Kentucky Let it Fly From 3-Point Range in Win Over Texas A&M: ‘Everyone Was Wide Open.’

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Flashback to the primary recreation of the common season, and Kentucky head coach John Calipari made an announcement that was unfamiliar to the ears of Large Blue Nation. 

Calipari wished his crew to shoot 3-pointers, and lots of ’em. 

“I mentioned that is most likely a crew that’s going to shoot 24, 25,” he uttered after the 95-63 win over Howard. “If we actually make ’em, we might shoot extra … we’ve acquired lots of guys that may make photographs.”

Kentucky has by no means taken greater than 19.9 makes an attempt from behind the arc per recreation through the Calipari period, with that quantity being reached simply as soon as, within the 2016-17 season. The 24 mark can be fairly the soar for the Wildcats to make. Doable, however definitely a problem. 

The Wildcats shot 24 in that 32-point smushing of the Bison. They might go on to hit that mark in 4 of the subsequent 5 video games, firing trifectas at-will. From then on, the quantity has fluctuated, as Kentucky was in a position to muster simply 10 seems to be from deep within the surprising loss to South Carolina and hadn’t reached 20 within the final three video games in SEC play. Getting into Saturday, UK was averaging 19.33 3-point makes an attempt a recreation. 

All traits and prior statistics went out of the window when Texas A&M entered Rupp Area. 

For simply the fifth time within the Calipari period and for the primary time since 2011, the Cats rained down 32 treys within the 76-67 win over the Aggies — who had received seven video games in a row previous to the loss. 

It did not yield wonderful outcomes, as UK related on simply 11 of the seems to be. It wasn’t a case of chucking up photographs for the sake of it, nevertheless, as nearly all 32 photographs got here with out an Aggie defender in sight. Calipari is not loopy concerning the notion of his crew letting nearly 50 p.c of its photographs come from three, but when they arrive uncontested, then so be it.

“Took extra threes within the first half than most of my groups absorb a recreation, however I appeared, they had been all open,” he mentioned after the win. “They had been open. So, you’ve acquired to shoot it.”

His gamers obliged, headlined by capturing guard Antonio Reeves, who related on 5 of 11 makes an attempt from downtown, propelling the Illinois State switch to a season-high 23 factors. 

“My three-ball was entering into, my teammates had been in search of me down the stretch and a pair photographs went in for me,” Reeves mentioned postgame. 

Freshman ahead Chris Livingston added a pair within the span of some possessions, whereas veteran Jacob Toppin managed to knock down considered one of two deep seems to be, simply his sixth of the season. These had been the one particular person performances to write down dwelling about. 

Sharpshooter CJ Fredrick struggled once more in opposition to the Aggies, making solely two of 10 deep balls. He made his first look of the sport, swiftly pointing over to the A&M bench and chirping a couple of phrases to among the gamers. Issues would go chilly shortly after, although it wasn’t a results of strong protection. 

Calipari’s confidence has by no means wavered within the Cincinnati native. The truth is, he doubled down, urging the Iowa switch to proceed firing:

“Love CJ, he missed each shot within the first half and I mentioned ‘you higher preserve capturing them or I will not play you.’”

Freshman guard Cason Wallace additionally had a poor capturing afternoon, going 4-13 total and simply 1-7 from three. Whereas it wasn’t fairly, each splash counted on Saturday. 

“How about Cason is 0 for 4? He’s 0 for 7 at halftime,” Calipari mentioned. “0 for 7, 0 for 4 from the three, however he got here again and banged that one on the prime, which was an enormous play.”

A&M coach Buzz Williams careworn the significance of making an attempt to nullify Oscar Tshiebwe as a lot as potential within the lead-up to the sport, so it was clear that the perimeter can be far more open than normal for the Wildcats. 

“The way in which (A&M) play protection, as quickly as somebody posts the ball, the weakside man is doubling or within the lane, so when you have two individuals on the nook wing, any person is open,” ahead Lance Ware advised reporters after the actual fact. “Everybody was large open so it was photographs you needed to take.”

Take ’em they did. The Wildcats at the moment are a 36.8-percent 3-point capturing crew, which stays the very best within the SEC. 

Extra on the win over the Aggies right here.

WATCH: Calipari, Williams communicate after Kentucky’s victory

WATCH: Tshiebwe, Ware, Reeves communicate after win

Recreation notes from the win might be discovered right here.

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