Jay Williams says DJ Wagner needs to knock down shots to beat Alabama

Jay Williams served as the color commentator for Kentucky’s loss to LSU on Wednesday, and now he has things to say. On ESPN College GameDay, the former Duke Blue Devil called out DJ Wagner as the player who needs to step up, especially on the offensive side of the court, if the Wildcats are to beat Alabama.

“DJ Wagner was pretty much a no-show in [Kentucky’s] loss to LSU,” Williams said. “Yes, he brings a great defensive tenacity as the spear at the head of their defense but he has to be able to knock down shots, and he has to be a prolific scorer to add to the Wildcats’ [chances of winning.]”

Jay Williams doesn’t exactly have tremendous opinion credibility at the moment after his baffling diminishing of Caitlin Clark, but when it comes to the ‘Cats needing DJ Wagner to improve, it is hard to argue with him.

In the last six games, Wagner is shooting just 8-39 from the field for a frustratingly low 20.5 percent. It doesn’t get much better from behind the arc, where he is 0-10 during that same timeframe. Kentucky holds a 3-3 record over these last six games, which is unsurprising considering the level of struggle from their starting point guard.

To be fair, Wagner has been battling through a lingering ankle ailment all season, though with as tight-lipped as this program is when it comes to injuries, it is difficult to determine how much it is (or is not) affecting his play.

According to everyone, he is the toughest guy on the team and the leadership and dog mentality he brings is contagious and invaluable. As Jay Williams said, on defense, he is one of Kentucky’s most tenacious on-ball defenders. Now the ‘Cats just need his shot to start dropping like it did during the first half of the season.