John Calipari details why Kentucky struggled to score from the 3-point line against Michigan State

Over three of their first four games, Kentucky has found success shooting from three. That’s something that’s been uncommon for John Calipari’s teams over the last several seasons. However, they did not shoot it well enough at the Champion’s Classic in their loss to Michigan State.

With that said, Calipari said afterward that it had more to do with players passing up shots than anything. That’s what frustrated him against the Spartans. He wants to see the Wildcats play more freely and trust their teammates to clean up their misses around the rim.

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“There were shots our guys did not take…There were shots we didn’t take,” said Calipari. “My think is, look, you’ve got to shoot them. You’ve got to make that play. And if you don’t we’ll rebound your miss.”

Kentucky shot a staggering 51.9% from deep with 22 makes overall in their opening wins over Howard in Duquesne. They even bounced back on Thursday night against South Carolina State where they shot 41.7% on 10 makes from distance. Still, they were unable to find the mark against the Spartans and it cost them in the double overtime matchup. In that game, Kentucky shot just 28% with seven makes.

Calipari has the players on this roster where he can justify his position. No one should have any problem with players like CJ Frederick, who’s shooting 40% from three, and Antonio Reeves, who’s 50% from three, letting it rip when they’re open. On top of that, Calipari has players around the basket, specifically Oscar Tshiebwe, to clean up any misses they may have. It’s now just about finding the confidence in the big moments and playing the style that’s been so successful for UK in their three victories this season.