.
#14 Tyler Herro 6-5 195 Fr (plays 2,3) 34pts, 5reb, 4ast, 4stls, 3to, 4-6 from 3
I think we've all been impressed with this kid from the first Bahamas exhibition, but I keep waiting to see the chink in his armor or some flaw. I expected defense to his achilles, but that hasn't been the case. He may lack some of the quickness of some other guys, but he seems to make up for it with excellent instincts and timing. He led the team with 4 steals last night and nearly had a couple others. Have I mentioned his shooting yet? He had a game-high 34 points but only 12 of those points came from beyond the arc, where he was an efficient 4-6 on the night. Yes, 22 of his points came inside the arc. He scored in a wide variety of ways. He also showed he can pass the ball and make plays for other guys while finishing with 4 assists on the night. I don't want to put too much pressure on this kid, but I love everything I've seen thus far. I can see why Wisconsin fans were cursing like madmen when he signed with UK.
#3 Keldon Johnson 6-6 211 Fr (plays 2,3) 20pts, 4reb, 1ast, 1stl, 2to, 2-4 from 3)
Keldon Johnson is considered the guy with the most NBA potential of this entire group, and that's saying something. This guy is intense and plays like his hair is on fire. I don't think we saw as much of this in the Blue/White as we did in the Bahamas, but I attribute that to playing against his own teammates. Against other competition, we will see his intensity and leadership on full display. He seems to be the emotional leader of the team on the floor. He makes big plays and he gets excited. There is no question, he has a very high ceiling, and, as with several of these other freshmen, it's amazing he looks as good as he has this early. If he can make that 3pt shot with any amount of consistency, he will very difficult to keep off the floor. If I'm being nitpicky about the blue/white game, I would point out his only having 4 rebounds and 1 assist, which seem low for a guy who usually plays with such high intensity. I also thought his defense wasn't quite as good as you might expect. Herro outplayed him defensively and those guys are vying for time on the wing.
#5 Immanuel Quickley 6-3 185 Fr (plays 1,2) 13pts, 3ast, 3reb, 1stl, 1to, 1-4 from 3
Quickley has been better than I thought he'd be as well. He's another prototypical Calipari point guard with excellent size, length, and quickness who can also score in a variety of ways. I don't think he's quite as far ahead as some of the other freshmen, but here is where we need to take a step back and realize he's yet to play a game that truly counts for the Cats. He will get better and better as the season progresses and he has all the tools to be a great point guard. If I'm being critical, I would point out that he was only 4-16 from the floor in the blue/white game, which is very inefficient. I would also point out that he needs to become a better playmaker. He only had 3 assists in this game in 36 minutes, which is not a good rate for a guy who wants to be our starting point guard.
#23 EJ Montgomery 6-10 228 Fr (plays 4,5) 21pts, 8reb, 1ast, 1blk, 1 stl, 0-1 from 3
The word we've been hearing on Montgomery is "when the lights come on, he shines." The Blue/White game didn't dissuade anyone from that opinion. Rather, that seems to be confirmed. After the game, Calipari said that Montgomery "told on himself" and told reporters- If that's who he is, he better start showing it in practice as well. The same thing had happened for the UK combine a few weeks back- the NBA scouts were in the house and EJ showed up and showed out. Early in this blue/white game it looked as if Montgomery was going to take over the game. That play where Herro hit him with a pocket pass on his way to the rim was electric! He was very efficient in this game offensively, going 9-14 from the floor and 3-3 from the FT line. He also had a block and a steal and showed he can defend as well. 8 rebounds is not bad when you consider Richards had 16 and Travis had 13, so there weren't that many to go around. I can't find much to nitpick about Montgomery's game, other than the fact that he needs to play this way in practice also.
#2 Ashton Hagans 6-3 192 Fr (plays 1) 15pts, 6asts, 4reb, 2stl, 1blk, 1to, 1-4 from 3
Hagans is the guy I think I was least impressed with in the Bahamas. I think I forget at times that he reclassified to be here, so by rights he should be a senior in high school. I think we should all keep that in mind. I truly believe that Hagans, along with Jemarl Baker, are the 2 guys who could improve the most as this season progresses. I can already see improvement from the Bahamas to this Blue/White game. In this game, he was very good distributing the ball, finishing with 6 assists and only 1 turnover. I'll take that every day of the week. He also had 2 steals and a block, so his defensive intensity is still right there. Hagans is not going to be a high scorer this season, especially early, but he really doesn't have to be. When he's in the game, he needs to defend, he needs to distribute, and he needs to take care of the ball. If he can do these things, he will get his minutes. But we've also seen flashes of his potential as a scorer. In this game, he had 15 points, which was more than Quickley. He made a 3 as well, which is something he needs to be able to do to keep defenses honest. If I'm nitpicking, I would say Hagans probably doesn't need to be taking 14 shots in a game unless he's really feeling it.
