Grady's Hot Shooting Ignites Cats' Offense on Wednesday
Kellan Grady reached a significant career milestone on Wednesday night. But his overall performance in Kentucky’s win over Western Kentucky may be what becomes the long-term story.
Grady scored a season-high 23 points as the Cats beat the Toppers 95-60 inside Rupp Arena. It marked the 100th time in his college career that Grady has scored double figures in a game.
But what may have been more impressive was the shooting display that Grady put on against the Hilltoppers.
Grady made seven of his 10 shots from the floor, including six of nine from behind the arc, in the game. The graduate student from Boston also hit three of five from the line, had three rebounds and an assist.
Grady struggled from the floor as the Cats lost at Notre Dame earlier this month. He hit just two of seven from long range in the game on his way to eight points. Grady knew he needed to get in the gym and get things worked out.
“Repetition in practice,” Grady said. “Just getting in the gym.”
The practice seems to have worked. In the two games since Notre Dame, Grady has looked like a different player. Against North Carolina, Grady hit six of eight from the floor, including five of seven from behind the arc, on his way to 18 points. Then on Wednesday, he shot well again, making him 13 of 18 (72.2 percent) over his last two contests, including 11 of 15 (68.8 percent) from three-point range.
UK head coach John Calipari knows how hard Grady has worked on his shot.
“I took him out at North Carolina. He passed up on two shots, you’re out,” Calipari said. “How many has he passed up to step out of bounds in the corner? Now, the other thing was the reason you’re having to pass up a shot, you’re catching it like it’s a HORSE game and you’re dropping it before — now he does it. When he’s open wherever he catches it, he shoots it from there. Well now you’re going to get it off.”
Grady agrees that the North Carolina game was a turning point for him.
“I realized quickly in the first half against Carolina that if I’m open, regardless whether it’s 26 in the shot clock or six in the shot clock, I’m supposed to shoot it,” Grady said. “So that was really all I needed to hear. I guess I kind of should have known that already. But it’s great to have a coach that believes in you and wants you to shoot.”
With Grady leading the charge, the Cats hit nine of 20 (45 percent) from behind the arc in the game. It’s a number that Calipari is happy with.
“We only took 20 threes,” Calipari said. “There are games you’re going to take 20, 15, maybe 22. Any time my team has taken 30 threes we’ve lost.”
Grady has hit 29 of 61 (47.5 percent) from long range this season. That gives him more than twice the number of three pointers as any Wildcat (TyTy Washington Jr. has 14).
With Grady converting a high percentage of his three-point shots, the Cats are becoming very difficult to defend. That fact will continue
