https://s3.amazonaws.com/ukathletics.com/documents/2018/8/8/UK_Bahamas_080818.pdf
I hope Kentucky.Rivals does not mind me sharing the box score link from UKA since it is official.
Like many of you, I watched last night’s game. Many people are leaping to conclusions this morning that are premature at best. Here are mine.
1. Kentucky won because we outrebounded the Bahamas national team 57-45, and because we had 13 steals compared to their 2 steals. In the end, Kentucky had more left in the tank.
2. Forget about the shooting. It is obvious that UK’s coaching staff hasn’t even begun to install an offense yet. (No defensive system yet either.) In a game where Quade Green goes 1-11 and Keldon Johnson 3-15 from the floor, you can be sure there wasn’t even an attempt to work for good shots or get the ball in the hands of our feature scorers. It was back yard basketball. If UK is shooting like this in December, then you can worry. But that won’t happen. For now, it’s just an exhibition, without any system in place.
3. What we saw was equal distribution of playing time, with nine available scholarship players all getting 17-25 minutes. Although we saw no organized system, you could see everyone playing hard.
4. Here is the stat of the game. Reid Travis hauled in 14 rebounds. No other player on either team had more than 8. Travis will be a man among boys all season.
5. Besides Travis, other Kentucky players who really showed out were Nick Richards, EJ Montgomery, Tyler Herro, and Ashton Hagans. People have had so many questions about Richards that I wonder if they realize he was a freshman with only a couple years of basketball experience. The real problems with Richards have been stamina, confidence, upper body strength, and defensive footwork. Last night, Richards showed that he has made progress with strength and confidence. Questions about his stamina and defense still have to be addressed, but Richards played so well in the first half that he didn’t get to play very much in the second half. Richards is a better player than people think. Montgomery is a much more instinctive and skilled player than I realized, and plays with confidence. If one exhibition game says anything, he looks OAD. Herro will be one of the alpha players on this team. He is very long, gets into the passing lanes defensively, and will be one of the go-to scorers. Hagans didn’t take many shots, but was by far the most instinctive defensive player on the floor on either side. Hagans really impressed me with his length, quickness, and floor awareness.
I hope Kentucky.Rivals does not mind me sharing the box score link from UKA since it is official.
Like many of you, I watched last night’s game. Many people are leaping to conclusions this morning that are premature at best. Here are mine.
1. Kentucky won because we outrebounded the Bahamas national team 57-45, and because we had 13 steals compared to their 2 steals. In the end, Kentucky had more left in the tank.
2. Forget about the shooting. It is obvious that UK’s coaching staff hasn’t even begun to install an offense yet. (No defensive system yet either.) In a game where Quade Green goes 1-11 and Keldon Johnson 3-15 from the floor, you can be sure there wasn’t even an attempt to work for good shots or get the ball in the hands of our feature scorers. It was back yard basketball. If UK is shooting like this in December, then you can worry. But that won’t happen. For now, it’s just an exhibition, without any system in place.
3. What we saw was equal distribution of playing time, with nine available scholarship players all getting 17-25 minutes. Although we saw no organized system, you could see everyone playing hard.
4. Here is the stat of the game. Reid Travis hauled in 14 rebounds. No other player on either team had more than 8. Travis will be a man among boys all season.
5. Besides Travis, other Kentucky players who really showed out were Nick Richards, EJ Montgomery, Tyler Herro, and Ashton Hagans. People have had so many questions about Richards that I wonder if they realize he was a freshman with only a couple years of basketball experience. The real problems with Richards have been stamina, confidence, upper body strength, and defensive footwork. Last night, Richards showed that he has made progress with strength and confidence. Questions about his stamina and defense still have to be addressed, but Richards played so well in the first half that he didn’t get to play very much in the second half. Richards is a better player than people think. Montgomery is a much more instinctive and skilled player than I realized, and plays with confidence. If one exhibition game says anything, he looks OAD. Herro will be one of the alpha players on this team. He is very long, gets into the passing lanes defensively, and will be one of the go-to scorers. Hagans didn’t take many shots, but was by far the most instinctive defensive player on the floor on either side. Hagans really impressed me with his length, quickness, and floor awareness.