#13 Jemarl Baker 6-4 192 So (plays 2,3) 12pts, 5reb, 1ast, 1to, 2blk, 2-6 from 3
It was good to finally see Baker play. His first half was not very memorable in this blue/white game. He looked like a guy who needed to shake off the rust of a long lay-off, which isn't surprising. In the first half, he spent his time playing mostly with the freshmen and went 1-6 from the floor and 1-4 from 3 for only 3pts, but when he switched to the veterans group for the 2nd half, he played much better, going 4-5 from the floor in only 13 minutes. The switch to the veteran group and his improvement may be coincidental, but it's likely he's just more comfortable with those guys at this point. I'm impressed with Baker's athleticism much more than I expected. His speed, quickness, and vertical leap numbers from the combine caught me by surprise. He has the potential to improve dramatically as this season progresses.
Quade was very good in this game with the ball in his hands. His 9 assists were a game high and he has appeared to have mastered the lob plays around the rim very well. He is obviously improved and knows this offense well. He was the best point guard on the floor in this game in regard to command of the half-court sets. That's not surprising given his experience. He will likely start at the 2 for the Cats but he may need to run the point for the Cats some early in the season (against Duke, for example). He looks more than capable of doing so. If I'm being a little more critical, I would be unhappy with his 4 turnovers and his 4 missed three pointers.
#4 Nick Richards 6-11 244 So (plays 5) 16pts, 16reb, 5blks
Where is the 6-11 kid (who strongly favors Richards) who was a turnover and fouling machine and couldn't seem to find his timing on blocking shots or manage to stay in games for more than about 3-4 minutes at a time? I can't seem to find him on the roster. But seriously, I love the development of Richards' game. He seriously doesn't even look like the same player. His confidence seems to be sky high right now. 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 blocks? I'll take that every game. I know everyone seems to be raving over PJ and Reid (and rightly so), but I don't see how you can keep Richards on the bench for very long with the way he's playing. If I'm being critical, I would be a little concerned about the 5 fouls he committed in this game.
#25 PJ Washington 6-8 228 So (plays 3,4,5) 23pts, 4reb, 2ast, 2stls, 4to, 1-2 from 3
Can I see the hands of everyone who is glad PJ decided to come back to school? Yes, I see all those hands BBN. It's clear he's focused and ready to compete for a title. He's picked up where he left off and seems ready to hit even another gear. He's taking and making mid-range jumpers now and he's even stepping out to the 3pt line in spots, and he has shown he can make them. He's still finishing with authority. The improved play of Richards and the addition of Reid Travis will make PJ Washington that much more dangerous. Last spring, he was the only reliable option inside for UK, but the extra help will take the pressure off him and give him more room to operate. You can't double-team everyone down there. If I'm being critical, I'm a bit unhappy with PJ's 4 rebs and 4 to's as well.
#22 Reid Travis 6-8 238 Grad (plays 4,5) 27pts, 13reb, 1blk, 1ast, 2to, 1-1 from 3
Did you hear the Hallelujah Chorus play when Travis decided to come to UK in June? I did. I love this guy. I love his experience. I love his strength. I love his attitude. I love that the team calls him the old man and he has embraced that. He won't have to score 20 per game like he did at Stanford last season but he has that capability every night out. He's not only skilled inside and can score with his back to the basket, he's also shown some mid-range game and long range game as well. He's a space eater under the basket and has a nose for rebounds. He may not start every game this season, with PJ and Richards in the line-up, but I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes most games. He's so strong and nearly impossible to block out, he will get to the ball. He's the kind of guy who gets rebounds outside of his own space.
#14 Tyler Herro 6-5 195 Fr (plays 2,3) 34pts, 5reb, 4ast, 4stls, 3to, 4-6 from 3
I think we've all been impressed with this kid from the first Bahamas exhibition, but I keep waiting to see the chink in his armor or some flaw. I expected defense to his achilles, but that hasn't been the case. He may lack some of the quickness of some other guys, but he seems to make up for it with excellent instincts and timing. He led the team with 4 steals last night and nearly had a couple others. Have I mentioned his shooting yet? He had a game-high 34 points but only 12 of those points came from beyond the arc, where he was an efficient 4-6 on the night. Yes, 22 of his points came inside the arc. He scored in a wide variety of ways. He also showed he can pass the ball and make plays for other guys while finishing with 4 assists on the night. I don't want to put too much pressure on this kid, but I love everything I've seen thus far. I can see why Wisconsin fans were cursing like madmen when he signed with UK.
