Kentucky Basketball's Checklist For The Second Exhibition Game

Kentucky Basketball has one last dress rehearsal before the 2023-24 season opener next Monday night in Lexington. Tonight, the Wildcats host our Kentucky State University friends from the Commonwealth’s capital city. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Rupp Arena and on SEC Network+ for fans unable to attend in person.

As we await that 7 p.m. start time, let’s list some of the improvements Kentucky can make from last week’s preseason exhibition game versus Georgetown College. It’s the last tune-up of the preseason, and these are areas to get right from one game ago.

Faster Start

Against Georgetown College, Kentucky needed an entire half before it began to pull away from the NAIA Tigers. Kentucky was lucky to be up by one point at halftime after a sluggish start to the first competition in Rupp Arena.

After the game, John Calipari listed many of the first-half problems, ranging from shot selection to turnovers to not matching Georgetown’s energy. “My biggest thing in the first half,” he said, “instead of just making easy plays, we were trying to make hard plays.”

Kentucky began the second half on a 13-2 run and never looked back.

More From DJ Wagner

DJ Wagner is the top-rated guard in John Calipari’s star-studded recruiting class, but he wasn’t the standout freshman in the first exhibition game. Rob Dillingham was the MVP guard with 16 points off the bench on 7-for-11 shooting with five assists, three rebounds, and two steals, while Wagner, who started at point guard, scored only four points on 2-for-9 shooting with one assist, two steals, and foul trouble.

Tonight, Wagner needs to offer a lot more from his starting point guard spot. John Calipari knows it’s there. He recently said, “I know how good D.J. is.”

More From Justin Edwards

At No. 2 overall, Justin Edwards is the highest-ranked recruit in Kentucky’s freshman class. Some publications have him in the conversation for the No. 1 pick in next summer’s NBA Draft, but his preseason exhibition debut did not support that projection. Edwards scored nine of Kentucky’s 92 points as the team’s starting wing, missing seven of 10 shot attempts, including both of his tries from outside.

Still, Edwards made his presence known in other ways by hauling in the second-most rebounds on the team (8) and getting to the foul line, where he hit three of four free throws.

Tonight, the Big Blue Nation hopes to see more of the same on the glass, but a higher scoring output from the five-star prospect.

Defend Without Fouling

Defense is going to be a weakness until Kentucky adds length and rim protection from its three seven-footers. Until one of those guys is available, Kentucky will need to scrape by as best as it can with game-to-game improvements and stay out of foul trouble while trying to guard.

Against Georgetown, Kentucky committed 18 fouls, sending Georgetown to the line 23 times to Kentucky’s 15 free throw attempts. Orlando Antigua called out the foul trouble in his opening remarks earlier this week, saying, “I think an area that we want to try to concentrate on is defending without fouling. We sent them to the free throw line an awful lot the last game, and so, just kind of want to continue to take steps forward with this young club.”

Edwards and Wagner committed four fouls apiece; Dillingham three.

Crash The Glass

Another point of emphasis from Coach O’s comments yesterday: group rebounding. He said coaches are challenging players to go to the glass 80% of the time on both ends. “Just making a conscious effort to go every time,” he explained.

Kentucky outrebounded Georgetown, 24-12, when the Wildcats pulled away from up by one at halftime to a 23-point win. The two sides were nearly even at 22-20 in the first half.

“You don’t have the luxury of having Oscar (Tshiebwe) down there anymore, so it’s going to be a collective group that has to be able to go out there and rebound.”

Better Turnout

This one is on you, Big Blue Nation. Last Friday night, the turnout in Rupp Arena was pretty bad despite the official attendance listed at over 18,000. We’ll chalk that one up to high school football at the same time and a big rivalry football game in Lexington the following day.

Tonight, the crowd needs to be a little bit better for the second of two exhibitions. Then, attendance needs to be MUCH better when it gets real next week.

Go Cats and beat Kentucky State tonight.