What should be on the Wildcats’ wishlist for Santa?
Good morning, BBN, and Merry Christmas Eve!
The Cats are coming off an interesting victory over Bellarmine yesterday. I say it’s interesting because, offensively, it was one of their better games.
Kam Williams had his breakout game, shooting 8-10 from beyond the arc. Jasper Johnson played point guard and finished with 11 points and seven assists. Otega Oweh scored 10 points, dished out 10 assists, and grabbed eight rebounds.
With that said, defensively, it was a disaster. Giving up 85 points to a 5-6 Bellarmine team is bad.
So, what’s on the Christmas list for Kentucky Basketball as they prepare for an 11-day break? Let’s list it out:
Jayden Quaintance to play more minutes
We know he’s on a minutes restriction, but come on. He needs minutes to prepare for conference play, which starts next Saturday against No. 14 Alabama. We’ll see what Coach Pope does, but this team needs him on the floor to be successful, especially defensively.
Jaland Lowe to be healthy
After watching the St. John’s game, it was pretty evident that Lowe has been the piece this team has missed desperately. A true PG running the show is precisely what they need, and hopefully, this 11-day break helps him recover for conference play.
Consistency for Denzel Aberdeen
Aberdeen had a sneaky good game yesterday, with 14 points on 4-7 from three, and he’s certainly shown flashes this year of being elite. This one, I think, is more realistic because when Lowe plays, it frees up Aberdeen a lot more where he can play off the ball instead of initiating the offense every possession.
A midseason point guard addition
This one probably won’t happen, but that’s why it’s on the wish list. With Lowe’s high risk of reinjury, the Cats need a reliable PG2 to lead them if/when he misses time.
More confidence for Collin Chandler
This is a strange one. Chandler started the year so strongly, with all the confidence in the world. But as the season has gone on and the Cats have struggled, it’s disappeared. He’s a great shooter who needs to let it fly. Hopefully, the time off will allow him to get it back.
Better 3-point shooting
It’s been an issue all year, especially in big games. It’s even been abysmal at times, which is very uncommon for a Mark Pope-led team. However, Kam Williams came alive yesterday, shooting 8-10 from three. The Cats overall were 16-30 from beyond the arc yesterday, so they need to build off that and keep it consistent.
What are some other things that should be on their list? Let us know in the comments!
Tweet of the Day:
The official Kam Williams game!
Headlines:
Williams’ Big Night Leads Cats Past Knights – UK Athletics
Full recap of the game, a lot to like on the offensive side.
Kentucky Football Retains Anwar Stewart as Defensive Line Coach – UK Athletics
Big time.
It’s crunch time in the NFL.
Nineteen first-timers among players voted into Pro Bowl Games – ESPN
Big year for new “stars”.
Chiefs’ coming move to Kansas a “shock to the system” for Missouri politicians – NBC Sports
This is more controversial than I would have thought.
Sources: NBA looking into new ways to prevent teams from tanking – ESPN
I love these.
The Thunder’s chance at the NBA wins record appears to be slipping away – CBS Sports
Wild how fast they have lost pace.
Despite losing a couple, it’s still the Thunder over everyone by a lot.
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy out vs. Lions with hairline fracture in hand – ESPN
Rollercoaster of a 1st season for J.J.
This was crazy.
Category: General Sports
