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Kentucky's Tre Mitchell slammed in two of his game-high 22 points in the Wildcats' 92-69 exhibition win over Georgetown College on Friday night at Rupp Arena. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
JUSTIN ROWLAND:
I'm sure some fans are going to come away a little concerned because of the one-point lead at halftime but I wouldn't read much into that. Kentucky's without its three big guys and you could tell that allowed Georgetown to do some things they probably wouldn't be able to when Kentucky gets those bigs back. Brooks-Harris played with a ton of confidence for Georgetown, which was not in awe of Rupp or Kentucky. Tre Mitchell, Antonio Reeves, and Rob Dillingham were the three players who impressed me the most. It was surprising to see Georgetown attempt 10 more free throws than Kentucky.
TRAVIS GRAF:
The start of the game and the margin of victory might raise eyebrows of some of the fan base, but I think there was a lot to like. It’s clear that the pieces are there, especially on the perimeter. The freshman mistakes were clear tonight, but it’ll provide quality film on Monday. Justin Edwards has to hit his ceiling for this team to make a lot of noise, and he’s still a ways away. Reed Sheppard and Adou Thiero make things happen and that will demand playing time. Rob Dillingham’s confidence is night and day from Canada and that will allow him to take some lead guard duties away from DJ Wagner as he figures this out at the point. Kentucky desperately needs some of their rim protectors to hit the floor.
JEFF DRUMMOND:
Like Justin and Travis have said, that first half was a bit concerning for everyone in the house. Georgetown College, one of the top programs at the NAIA level, came to play and earn some respect, and it felt like the Cats took a while to pick up on that. It reminded me of the scene in Rocky where Apollo Creed's trainer says, "He doesn't know it's a damn show; he thinks it's a damn fight." Ultimately, UK took command with a 19-6 run to start the second half. I liked what the guards showed, even though they can shoot the ball better than they displayed in this one. Tre Mitchell was really good in his "stretch" role, shooting 9-of-12 overall and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc to pace the Cats with 22 points. Rob Dillingham looks like the guy you can count on for some tough buckets when you really need one. Until the 7-footers get back, rebounding is a concern. Kentucky had only four second-chance points at the break and finished with the same number as Georgetown College (12).
QUICK TAKES: Kentucky vs. Georgetown College
Kentucky's Tre Mitchell slammed in two of his game-high 22 points in the Wildcats' 92-69 exhibition win over Georgetown College on Friday night at Rupp Arena. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
In our regular postgame feature, the Cats Illustrated staff offers its first impressions from Kentucky's 92-69 win over neighboring Georgetown College, one of the premier squads in the NAIA ranks, on Friday night at Rupp Arena...
JUSTIN ROWLAND:
I'm sure some fans are going to come away a little concerned because of the one-point lead at halftime but I wouldn't read much into that. Kentucky's without its three big guys and you could tell that allowed Georgetown to do some things they probably wouldn't be able to when Kentucky gets those bigs back. Brooks-Harris played with a ton of confidence for Georgetown, which was not in awe of Rupp or Kentucky. Tre Mitchell, Antonio Reeves, and Rob Dillingham were the three players who impressed me the most. It was surprising to see Georgetown attempt 10 more free throws than Kentucky.
TRAVIS GRAF:
The start of the game and the margin of victory might raise eyebrows of some of the fan base, but I think there was a lot to like. It’s clear that the pieces are there, especially on the perimeter. The freshman mistakes were clear tonight, but it’ll provide quality film on Monday. Justin Edwards has to hit his ceiling for this team to make a lot of noise, and he’s still a ways away. Reed Sheppard and Adou Thiero make things happen and that will demand playing time. Rob Dillingham’s confidence is night and day from Canada and that will allow him to take some lead guard duties away from DJ Wagner as he figures this out at the point. Kentucky desperately needs some of their rim protectors to hit the floor.
JEFF DRUMMOND:
Like Justin and Travis have said, that first half was a bit concerning for everyone in the house. Georgetown College, one of the top programs at the NAIA level, came to play and earn some respect, and it felt like the Cats took a while to pick up on that. It reminded me of the scene in Rocky where Apollo Creed's trainer says, "He doesn't know it's a damn show; he thinks it's a damn fight." Ultimately, UK took command with a 19-6 run to start the second half. I liked what the guards showed, even though they can shoot the ball better than they displayed in this one. Tre Mitchell was really good in his "stretch" role, shooting 9-of-12 overall and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc to pace the Cats with 22 points. Rob Dillingham looks like the guy you can count on for some tough buckets when you really need one. Until the 7-footers get back, rebounding is a concern. Kentucky had only four second-chance points at the break and finished with the same number as Georgetown College (12).
