Kentucky looking for more growth vs. Saint Joseph's
Nov. 20—The University of Kentucky will want to continue growing as a basketball team when it hosts Saint Joseph's on Monday night at Rupp Arena. Tipoff is 6 p.m. CT.
No. 17 UK is 3-1 after beating Stonehill 101-67 Friday night. One of those wins was 81-61 over Texas A&M-Commerce on Nov. 10. Texas A&M-Commerce won at Saint Joseph's 57-54 Friday night.
"They shoot 35 3's a game. If they make 20, you lose," UK coach John Calipari said Friday night. "But they are taking 35. And, so, we are going to really have to be locked in on how we are playing."
The Wildcats were the team letting the 3 fly against Stonehill. They were 17-of-32 from distance for 53%. With 17 made 3s, UK set Calipari-era single-game record for 3s made as a team.
The Wildcats were led in scoring by freshman sensation Reed Sheppard with a young career-high 25 points. He was joined in double figures by Rob Dillingham (20), Tre Mitchell (15) and Antonio Reeves (15).
In addition to its hot shooting night from 3, UK shot 39-for-61 (63.9%) from the field and 6-for-8 from the free-throw line.
On the defensive end Kentucky picked up eight steals and blocked six shots.
Without seven footers Aaron Bradshaw, Ugonna Onyenso and Zvonimir Ivisic again, UK managed to outrebound Stonehill 36-29.
"Now, Rob and Reed start playing really well, we're all going to expect them to play that way and they're going to have to deal with it," Calipari said, talking about overall expectations for the freshmen and this UK team. "That's what's great about Kentucky. The guys that fight through that end up going. Now, they were talented or they wouldn't be there. So we're going through that. That's part of what I believe, I believe in every one of you, you have to believe in you as much as I believe in you. And then letting them play through some mistakes.
"It is hard. Like today Robert had three turnovers in a row. I had to take him out. You can't stay in, man. You walked twice. We'll watch the tape. You walked twice. As a matter of fact, you took two extra steps. And then you drove baseline when all you had to do was swing the ball and dribble it out of bounds. Come over here and sit down. I told him, I am not going to stop coaching you because you could be really ridiculously good."
