Now healthy, sharpshooter Jemarl Baker eager to make debut with Cats
After battling injuries out of high school, Jemarl Baker is eager to take the floor for the first time as a Wildcat.
Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK
Kentucky's summer exhibition trip to the Bahamas gave Big Blue Nation a tantalizing sneak peek at the Wildcats entering the 2018-19 season.
One talented player that still remains something of a mystery, however, is Jemarl Baker.
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Menifee, Calif., was a Top 100 recruit in John Calipari's 2017 recruiting class but was unable to play last season for UK due to what was initially diagnosed as a minor knee injury that occurred at the end of his high school career.
It turned out to be a little more serious than the original diagnosis, and Baker had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and redshirted last season while recovering. Lingering soreness kept him from playing with the Cats in the Bahamas, though, prompting fans and media alike to wonder when they would finally get to see the sharpshooter in action.
"I get asked that all the time, everywhere I go," Baker said. "I tell them I feel great right now. It's been a long time coming."
Making the transition from high school to college can be difficult on any young player, but it was particularly trying for Baker.
As a senior in high school, Baker averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in leading Roosevelt to its first-ever state championship. He made 94 shots from the 3-point arc, hitting 44 percent of his attempts from long range.
The Cats could have used his perimeter shooting last season, but all he could do was watch.
"It was difficult, but I tried to stay positive," he said. "I got a chance to see things from a different perspective, to learn how Cal coaches, what he expects from players. More than anything, I learned how hard you have to work. That was the most surprising thing for me coming out of high school. I've always been a hard worker, but I didn't realize how hard guys had to work here."
The combination of Quade Green returning for a sophomore year and the addition of four talented freshmen (Immanuel Quickley, Ashton Hagans, Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson) to the UK backcourt means it will take even more hard work to crack Calipari's rotation. Baker says he's ready for that challenge.
"I've been competing," he said. "They're great players, but I've been getting better playing against them. I've gotten a lot better, and they're getting better as well."
Asked if he's the Cats' best shooter, Baker gave a modest yet self-assured response.
"I'm confident," he said. "But I have to prove it on the court."
Baker says he's eager to show there's more to his game than just shooting.
"I feel like I'm an underrated defender," he said. "It's hard to say that since nobody's seen me on the court yet, but you'll see."
After battling injuries out of high school, Jemarl Baker is eager to take the floor for the first time as a Wildcat.
Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated.com
@JDrumUK
Kentucky's summer exhibition trip to the Bahamas gave Big Blue Nation a tantalizing sneak peek at the Wildcats entering the 2018-19 season.
One talented player that still remains something of a mystery, however, is Jemarl Baker.
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Menifee, Calif., was a Top 100 recruit in John Calipari's 2017 recruiting class but was unable to play last season for UK due to what was initially diagnosed as a minor knee injury that occurred at the end of his high school career.
It turned out to be a little more serious than the original diagnosis, and Baker had surgery to repair a torn meniscus and redshirted last season while recovering. Lingering soreness kept him from playing with the Cats in the Bahamas, though, prompting fans and media alike to wonder when they would finally get to see the sharpshooter in action.
"I get asked that all the time, everywhere I go," Baker said. "I tell them I feel great right now. It's been a long time coming."
Making the transition from high school to college can be difficult on any young player, but it was particularly trying for Baker.
As a senior in high school, Baker averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in leading Roosevelt to its first-ever state championship. He made 94 shots from the 3-point arc, hitting 44 percent of his attempts from long range.
The Cats could have used his perimeter shooting last season, but all he could do was watch.
"It was difficult, but I tried to stay positive," he said. "I got a chance to see things from a different perspective, to learn how Cal coaches, what he expects from players. More than anything, I learned how hard you have to work. That was the most surprising thing for me coming out of high school. I've always been a hard worker, but I didn't realize how hard guys had to work here."
The combination of Quade Green returning for a sophomore year and the addition of four talented freshmen (Immanuel Quickley, Ashton Hagans, Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson) to the UK backcourt means it will take even more hard work to crack Calipari's rotation. Baker says he's ready for that challenge.
"I've been competing," he said. "They're great players, but I've been getting better playing against them. I've gotten a lot better, and they're getting better as well."
Asked if he's the Cats' best shooter, Baker gave a modest yet self-assured response.
"I'm confident," he said. "But I have to prove it on the court."
Baker says he's eager to show there's more to his game than just shooting.
"I feel like I'm an underrated defender," he said. "It's hard to say that since nobody's seen me on the court yet, but you'll see."
