Kentucky Men’s Basketball Season Preview 2023-2024

By Ryan Davenport, WSON Sports Correspondent 

The 2022-2023 season still didn’t meet Kentucky Wildcat fans expectations as the 6 seeded Cats suffered a loss to the 3 seed Kansas State Wildcats in the East Region 2nd Round game of the 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament with the final score 75-69. The Wildcats look to rebound this upcoming season with about 5 guys returning from last year’s roster, 1 transfer, and 8 freshmen.

 

The 2023-2024 UK Men’s Basketball Media Day was last Wednesday afternoon, October 25th, at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the event and interview a couple of players during the player portion of the event.

 

The first player I was able to interview was 6’8 freshman guard #1 Justin Edwards. When interviewing Edwards I asked him if there is any former or current NBA player that influences his game and he responded with this, “Kevin Durant. I probably say that in almost every interview. I just like the way he plays and I feel like he keeps it simple, he stays inside his box and does what he does the best.” My second question that I asked Edwards was who was his biggest role model in the sport of basketball and Edwards responded by saying, “I would probably say Lebron (James), just because he does so much outside of basketball, like in his community and that’s something I want to do when I’m done playing.” The third and final question I asked Edwards was if he had any personal goals or what the team’s goals were this upcoming season and he responded with this, “To win nationally I feel like that’s all our team goals, so just being successful this year.”

The other player I was able to interview was 6’6 senior guard #12 Antonio Reeves. When interviewing Reeves I asked him if there is any former or current NBA player that influences his game and he responded with this, “I would say Immanuel (Quickley), I watch a lot of Immanuel Quickley when I’m not doing anything. That’s one of my guys I talk to sometimes, he just tells me how to get better in some aspects of my game.” The second question I asked Reeves was what aspect of playing basketball is his favorite and Reeves responded by saying, “Knocking down the three ball, you know cause I’m a shooter, I love shooting.” The third and final question I asked Reeves was if he had any personal goals or what the team’s goals were this upcoming season and he responded with this, “Winning a natty (national championship) and you know winning the SEC Tournament.”

During the Coach Calipari press conference portion of the event, different media members got to ask questions and one media member asked Calipari about how he has 8 first year players and how it will be to coach a more youthful group after the last two seasons and Calipari responded with this answer, “I don’t know.  I’ve never done that before.  I’m teasing you.  The biggest thing is do you have good people with good hearts that are willing to share?  And we do.  They are all competitive as heck when we practice — it gets chippy.  But after it’s over, like the other day we had one of our best practices and it was chippy.  Then as I walked off to go through the locker room to my office, I could hear them in the locker room absolutely — I don’t know what they were doing but they were screaming and yelling and laughing and throwing in that’s what you want from your team.  That yeah, we are on the court competing, but let’s have fun together. And having all the young guys I’ve said it before you know if you ask me talent experience I’m taking talent and the talent usually figures it out. And we’ve had, you know, a couple transfers since I been here most of them graduate transfers — older players who have added to our team but we’ve been kind of selective — we’ve not just saying we’re trying to take six transfers and we will talk to a lot of kids and have them on campus.  But you will find out usually the decision is made whether it be by us or them whether they should be coming or not — it’s a made decision.  Knowing this isn’t for everybody — you are recruiting a transfer, what’s one of the first things he wants to know? You guys are basketball people.  Beyond playing time.  How about starting?  Am I going to be the main guy — I’m leaving. You know me. I’m not going down that road. I don’t do it with anybody.  When I have the freshman, if you are better than them, beat them out because they understand that. So, you know, this is I like the team because we have the experienced physical guys.  I know Antonio did not shoot the ball well up in northern Kentucky.  But he is so much a better player than he was a year ago it’s not even close.  He is so much more comfortable — even comfortable when things don’t go right.  Much more physical and able to get and create stuff so I’m really happy for him.”

