John Welch shares thoughts on "special" Kentucky team ahead of Missouri

John Calipari hired longtime NBA assistant coach John Welch last summer to help with player development and offensive strategy. Thirteen games into the season, it’s safe to say that decision has paid off. The Cats rank in the top ten of KenPom’s offensive ratings and almost every offensive statistical category. Anyone who has watched Kentucky this season can see they’re playing a different brand of basketball than in recent years, due in large part to personnel, but also style.

Welch spoke to the local media for the first time today to preview Kentucky’s game vs. Missouri. As you might expect, very few questions centered around the Tigers. Instead, reporters dug into Welch’s thoughts on the team and Kentucky’s offense. Welch, who has seen it all over nearly 20 years in the NBA and 10 in college, said there’s something “special” about this group.

“We have a great group of guys. I hope next year’s team is like this, but I somehow have a feeling this is a special group. If the group is like this every year, what a treat that would be.

“Not even just as players and their work ethic. Just to be around them is just easy. Usually, every group has a couple of guys, not bad guys, they’re just difficult. We just don’t have that. Part of it is, Coach Cal has set this up in such a way that everyone conforms to the group, which I feel is a great situation.”

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The secret to Kentucky’s unselfishness

What makes this group special? Welch referenced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s comments from the GLOBL Jam, praising each player’s fundamentals and unselfishness.

“Our depth is definitely one of our strengths. The quote that’s been thrown around from the beginning, I think Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] said it to Cal early in the season, ‘Every one of your guys can pass, dribble, and shoot.’ And we believe that. The players believe that.

“Just make the right play. Whoever you’re passing it to has the skill set to complete the play. It’s very easy to try to convince them to share the ball and play together because of the players they’re playing with.”

Welch, who probably spends more time with the players in the gym than anyone on staff, has also been impressed by the team’s shooting. Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell were proven shooters coming into this season. Welch said he was surprised that Kentucky’s freshmen guards Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, and DJ Wagner are also hitting it consistently in both practice and games.

“Unbelievable,” Welch said of the trio. “Being in the gym with them, just how skilled they are, and how well they shoot the basketball has been very surprising to me. It’s like the difference between this and the NBA, very, very little. I wasn’t sure going into this season how good of a shooting team we would be. I don’t think anyone was.”

Welch: “It’s hard to get [Rob Dillingham] to take a day off.”

One of the most intriguing players on this team is Rob Dillingham. The freshman phenom had an off day vs. Florida, finishing with only six points — just the second time this season he hasn’t scored in double figures — and four turnovers to one assist. Rob’s “bad” moments outweighed his “good” moments vs. Florida, but John Calipari said afterward he still felt comfortable playing the freshman late in the game because of his confidence and playmaking ability.

When asked, Welch said that balancing Rob’s “good” vs. “bad” moments is why John Calipari “gets paid the big bucks.” However, he did praise the freshman’s work ethic and love for the game, which some questioned when he arrived in Lexington. According to Welch, Dillingham was back in the gym when the team arrived home from Gainesville on Saturday night.

“A big thing is, people are like, does he love basketball, this and that? There’s one thing with Rob Dillingham: there’s no doubt how much he loves the game. Saturday after we flew back, Rob’s back in the gym. It’s his work ethic. It’s hard to get him to take a day off. If you go six days in a row, you should take Sunday off and rest. Rob, I think he went 90 straight days at one point at one point in the offseason.”

“I think everybody sees his love for the game and his desire to be good. Then, it’s just managing his game. I think he’s doing a great job of improving in that area and making plays for others.”

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