The Wildcats in Kentucky “got punked,” but Big Blue Nation shouldn’t freak out.
On Tuesday night, Kentucky’s current group of one-and-done players finally had the appearance of freshmen. And it’s more significant than you might imagine because, throughout the first few months of the season, the Wildcats have appeared to be a serious contender for the national championship—unusual for a team with this level of inexperience.
At the United Center in Chicago back in mid-November, we got to see John Calipari’s rookies up against an experienced, skilled, and well-coached Kansas squad. The Wildcats didn’t play like children, even though they lost by five points.
Their incredible maturity has come at a time when freshman are competing against players six years older because of the extra COVID year that the NCAA grants. Prior to Tuesday night’s road game against South Carolina, this team had won 14 of its first 17 games, considerably exceeding the hype.
Regarding the freshmen, Reed Sheppard has shown maturity well beyond his years of experience; Rob Dillingham has disproved me and others with his effectiveness and total buy-in as a substitute player; and former No. 1 recruit DJ Wagner has proven himself capable of moving the ball and is more than happy to play the role of a piece. (Skilled big man Aaron Bradshaw is still getting used to his surroundings and playing catch-up after missing the majority of the offseason and the first seven games due to a foot ailment.)
Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves, the two veterans for Kentucky, have accepted the team’s youthful energy wholeheartedly rather than suppressing it and concentrating solely on their own NBA draft prospects. Mitchell joined the team in the latter part of the summer, after famous West Virginia coach Bob Huggins was fired. Reeves had other plans; he even attended classes at Illinois State before deciding to come back to Lexington.
With 19.2 points per game, Reeves now leads the club in scoring. He has also developed his skill set to demonstrate that he is much more than just a one-dimensional spot-up shooter. In addition to leading the club in rebounds and scoring 13.6 points per game, Mitchell has developed into a dynamic big man who can often shoot 3-pointers. He is also capable of improving his colleagues.
Naturally, this team had not been flawless; it had lost to Texas A&M in overtime and to UNCW at home. However, as of the last time I looked, Purdue had also lost on the road at Nebraska and Northwestern, No. 1 UConn had fallen at Seton Hall, and Houston had suffered two straight losses at Iowa State and TCU.
Kentucky’s early problems may have made headlines, but they never became the major story. Typically, Calipari’s teams have a difficult start before stepping it up in February. But this club defeated No. 3 North Carolina on a neutral court, outplayed a Miami team that had several starters returning from a Final Four run the previous year, and battled Hunter Dickinson and Kansas at the United Center.
Kentucky was being purchased by all. Everyone, and Tuesday night was the event.Guard Reeves, a veteran in Kentucky, stated, “We got punked,” following his team’s 79-62 defeat to South Carolina.
He’s not incorrect, Big Blue Nation, but relax. These children needed this. The fact that UNCW went into Rupp and pulled off the upset on December 2 didn’t really need to humble them, but the reality check will undoubtedly benefit the Wildcats. Following their thrashing at the hands of a large, powerful, defensive-minded South Carolina squad, Calipari will now command their full focus once more.
“They proved to be a bit too much for us,” Calipari remarked following the defeat. “Very bodily.”He went on, “It’s a great lesson for a young team and for us.” “My group will be alright.”
Sheppard won’t turn 20 until late June, Dillingham just turned 19, and Wagner is still only eighteen. Bradshaw and Big Z, his newly eligible frontcourt partner, are both twenty years old, and between them, they had only participated in thirteen NCAA basketball games.
Coach Lamont Paris’ starting lineup for South Carolina included BJ Mack (age 23), Ta’Lon Cooper (age 23), Meechie Johnson (age 21), Zachary Davis (age 19), and freshman Jacobi Wright.
Although Paris is aware that his Gamecocks squad lacks Kentucky’s level of talent, they showed toughness and ball movement on Tuesday night. Throughout the season, Calipari’s squad has received a lot of accolades for their selflessness, which is understandable, but they began to rely too much on one person rather than their teammates. Kentucky only had seven assists compared to South Carolina’s twenty on 29 baskets.
Calipari doesn’t give a damn. It’s evident in his face. This year, he has more than simply players; he has guys who can make plays off the bounce, group shooters on the outside, and enough big men to switch it up and use diverse skill sets that usually work well together.
The Wildcats possess the utmost adaptability, which Lexington hasn’t seen in a long time. And even though South Carolina stifled their offensive potential, allowing them to score just 62 points and attempt just four 3-pointers (six fewer than their season average), the offense isn’t concerning at all. They have been unstoppable this season, averaging 90 points per contest.
However, the ‘Cats must strengthen their defensive line when they play like they did on Tuesday night. Kentucky failed to switch up its defense and gave up uncontested shots from the outside and at the rim when South Carolina moved the ball.
According to Ken Pom, the UK is now rated 98th in the nation for defensive efficiency. About two months are left for Calipari to improve the defense so that it won’t be the reason for another early NCAA tournament departure.
Big Blue Nation is excited and hopeful about this dynamic group, but after three years in which Calipari has only one NCAA tournament under his belt, fans are understandably uneasy. Additionally, they don’t need to be reminded that the team is getting close to going ten years without making it to the Final Four.
Regarding Kentucky’s defense, Reeves stated, “It’s going to have to be tighter.”
If not, Calipari will once again experience the wrath of Big Blue Nation when the Wildcats lose games similar to the one they played on Tuesday night.