 

Another media member asked him about playing a certain style now or if it will change, “ Still want to be fast. Still want to be random.  I want to be out there with basketball players that can play. You don’t have to run plays every time — they understand how to space, and cut, and play.  But I’ve said it before, you all that have followed us, in my own career, we always had post presence rim protector all of the teams I coached at. Final Fours, Elite Eights, national championship games, they all had rim reduction and when you don’t, we were bad.  I mean, you need that and we have it but we just gotta get them on the court,” Calipari said.

Another media member asked him if he thought this team was Kentucky good and Calipari responded with this, “We have to play the games.  I feel comfortable with who we are but you know when you know at the end of the year.  When we’re Kentucky good like these kids want to be and they have a winning will to win in a toughness and all of that, but would you like my projection of our record?  Come on.  I’m not going to do that.  But I know this:  I can tell you our schedule is one of the toughest in the country.  I can tell you right now our league is projected to be one of the toughest in the country.  And you know my first couple years there were two or three teams you worried about.  Now there’s nine or ten. It’s totally a different set up which there’s two things it takes off having to win back in the day at South Carolina.  Frank said if he beat you I felt so bad for you because of your RPI and everything — but then they got good and went to a Final Four.  So this thing it’s changed and, but Kentucky is Kentucky.  We still like recruiting in the ‘24 class really good. 2025 class may be better.  I feel good about where the kids want to be here and be here well let’s go.  Let’s get this group — part of the reason is this group came.  And this was these were popular players within the basketball world.  And so now they’ve all gotten better — they’ve improved.  The whole group of them. Now, Aaron, fighting to come back.  Adou, fighting to come back.  Z, back into a ramp up to get him more ready.  Let me just say this:  I’ve loved what this kid has done.  It has been – for him to go through what he did when he could have just said, I’m going to another school.  He didn’t.  He said I want to be there.  Then all the traveling and all the visa get over here and then want to get going — we do the ramp-up.  I wasn’t comfortable and I’m just telling you when I saw him the first time I think it was his excitement to be playing — all right this is what I’m seeing, but he’s going to be fine.  I am just a little leery like today we go body to body — he’ll work out but he’s not going to go body to body which you have to go tomorrow body to body tomorrow or you won’t play Friday.  But my guess would be he’ll be in the next exhibition game because he is in pretty good shape but he’s not — there is a thing of he’s and running shape and all of that and shooting then all of a sudden it becomes like football.  That’s a different type of mentality, but I’m proud of him.  We love him. He’s going to be so good for this team.  He’s a basketball player.  Everybody that’s come in contact with him loves him.”

Another media member asked Calipari about the evolution of college basketball and how he as a coach needed to grow and Calipari responded with this, “Well, the game is changing and I think he would admit the dribble drive in the stock position lest we’ve been ahead of the game and most of those in now the game has become random like really — the questions the NBA people are asking is does he love the game because they have to get better.  Do they process?  In other words, if they have to catch it and put it under their chin and then see what’s there, that’s not where the game is.  It’s more about spacing in creating closeouts. So we study the game but here’s what you have to accept and know.  The coach knows his team better than anybody so you can say so-and-so plays like this. Why don’t you play like that?  If I had his team I would play like that.  I have this team. We have to play like this to give ourselves the best chance.  But the game is becoming random. You are going to have some teams that will play slower and run place you know why?  Because they have to.  They have no choice.  But the game is becoming random.  And it’s becoming positionless.  When you see the kid in San Antonio bringing it up and in the pick and roll any 7’2″, you understand the game’s positionless now.”

 

Another media member asked Calipari about the role of Reed Shepherd this coming season and what he is seeing from him coming into the season and Calipari responded with this, “He’s been really good.  He’s been really good.  He’s one of those guys and Jordan is one of those guys that don’t have that expectation stuff where I have to live up to this or that.  They are just playing.  The pro day — every pro scout loved Jordan.  Part of it is because they’ve never seen them before.  They look at 6’8″ guy there saying oh, my gosh this kid here — the other one was read up in Toronto they love Reed. One of the things he did was block five shots.  Three-point shots, five of them. What’s the shot they are all trying to guard?  That three and here’s a kid blocking five of them so he’s done stuff he makes everybody better.  He doesn’t have any ego about it.  He went up to Northern Kentucky. I think he was 2 for 11 or three for 11.  Two or 3 for 11 — what’s the difference?  But he had the biggest +/-  he had seven rebounds, five or six assists, four steals, and didn’t make shots, and you walk away saying he had the biggest impact on the game.  So if I’m this team I want him on the floor with me when I play.  So greatest kid.”

