Joey Hart’s late 3-pointer was ‘big deal’ for Kentucky

“You want guys to feel like their hard work is paying off,” John Calipari said following Kentucky’s win over Saint Joseph’s earlier in the week. He was talking about DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards, but the same can be said for back-of-rotation guys like Joey Hart.

The freshman out of Linton, IN got that moment Friday evening inside Rupp Arena. And it came in a record-breaking offensive effort for the Wildcats, his appearance being the icing on the 118-point cake.

Subbing in with 3:23 to go in the game, Hart passed up on a wide-open three from the left corner at the two-minute mark. Then he got an inbounds play drawn up for him to set up an easy look at the rim, one he missed through contact with 1:30 to go. And then he caught a kick-out from Kareem Watkins, lifted in rhythm and launched with 40 seconds on the clock. Bang.

It was the shot to break Kentucky’s single-game scoring record under John Calipari, previously set in a 115-69 victory over Arizona State in the Bahamas back in 2016. Hart was Mr. 118.

“Joey making a three was a big deal for our team,” Calipari said following the win. “They were showering him in there. They just were so happy for him.”

It was the culmination of an all-around offensive effort that saw six Wildcats finish in double figures with 27 total assists on 45 made baskets, just nine turnovers. Unselfish basketball paved the path for Hart, who played more vs. Marshall than the previous five games combined, to make history for Kentucky.

“It was really cool, Joey is a great player,” Reed Sheppard said of his freshman backcourtmate. “For him to come in at the end and make that shot, it was cool for us. And I’m sure it was a really, really cool moment for him, as well.”

The clutch 3-pointer was no shock to Rob Dillingham, his five-on-five teammate in practice. Those two have developed solid chemistry together, Dillingham regularly finding Hart for catch-and-shoot threes.

That’s to be expected for a player who scored 1,901 career points in high school, including 23.7 points on 41% from three as a senior. He came to Kentucky to make an impact, because he’s capable.

“Joey can shoot the ball, I’m not gonna lie. He’s on my team every practice, so when we go five-on-five, Joey slides in the corner and he knocks it down every time,” Dillingham told KSR. “It doesn’t surprise me at all, he’s a shooter. Joey always hits shots, he scored almost 2,000 points in high school. He’s a bucket-getter.”

As for that shot and that moment for history? Well, it’s a product of his hard work. And a reward.

“It’s just God-given. Right time, right place, perfect,” Dillingham added. “It was meant for him. I’m happy for him, for sure.”