#3 Keldon Johnson 6-6 211 Fr (plays 2,3) 20pts, 4reb, 1ast, 1stl, 2to, 2-4 from 3)
Keldon Johnson is considered the guy with the most NBA potential of this entire group, and that's saying something. This guy is intense and plays like his hair is on fire. I don't think we saw as much of this in the Blue/White as we did in the Bahamas, but I attribute that to playing against his own teammates. Against other competition, we will see his intensity and leadership on full display. He seems to be the emotional leader of the team on the floor. He makes big plays and he gets excited. There is no question, he has a very high ceiling, and, as with several of these other freshmen, it's amazing he looks as good as he has this early. If he can make that 3pt shot with any amount of consistency, he will very difficult to keep off the floor. If I'm being nitpicky about the blue/white game, I would point out his only having 4 rebounds and 1 assist, which seem low for a guy who usually plays with such high intensity. I also thought his defense wasn't quite as good as you might expect. Herro outplayed him defensively and those guys are vying for time on the wing.
#5 Immanuel Quickley 6-3 185 Fr (plays 1,2) 13pts, 3ast, 3reb, 1stl, 1to, 1-4 from 3
Quickley has been better than I thought he'd be as well. He's another prototypical Calipari point guard with excellent size, length, and quickness who can also score in a variety of ways. I don't think he's quite as far ahead as some of the other freshmen, but here is where we need to take a step back and realize he's yet to play a game that truly counts for the Cats. He will get better and better as the season progresses and he has all the tools to be a great point guard. If I'm being critical, I would point out that he was only 4-16 from the floor in the blue/white game, which is very inefficient. I would also point out that he needs to become a better playmaker. He only had 3 assists in this game in 36 minutes, which is not a good rate for a guy who wants to be our starting point guard.
#23 EJ Montgomery 6-10 228 Fr (plays 4,5) 21pts, 8reb, 1ast, 1blk, 1 stl, 0-1 from 3
The word we've been hearing on Montgomery is "when the lights come on, he shines." The Blue/White game didn't dissuade anyone from that opinion. Rather, that seems to be confirmed. After the game, Calipari said that Montgomery "told on himself" and told reporters- If that's who he is, he better start showing it in practice as well. The same thing had happened for the UK combine a few weeks back- the NBA scouts were in the house and EJ showed up and showed out. Early in this blue/white game it looked as if Montgomery was going to take over the game. That play where Herro hit him with a pocket pass on his way to the rim was electric! He was very efficient in this game offensively, going 9-14 from the floor and 3-3 from the FT line. He also had a block and a steal and showed he can defend as well. 8 rebounds is not bad when you consider Richards had 16 and Travis had 13, so there weren't that many to go around. I can't find much to nitpick about Montgomery's game, other than the fact that he needs to play this way in practice also.
#2 Ashton Hagans 6-3 192 Fr (plays 1) 15pts, 6asts, 4reb, 2stl, 1blk, 1to, 1-4 from 3
Hagans is the guy I think I was least impressed with in the Bahamas. I think I forget at times that he reclassified to be here, so by rights he should be a senior in high school. I think we should all keep that in mind. I truly believe that Hagans, along with Jemarl Baker, are the 2 guys who could improve the most as this season progresses. I can already see improvement from the Bahamas to this Blue/White game. In this game, he was very good distributing the ball, finishing with 6 assists and only 1 turnover. I'll take that every day of the week. He also had 2 steals and a block, so his defensive intensity is still right there. Hagans is not going to be a high scorer this season, especially early, but he really doesn't have to be. When he's in the game, he needs to defend, he needs to distribute, and he needs to take care of the ball. If he can do these things, he will get his minutes. But we've also seen flashes of his potential as a scorer. In this game, he had 15 points, which was more than Quickley. He made a 3 as well, which is something he needs to be able to do to keep defenses honest. If I'm nitpicking, I would say Hagans probably doesn't need to be taking 14 shots in a game unless he's really feeling it.
#13 Jemarl Baker 6-4 192 So (plays 2,3) 12pts, 5reb, 1ast, 1to, 2blk, 2-6 from 3
It was good to finally see Baker play. His first half was not very memorable in this blue/white game. He looked like a guy who needed to shake off the rust of a long lay-off, which isn't surprising. In the first half, he spent his time playing mostly with the freshmen and went 1-6 from the floor and 1-4 from 3 for only 3pts, but when he switched to the veterans group for the 2nd half, he played much better, going 4-5 from the floor in only 13 minutes. The switch to the veteran group and his improvement may be coincidental, but it's likely he's just more comfortable with those guys at this point. I'm impressed with Baker's athleticism much more than I expected. His speed, quickness, and vertical leap numbers from the combine caught me by surprise. He has the potential to improve dramatically as this season progresses.
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