Exhibition a Proving Ground for Mitchell’s Young Cats
It’s not going to be a complicated endeavor for the Wildcats to please Matthew Mitchell when Kentucky plays its lone exhibition.
“Really, the goal that I have for the team is for it to be evident that we’re playing harder than Southern Indiana,” Mitchell said on Thursday.
Mitchell’s goal is borne out of an awareness of the makeup of his team. Knowing he will be relying on six newcomers, he isn’t expecting to see a finished product when UK takes the floor in Memorial Coliseum at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
“I think with so many young players we’re not going to be, you know, a work of art out there execution wise,” Mitchell said. “But what we do have is some depth and some athleticism and some great young people who, when they keep their focus, can really hustle and make some things happen. Even if it’s not just perfect.”
The good news is Mitchell doesn’t expect there to be any shortage of energy, not with how long the Cats have only been able to go at one another.
“There comes a point in time where they’re really chomping at the bit to go play somebody else, so this will be a great test for us,” Mitchell said. “We’re still trying to figure out exactly what we’re going to be good at, but I’ve liked our effort and I would expect that we’re going to come out with a lot of excitement Sunday evening.”
On the subject of figuring out strengths, Mitchell has said the Cats have the personnel to be the kind of deep, high-pressure team he has had in the past. Now begins the work of finding out whether that will pan out.
When it comes to the rotation, Mitchell isn’t expecting any immediate answers. He’s going to let things play out naturally.
“I want to give players a chance to do their very best and see how they can help the team,” Mitchell said. “Maybe this is a year where a lot of players help on a given night. We will just see how that unfolds. I am optimistic that we will be able to play a lot of players and each one of them at some point in time will be able to make a contribution, some more than others obviously. Everybody has worked really hard so far.”
Partly due to a lack of depth a season ago, last year’s Cats didn’t apply all that much pressure on defense. If Mitchell has his way, that will change now.
“I have fun watching a team get out there and turn a team over a couple dozen times and run up and down the floor,” Mitchell said. “I enjoy that. It is fun. That is what we are teaching right now. But when the lights come on and the games are for real, you want to give your team the best opportunity to win. We are going to go out and play some pressure man-to-man no doubt about it and see where that is. That is the beauty of the exhibition games.”
Sunday’s exhibition is particularly beautiful due to the makeup of Southern Indiana’s team. The Screaming Eagles went 24-5 a season ago and are picked to Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division thanks to the return of three starters and seven letter winners.
“Well, Sunday night will be great because Southern Indiana has the capability to spread you out and go four-out, one-in and they are good players and well coached,” Mitchell said. “They have a very experienced team coming back. It will be great to kind of see where your pressure is.”
Ideally, the Cats will prove themselves to be on track to be pressing teams like UK was in four straight seasons from 2009-10 to 2012-13. There are no guarantees, but early returns are good.
“I never take it for granted,” Mitchell said. “It is hard to be a good pressure defense team. The 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 team were really high-pressure defensive teams that turned people over a bunch of times. That did not do it because I said it, it happened because we had the kids that could do it and the talent and their desire was off the charts. I see some of those same qualities in this team, but you do not know until you go out there to do it.”
Sunday marks UK’s first chance.
