Cats Show Talent, Long Road ahead in Blue-White Game
John Calipari has preached patience every chance he’s had.
Coaching his youngest team to date, Coach Cal has warned fans to expect bumps on Kentucky’s road to March.
The reasons why were apparent during the Blue-White Game on Friday night. So was the fact that fans are going to have plenty of fun watching these Wildcats along the way.
“It’s definitely going to be a fun year,” Kevin Knox said. “A lot of alley-oops. A lot of dunks. A lot of jump shots. Defense to fast breaks. So, I’m really looking forward to it but right now we have a lot of work to do.”
UK looked far from a finished product in its annual intrasquad scrimmage in Rupp Arena. Turnovers and fouls came in bunches, but so did thunderous dunks and impressive drives. Potential, albeit raw, was on full display as Blue downed White in front of a crowd of 15,530 – the second largest in the history of the event – by a score of 88-67.
“They want to be coached,” Calipari said. “They want to listen. They just are young; and it’s hard to be patient. I told them, look, guys. If I’ve got to start getting meaner, I will. But we’ve got to start making this gradual climb. I can’t go in and watch a game and have guys go through the motions of playing.”
“I like the team,” Calipari later said. “I like this team. But, whew.”
Not coincidently considering the result, the stars of the evening both suited up exclusively for the Blue team. Versatile freshman forwards Knox and PJ Washington were a handful throughout. Knox had 22 points and seven rebounds and Washington had 21 points and five rebounds, the pair shooting a combined 18 of 26 from the field.
“I see myself as a positionless player,” Knox said. “Cal calls us all positionless players. That’s how I think I am. I say forward and guard. I can play pretty much any position. Cal wants to call me a guard so that’s how I’m going to play because I’m going to do whatever he tells me to and do whatever I gotta do to win. I mean, Cal, he wants me to play guard. I’m going to be able to handle the ball, shoot the ball, be able to rebound and push. I saw a glimpse of those tonight and we’re going to get more of that this season.”
UK’s two returning forwards – Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones – showed improved form from a season ago. Gabriel scored 19 points, while Killeya-Jones had 10 points and six rebounds.
“I thought Wenyen worked hard the whole time, and tried and made shots,” Calipari said. “He’s way better than he was a year ago. I think you see that.”
Quade Green split his time between the two squads and didn’t hesitate to shoot. He scored a combined 18 points, but made time for passing too. The 6-foot point guard had a game-high seven assists. His point-guard opposite, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had 14 points and five assists.
All nine active players expected to contend for spots in UK’s rotation scored in double figures, the balance of this year’s roster on display. Hamidou Diallo scored 15 points and Tai Wynyard and Nick Richards had 10 apiece. Richards stuffed the stat sheet elsewhere as well, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking eight shots in serving as an intimidating defensive presence.
“Basically I’m a rim protector right now,” Richards said. “When guys come into me, they second guess and either pass it or they don’t even try to get in the paint at all. They just pull up for a floater or a jump shot.”
It was all hands on deck for the Wildcats, as Calipari was left shorthanded by injuries to Jarred Vanderbilt and Jemarl Baker. Fatigue, progressively sloppier play and lots of cramps were the result, with UK’s healthy players forced to play nearly every minute.
“We had (Quade) and we had PJ cramping,” Calipari said. “You had Hami cramping. You had Nick, everybody. When they saw one guy grab his leg, they all grabbed their legs. But we’re practicing twice tomorrow.”
Fortunately for the Cats, this will be the last time they have to fill 10 spots on the floor. UK will return to Rupp Arena next Friday at 7 p.m. for its first exhibition against Thomas More College.
“Oh, we’re ready,” Knox said. “We’ve been beating up on each other. Two-a-days for the last three, four weeks. So, we definitely can’t wait to play against somebody else, be able to play as a team and be able to cheer each other on while we’re on the court. I think that’s something I’m really waiting on to play somebody else.”
Two students chosen as tuition winners
Continuing an annual tradition, two University of Kentucky students in attendance at the Blue-White Game won tuition paid for by Coach Cal for the spring semester. The students, introduced during the second half, are Victor Cruz, a freshman architecture major from Paris, Kentucky, and Kayla Congleton, a freshman human health science major from Alexandria, Virginia.
