Goodwin misses the first of three free throws that could have tied the game.
A couple of quick notes about the Kentucky Basketball Blue/White game.
John Calipari has hyped Willie Cauley-Stein since he signed with Kentucky, and he definitely did not disappoint. Willie had a double double, but he showed he can score in the paint, block shots, and run the floor. If I was watching this game and had to pick him or Nerlens Noel as the higher rated recruit, it would be WCS.
Speaking of Nerlens Noel, he really did nothing spectacular, but it was reported he had some type of injury to his back. That withstanding, he looks very limited offensively and still pretty out of shape. He did have some nice blocks, but he has a long way to go to be 1st team All SEC.
Archie Goodwin likes to score, and he did it often, shooting 11-22 from the floor, and scored a game high 30 points. The most impressive part of Goodwin’s game is he seems like he never quits, always going with a full head of steam. Many think Kyle Wiltjer could lead this team in scoring, but Archie has the vibe of being a scoring machine.
Alex Poythress got off to such a slow start that we were wondering if he was actually on the floor. After we finally found him, he showed signs of why he is so highly touted out of high school. Poythress finished with 25 points, but with all the talk of him getting down on himself when he misses, shooting 19 times made me think he is getting over that. Poythress is the strongest player on the team and it shows when he goes to the basket. I hope he gets off to a quicker start next time I see him though.
Julius Mays has the feel of a guy that can be this team’s big time shooter. Mays was hot early, going 5-8 from the field and 2 for 4 from behind the arc. Julius also looks like a leader already and could be the guy that you call upon early if you need a big shot.
Jon Hood brought back his Mr. Basketball days as he scored 17 points on 8-15 shooting. If he can make some noise early in the season and show he can give some minutes, maybe Hood can be a guy that can be a guy off the bench to give some minutes when there is foul trouble.
Kyle Wiltjer looked smooth, shot 6-8 from the field for 16 points. I think Kyle is definitely the most trustworthy player on the team. I guess we should expect that though from the only player returning that really had any time last year for Kentucky.
Ryan Harrow struggled in the 1st half, but made a nice comeback in the 2nd half. He finished with 20 points and 6 points. It is hard, in my opinion, to judge a point guard in a scrimmage environment, so we will get more in depth after the 1st exhibition game.
Jarrod Polson looked taller and stronger in my opinion, and didn’t do a lot wrong. That is what he needs to do to get playing time. Run the team and don’t make mistakes. Don’t be surprised to see Jarrod early on giving Harrow breathers.
What about the practice player getting more minutes than Twany Beckham. Tod Lanter hit his first shot, a 3 no less, and didn’t look too bad out there. My guess is this kid will end up being a walk on.
Twany Beckham….read above…
I know this is just a scrimmage, but it is evident this team has a long way to go…but as Coach Cal says, it is just October.
