Herro’s Game Undergoing a Transformation
It’s been a different kind of experience for Tyler Herro, struggling with his outside shot as he has.
His reputation as a knockdown shooters was well-earned in high school, and he had only added to it in cementing it in establishing himself as a fan favorite in his first preseason at Kentucky.
So when Herro made 3-of-13 3-pointers in the first four games of his college career, it inevitably led to some soul searching.
Based on the way he played Wednesday, the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native may just be on the way to finding himself. As No. 10/10 UK (4-1) downed Winthrop in a Rupp Arena matinee, 87-74, Herro scored 15 points, making 3-of-8 3-pointers, and added a game-high seven assists.
“That was surprising,” John Calipari said, smiling and clearly trying to prod Herro as a passer. “I told him, I said for the worst passer I’ve ever coached in my history to have seven assists, that’s an amazing accomplishment. And he says he’s not that bad a passer.”
Indeed, Herro believes in his own passing ability.
“I think I’m a good passer,” Herro said. “I like making plays for others. I thought I did that in high school really well. I think I can do that here too, but whatever Coach has me doing that’s what I’m going to be doing.”
That hits on an important aspect of Herro’s transition. In high school, Herro had the ball in his hands for much of the game, free to create his own shot off the dribble or to create for his teammates. Now, he spends much more time off the ball.
“That’s just part of the process,” Herro said. “Being able to dribble the ball up the court and make a play, come off a ball screen. Now it’s kind of like you’re away from the ball. You have to make a play on the fly right off the catch.”
With that, Herro is being challenged by his coach to speed up the process of getting his shot off.
“He did good today,” Calipari said. “But again, making him catch and shoot, all we worked on. And believe me I was all over him. If he brought that ball down or if he dipped before he shot, I was, no. Now he doesn’t make as many because he hadn’t ever practiced that way, he’s never ever worked that way.”
Now, Herro is most certainly working that way. In fact, Calipari isn’t leaving him any choice in the matter.
“He’s just been on me lately,” Herro said, “really in practice and we had individual workouts where I’m just catching right away, shooting and elevating on jump shot, trying to shoot as many game-like shots in my workouts and kind of translate it over.”
Wednesday was a good start.
