Game 2 of GLOBL JAM is in the books of the Kentucky Wildcats.
It was hard to have any expectations for this Kentucky team going to a round robin game at Globl Jam because there were so many unknowns.
I think I speak for most Kentucky fans when I say I was pleasantly surprised at how the Cats handled Germany with relative ease on Wednesday afternoon.
But in Thursday’s game against the home team of Canada, one wonders how this young team will react to back-to-back games in July.
These questions were quickly answered when Kentucky emerged from the opening statement imposing its will. Despite changing their starting players, the Cats never missed an offensive win.
England would have been ahead 49-34 at halftime, but the story of the first half was Red Sheppard’s game. The Kentucky native was dominant in converting steals on the defensive side and dives on the other end.
After the start, Sheppard led Kentucky to score 12 points along with three steals in the first half.
Calipari and the Cats stayed in shape after the hiatus and did nothing but expand the lead in the fourth quarter.
I’d like to see some competition in the long run, but where they would win 93-69 was mainly in Kentucky cruise control.
Here are five things you should know.
The Red Sheppard Show
The rookie guard wasted no time in influencing the game after he started. Sheppard mainly dominated the first half with his aggressive defense pushing his offense forward.
Multiple steals and championships ignited the Kentucky-dominated crowd, and it was easy to see Red Sheppard fueled by their energy.
For the few who are still wondering if Sheppard will play, it’s time to officially change your stance by “how much” because after what we’ve seen tonight, there’s no doubt that the baby will be on the floor.
He finished the game with 14 points on 5/8 shooting, four assists, four steals, two steals, two steals and two pass breaks.
protection game
Kentucky backcourt opened the Globl Jam with an impressive support-to-turnoff ratio and picked up where it left off on Thursday night.
Kentucky had just six turnovers, with 14 assists in the 20-minute game.
This season, John Calipari will have the luxury of nearly half a dozen players on his roster who can control the ball as a starting option.
It’s safe to say that DJ Wagner, Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard, Antonio Reeves – or a combination of all four – Kentucky backcourt looks ready for a special season.
For the match, England would end up with 27 (!) assists for just nine turnovers.
Get a loan.
Trey Mitchell – Great Balancer
It’s only July and it’s already been talked about how important Trey Mitchell is to this team, but it’s totally true.
The West Virginia transfer seems to have truly learned and embraced his role while connecting with his teammates.
In post-match press conference opportunities, it was clear that Mitchell’s above-ground maturity was higher than that of his teammates.
Remember – Tre Mitchell is a college basketball player, so he knows how to fit himself into a schedule without messing up any feathers.
He causally recorded eight points, five blocks, three assists, two steals and six rebounds on Thursday night, but it’s his on-court presence that really nailed Kentucky, especially on offense.
Calipari for me?
Again – just July – but from what we’ve seen so far in Toronto, it’s starting to seem like Calipari might really be the geek to pull back this season. There was a lot of dialogue about Cal’s desire to be a player-led team.
Most years, I’d say it was a coach talk, but with so many on-court challenges, it could become reality in 2023-2024.
Too many mouths to feed
The only real concern I can say after two games in Toronto is that there will still be many players who will be happy. Finding and maintaining balance will be a critical task for Calipari and her team, as cats are loaded all over the floor.
But that’s clearly the kind of problem you want to have, especially when you consider where this team was when Trey Mitchell wasn’t at the door a few weeks ago and Reeves was probably out of town.
How things have changed.
Kentucky is off Friday before returning to the game against Team Africa on Saturday. This match is scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM ET and will be broadcast live on CBS Sports.
What are your biggest takeaways from tonight’s game? Let us know in the comments section!
Also note that the tape delay of this match will air in a few hours at 12:00 ET on CBS Sports. Go here to stream online.
Go cats!!
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2023-07-14 03:29:57
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