"Now they're five out": Dennis Gates on how Kentucky has changed since last season

A year ago, Missouri beat Kentucky by 14 points in Columbia. In only his first try against Kentucky and John Calipari, Dennis Gates crafted a masterful gameplan to race past the Cats and keep them cold on the offensive end, resulting in a statement victory. It was the first of six regular-season SEC losses for that Kentucky team, whose offensive issues spelled their doom in March.

What a difference a year makes. On Tuesday night, Kentucky beat Missouri by 13 at Rupp Arena, scoring 90 points in what was far from its best performance of the season, which alone speaks volumes. Afterward, Gates was asked how this Kentucky team differed from the one Missouri beat in CoMo last season. You’ve probably read his comments about Rob Dillingham, who he believes is the “best isolation player in college basketball” after watching him put up a game-high 23 points off the bench, but his thoughts on the rest of the Cats deserve mention too.

Dillingham is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these Cats. To Gates, the fact that Kentucky has more than just one player who can drive to the basket AND make shots makes them incredibly difficult to contain.

“What I see is this. I see some great one-on-one players who can make shots and you start with Rob Dillingham. He’s probably the best isolation player in college basketball. That’s what I believe.

“You have Reed [Sheppard] coming off the bench, he’s capable of getting double digits as well. You look at Tre Mitchell, who was a stretch four, stretch five, he can make shots. You look at Justin Edwards, his best basketball, you know, obviously is in front of him, but he’s just as athletic, great player. I’ve seen him play a lot in high school.”

Gates also gave special mention to a player who was part of the team that Missouri beat last season: Antonio Reeves. The super-senior was only 3-9, including 0-5 from three-point land, for 14 points vs. the Tigers, but the fact that he remained dialed in is proof to Gates of his leadership.

“But really, Antonio Reeves is the heart and soul of this team. And he’s well-connected with each player. And when you look at his emotional intelligence, although he had nine field goal attempts, he was probably cheering louder for Rob than anybody.

“And when you have that connectivity, and you’re able to play a style that opens the court up a little bit — Oscar Tshiebwe is a dominant player but he also requires the ability to take up the space in the middle. Now, they’re five out, you have [Aaron] Bradshaw with the ability to make a jump shot, but they have versatility, they take care of the basketball, they are a three-point threat.”

Can I just say how happy I am that “Opposing coaches say nice things about Kentucky” content is back in our lives?

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