One final media member question I thought was interesting was when Calipari was asked how he feels the interactions and asking for playing time has been affected by NIL and Calipari responded by saying, “Good question, but let’s go to the issue — the transfer portal first and then I’ll hit it.  Five years to play four.  You can transfer once without penalty.  How about this one and I’ve said this before you probably didn’t list me, but if you stay in the school for 4 years, we will give you a fifth year at that school. You want to play five, stay at the say same school for five years. If you don’t, all this stuff that’s happening becomes a kid walking in saying if you don’t do this for me, I’m going to leave.  What? And then it’s the tampering of the other guys saying if you do this here we’re going to do this.  It’s all based in that transfer portal. So let’s fix it.  We can’t.  You have four five years to play for a few transfers once without penalty and then get hurt. You play your fifth year if you have issues your family has six you need a year off.  And then you play your fifth year.  We just roll with it and that’s it if you want to play that’s the rules are let’s go. Name, image, and likeness, is a little bit different animal.  You know I’ve been for it for years, but it’s not turned into the market value and it’s not.  We used to do autographs and all the stuff we did and I said why wait until after the year.  It’s their name but now there is no guard rails.  There’s absolutely no leadership. None.  Who’s it falling on to deal with?  No one else involved in this the coaches they all stay clear in case something happens. Leadership.  What are we doing?  I say real simple:  Transparency.  Transparency.  We have a clearinghouse for academics let’s have one for NIL.  Everything has to go through that clearinghouse.  So now we don’t have the hippa laws will not let you name a name, but you will know player A, player B, player C, collectively what they are doing how they’re doing it and now because right now you guys think everybody is making $5 million.  Because you don’t know.  Or you can say whatever you want to say, so I’ve called the kids and many times I did it last year I’ve done it this year.  How you doing with the coach?  Thank you, we are doing great … any issues in the locker room no because they know so-and-so may make more than them but they’re happy they’re making more than their dad made. So I’m good.  And yeah I know he’s this and that so we are not having those issues and I’ll just tell you most of our guys before they come here have deals that we are not even involved in, whether it be trading cards, shoe deals, other things that they have.  If you are a top player and you come to the University of Kentucky basketball program, you know, you are going to do fine. If you ask about living up to the stuff, for us that’s pretty much it.  Living up to all the expectations we have playing on the court being in Kentucky.  So I’m not thinking that any of us or me and them playing time?  No, I don’t think — why are you going to play him because he’s doing this.  I don’t think anybody has a contract if you play so many minutes you are going to get so-and-so money.  I don’t believe that so, but it’s a good question.”

The Kentucky Wildcats opened up with their first exhibition game against the Georgetown College Tigers on Friday night, October 27th, in Rupp Arena, in which the Wildcats defeated the Tigers 92-69. The leading scorer for the Cats was graduate transfer Tre Mitchell with 22 points and 9 rebounds while shooting 4 for 5 from the 3 point line and recorded 3 blocks on the night. The Cats second leading scorer was senior guard Antonio Reeves with 18 points and 3 rebounds while freshman guard Rob Dillingham had 16 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals on the night. As a team, the Cats shot 36 for 74 (49%) from the field, 8 for 22 (36%) from the three point line, and 12 for 15 (80%) from the free throw line. The Cats recorded 46 total rebounds, 17 assists, 13 steals, 4 blocks, and committed 12 turnovers on the night.

Kentucky has one more exhibition game this Thursday night, November 2nd, at Rupp Arena against the Kentucky State Thorobreds with the tip-off at 6:00 P.M. Central Time on SEC Network+. The Cats will open up the regular season on Monday night, November 6th at Rupp Arena against the New Mexico State Aggies with the tip-off at 7 P.M. Central Time on the SEC Network.