MEDIA DAY: Calipari hints that Cats could use three-PG lineup
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
@JDrumUK
Kentucky has an abundance of backcourt talent heading into the 2019-20 college basketball season. Its veteran head coach hinted on Tuesday that you could see the Wildcats use three point guards on the floor together.
Kentucky freshman guard Tyrese Maxey was interviewed by Ellen Calipari, the wife of UK head coach John Calipari, during the Wildcats' "Media Day." (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- For those who believe guard play still dictates how far a team can advance in college basketball, Kentucky coach John Calipari offered a large helping of tasty optimism to the Wildcats' faithful on Tuesday during his annual "Media Day" address.
Kentucky's roster is dominated by high-profile backcourt prospects, and finding ways to get as many of them on the floor together is one of Calipari's top priorities.
Ashton Hagans and Immanuel Quickley returned to Lexington for their sophomore seasons, while the Cats added Tyrese Maxey and Johnny Juzang in their latest highly regarded recruiting class.
"Especially in college basketball, guard play, if you really want to have one of those teams, you better have good guards," said Calipari, who is entering his 11th year at UK. "And when you're talking point guards, we have had all different types of point guards. This year, I think we have three guys that easily could play point guard. And there may be times when all three of them play at one time."
That would not be a new concept for the Cats under Calipari. During the 2015-16 season, he used Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray, and Isaiah Briscoe on the floor together. Ulis wound up earning numerous player of the year and All-American honors, Murray was a lottery pick by the Denver Nuggets, and Briscoe posted the program's second triple-double in history.
"There's things you give up," Calipari conceded, "but there's things you gain."
The approach could help this particular UK team compensate for a lack of depth in the frontcourt. The Cats have junior center Nick Richards, sophomore forward EJ Montgomery, and grad transfer Nate Sestina in the traditional frontcourt alongside versatile newcomers like Kahlil Whitney, Keion Brooks, and Dontaie Allen on the wing.
Calipari said Tuesday that Hagans and Maxey are "going right at each other" in the early stages of practice. "I mean, it's great to see."
But he also added that Quickley, who emerged as a more consistent performer late last season, "is not even the same player" due to a "different frame of mind." He compared the metamorphosis to the one PJ Washington enjoyed before his breakout sophomore season.
"He's done great," Calipari said.
"I think it would be great," Quickley said of his coach's three-point guard proposal. "I think we would all play well together, and we would be tough to defend. We would be really good on defense, too."
Added Hagans: "I think we would play really fast that way. We would be more aggressive."
That was music to the ears of Maxey, one of the nation's top recruits who excels in transition.
"That would be a lot of fun," he said with his trademark smile. "Everybody likes to play fast, to run the floor."
Juzang is not part of the three-point guard club, but Calipari also had high praise for his talented shooting guard signee on Tuesday. Could he give UK an option of taking a small lineup to another extreme?
"Johnny's another one, can shoot the ball, learning to defend, learning to be the rebounder he can be because of his size," Calipari said of the 6-foot-6 Los Angeles native, who is the first player of Asian descent to play for the Cats. "The best thing is, when Johnny shoots it, everybody thinks it's in.
"He shoots the ball. Look, there are shooters and there are makers. We've had some makers, and we've also had some shooters here. Go 1-for-8. When he shoots it, you think the ball's going in. He's a natural scorer."
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
@JDrumUK
Kentucky has an abundance of backcourt talent heading into the 2019-20 college basketball season. Its veteran head coach hinted on Tuesday that you could see the Wildcats use three point guards on the floor together.
Kentucky freshman guard Tyrese Maxey was interviewed by Ellen Calipari, the wife of UK head coach John Calipari, during the Wildcats' "Media Day." (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- For those who believe guard play still dictates how far a team can advance in college basketball, Kentucky coach John Calipari offered a large helping of tasty optimism to the Wildcats' faithful on Tuesday during his annual "Media Day" address.
Kentucky's roster is dominated by high-profile backcourt prospects, and finding ways to get as many of them on the floor together is one of Calipari's top priorities.
Ashton Hagans and Immanuel Quickley returned to Lexington for their sophomore seasons, while the Cats added Tyrese Maxey and Johnny Juzang in their latest highly regarded recruiting class.
"Especially in college basketball, guard play, if you really want to have one of those teams, you better have good guards," said Calipari, who is entering his 11th year at UK. "And when you're talking point guards, we have had all different types of point guards. This year, I think we have three guys that easily could play point guard. And there may be times when all three of them play at one time."
That would not be a new concept for the Cats under Calipari. During the 2015-16 season, he used Tyler Ulis, Jamal Murray, and Isaiah Briscoe on the floor together. Ulis wound up earning numerous player of the year and All-American honors, Murray was a lottery pick by the Denver Nuggets, and Briscoe posted the program's second triple-double in history.
"There's things you give up," Calipari conceded, "but there's things you gain."
The approach could help this particular UK team compensate for a lack of depth in the frontcourt. The Cats have junior center Nick Richards, sophomore forward EJ Montgomery, and grad transfer Nate Sestina in the traditional frontcourt alongside versatile newcomers like Kahlil Whitney, Keion Brooks, and Dontaie Allen on the wing.
Calipari said Tuesday that Hagans and Maxey are "going right at each other" in the early stages of practice. "I mean, it's great to see."
But he also added that Quickley, who emerged as a more consistent performer late last season, "is not even the same player" due to a "different frame of mind." He compared the metamorphosis to the one PJ Washington enjoyed before his breakout sophomore season.
"He's done great," Calipari said.
"I think it would be great," Quickley said of his coach's three-point guard proposal. "I think we would all play well together, and we would be tough to defend. We would be really good on defense, too."
Added Hagans: "I think we would play really fast that way. We would be more aggressive."
That was music to the ears of Maxey, one of the nation's top recruits who excels in transition.
"That would be a lot of fun," he said with his trademark smile. "Everybody likes to play fast, to run the floor."
Juzang is not part of the three-point guard club, but Calipari also had high praise for his talented shooting guard signee on Tuesday. Could he give UK an option of taking a small lineup to another extreme?
"Johnny's another one, can shoot the ball, learning to defend, learning to be the rebounder he can be because of his size," Calipari said of the 6-foot-6 Los Angeles native, who is the first player of Asian descent to play for the Cats. "The best thing is, when Johnny shoots it, everybody thinks it's in.
"He shoots the ball. Look, there are shooters and there are makers. We've had some makers, and we've also had some shooters here. Go 1-for-8. When he shoots it, you think the ball's going in. He's a natural scorer."
