UK’s coaches clearly like what Dillingham brings to the court, and he’s long been regarded as one of the best (and shiftiest) scorers in his class. According to Calipari, the 6-2 combo guard was the best of Kentucky’s backcourt players in the practices leading up to that trip, and the buzz out of UK’s early fall workouts has had a similar tone. Rob Dillingham was a disappointment at the GLOBL JAM in Canada over the summer - 22 points in 68 minutes, 31.0 percent from the floor and just 1-for-7 from 3-point range over four games - but don’t expect that to carry over into his freshman season. Reeves will see the court plenty in his final season of college. (Reeves has shown he can create for himself, too.) His defense still needs work, but the same could be said for just about every one of his teammates. Assuming everyone stays healthy, there will be more talent around Reeves on the perimeter, but he’s the only player on the roster that is a proven, high-volume 3-point scorer, and Calipari will use his ability to stretch the floor with so many competent drivers on the team. Reeves played at least 29 minutes in 13 of Kentucky’s final 14 games, and he should be a 30ish-minutes-per-game player again this season. The 18-year-old will play as many minutes as he can handle.Īntonio Reeves earned Sixth Man of the Year honors in the SEC last season, but he was as important to UK’s offense as anyone, the team’s leading scorer among backcourt players and its top 3-point shooter. Wagner will have the keys to Calipari’s offense, and he possesses a rare toughness and competitiveness that the UK coach is always looking for, especially at that position. The 6-foot-3 freshman is often labeled as a “combo guard” - not a point guard - and proving his doubters wrong there will be key to both boosting his draft stock and carrying the playmaking load for the Cats this season. Wagner will need to make some refinements to his game - what freshman doesn’t? - and his decision-making (especially in halfcourt sets), ability to create for others, and outside shooting will all continue to be closely scrutinized by the pro scouts that have watched him for years. Wagner has consistently been the most-hyped prospect in his 2023 class going back to middle school, and the son of Dajuan Wagner - Calipari’s first major recruit at Memphis more than two decades ago - is all but certain to start the season as UK’s primary point guard.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |