Kentucky Increasing Scrimmages, Connecting As Unit to Solve Early-Season Continuity Issues

Continuity has lacked for No. 15 Kentucky by way of the primary two weeks of the common season. 

Accidents struck all through the preseason, inflicting vital items to the puzzle to overlook time, together with Nationwide Participant of the 12 months Oscar Tshiebwe and preseason First Crew All-SEC level guard Sahvir Wheeler. 

Gelling as a unit is vital for any staff all through the course of a season, however that turns into more durable for a staff like Kentucky who will get behind from the leap resulting from not having all of its gamers out there from the get-go. 

Tshiebwe sat out for 4 weeks after present process an arthroscopic knee process in late October. Wheeler missed the ultimate preseason tune-up in addition to the common season opener in opposition to Howard after struggling a knee damage in an exhibition in opposition to Missouri Western State. 

Each gamers have returned, however the speedy outcomes have not lived as much as expectations. Within the Champions Basic, Michigan State out-played and out-coached the Cats en path to a double-overtime win, a sport that UK had many alternatives to win. Simply two days in the past in Spokane, the Gonzaga Bulldogs steamrolled Kentucky in a sport that felt one-sided from the get-go. 

Taking pictures guards CJ Fredrick and Antonio Reeves spoke in regards to the loss to the Zags, enhancing as a staff and shifting ahead when talking to reporters on Tuesday. 

“It was powerful to return and watch, as a result of we didn’t play our greatest model of basketball, and we had an opportunity to chop it to 2, lower it to at least one if I made that high of the important thing three,” Fredrick stated of the Gonzaga defeat. “It is stuff like that that sort of eats at you, you play so dangerous and you’ve got probabilities to get again in that sport. However there have been loads of issues as a staff, we obtained to be extra sharp on executing offensively, lock in additional on the personnel on protection and connecting on that.” 

An absence of effort was the primary level of emphasis following the 88-72 loss to the Bulldogs, as Kentucky was beat to the punch all evening on the ground, shedding the rebound battle and failing to win these key possessions that would’ve garnered some momentum within the second half. 

“Effort stage. Aggressive spirit. Enjoying as a bunch, all of us realized that in movie,” Reeves stated. “We see it, the errors we made as a staff, we’re gonna take consideration with that in observe.”

Head coach John Calipari has confused continuity and enjoying with one-another shall be key to the expansion of his staff over the season, whereas additionally pointing to the shortage of it leading to some bland performances in opposition to higher competitors. 

Whereas Tshiebwe and Wheeler have had no difficulty filling the stat sheet since returning to the court docket this season, the offense has failed to seek out that sort of groove wanted to place away groups like Michigan State or to hold in with Gonzaga.

Following the loss on Sunday, Tshiebwe even famous that the staff wasn’t operating a few of the performs that Calipari and the teaching workers have been calling for, showcasing the true lack of offensive stability and development the roster presently has in November. 

To alter that, the Wildcats have determined to up the inter-squad scrimmaging in observe, getting the texture for one another as teammates whereas experiencing extra potential “in-game” eventualities, one thing the squad did extra upon first getting collectively within the early preseason. 

“Earlier than the season began, we have been going at one another actually arduous. Guys made the joke after the primary sport ‘wow, the sport’s simply tremendous straightforward in comparison with our practices,’” Fredrick stated. “As a collective group, we needed to get again to — particularly with not all of us enjoying collectively as a complete staff — simply getting again to five-on-five and making the video games a little bit simpler for us, getting again to these practices the place we have been capable of a minimum of get on the market and make some errors, find out about one another a little bit extra.”

Regardless of having failed the primary two main assessments of the 12 months, there are lots left on the desk. Kentucky will journey to London to tackle the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 4, the third of six non-conference Energy 5 video games the Cats will play this season. 

Earlier than then, UK will tackle North Florida tomorrow evening inside Rupp Enviornment, adopted by the in-state Bellarmine Knights on Nov. 29. Enjoying simply two video games in an 11-day span earlier than heading throughout the pond will do wonders for fixing these early-season continuity errors, because the group can have greater than sufficient time to proceed rising in observe. 

“That is gonna be a superb time to only lock in with one another, play with completely different teams, be taught one another a little bit bit extra and simply actually lock in and join as a staff,” Reeves stated. “Simply to construct our confidence and chemistry out on the ground, as a result of we simply have to play extra collectively, that is what I really feel like personally and a few of the teammates really feel.” 

Tip-off between Kentucky and North Florida is ready for 4 p.m. EST and can air on the SEC Community +. 

Watch Fredrick and Reeves’ media scrums right here. 

Sport Recap of the loss to the Zags could be discovered right here.

Takeaways from the Gonzaga loss could be discovered right here.

Watch: Calipari speaks post-game after the defeat.

Sport Notes on the loss could be discovered right here.

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