Watching Kentucky in person confirmed just how fun this team is

Kentucky bested a very outmanned Marshall team on Friday by the near insane final score of 118-82. I was in attendance for the first time all season, and I can confirm this team is as fun in person as they are on television. One thing in particular stuck out: all of the positive stereotypes about these players are undeniably true.

Rob is shifty. Reed is a master theft. Reeves has the purest shot on the planet. Wagner is a bulldog. Adou hustles more than everyone else combined. Tre Mitchell is invauable. And on and on and on.

Let’s run through them all.

The guards make this team go

Everythining you thought about Kentucky’s guard were on full display Friday night. DJ Wagner drives the ball to the rim with the kind of aggression and ferosiousness not seen in a Calipari guard since Derrick Rose. The big difference tonight compared to the first few games is that he was able to finish and knock down shots.

The put-your-head-down-and-drive-the-lane strategy hasn’t always worked out for Kentucky’s starting point guard this year, but against the lesser competition that was the Thundering Herd, he carved through their defense like your dad’s antequated electric knife through yesterday’s turkey.

After the game, Wagner credited his teammates and coaches for not losing faith in his ability when he struggled early on.

Reed Sheppard entered the game and immediately tacked on two steals to his team-leading 17 on the season. The legacy Wildcat looks like he was playing in his 105th game in Rupp Arena rather than just his 5th game. Cool. Calm. Collected. All the adjectives that you associate with that of a veteran exude off the court when he is in the game. Similar to last game, he wasn’t as assertive as Big Blue nation would like when looking for his shot, but he did not knock down two in the second half.

He and Antonio Reeves warmed up by themselves about an hour before the game and essentially every shot touched nothing but net. It was impressive to watch.

Reeves carried that smooth shooting into the game. Everytime the ball leaves his hands, it looks like its going in, and that’s because it usually does. His shot is so effortless, it is truly a thing of beauty.

Mister Robert Dillingham

Yes, Rob Dillingham is a guard, but he needs his own subheading. The shift in Rob’s game is real and it is spectacular. If The Rock is the most electrying man in sports entertainment, Dillingham is the most electrifying player in Kentucky basketball. Everyone inches forward in their seats a few inches everytime the ball is in his hands.

He made the crowd gasp multiple times throughout the game from no-look passes to incredible finishes fresh off breaking a defender’s ankles. He even hit a 3 while drawing the foul which rivaled the same pop from the Rupp Arena faithful as when the Chick-Fil-A fowl shot cashed just moments before.

After the game, Calipari channeled the similar vibes as he used to say about Anthony Davis, “He was the best player on the floor with only seven shots.”

The “Bigs” of Kentucky

Adou Theiro and Tre Mitchell might not be considered traditional big men, but they play Kentucky’s 4 and 5 position so they’re bigs for all intents and purposes. Against Marshall, they were exactly the same players we’ve seen all season, and it was great.

In person, Theiro really does hustle as much as it looks like on television. He led the team in rebounds with seven and every one of them were directly as result of his relentless effort. The standard talking point around Theiro is that he is going to be hard to keep off the court if and when Kentucky’s seven-footers return and everything we saw against Marshall solidifed that sentiment.

As for Tre Mitchell…well…God bless Bob Huggins in every way possible. This team would still be good without him, but he is the most important person on the team when it comes to taking this squad to the next level. His consistancy shooting the ball from the center position makes this team nearly impossible to guard and when he shoots 53 percent (8-15) like he did against Marshall.

Justin Edwards stepped up

Justin Edwards got some individual work in about an hour before hte game, but unlike Sheppard and Reeves, his shot looked like it was going to be off tonight, much like it has been all season. Fortunately, this was the one stereotype that did not play out in the game.

Edwards only had 10 points but he shot 3-4 from deep, instilling some much needed confidence in his jumper. Overall, he still looks a little tentative, if not just a little bit off, when it comes to attacking the rim. Getting blocked by the side of the backboard on a dunk attempt is equally embarrasing an impressive.

However, this game should serve as a boost for when the team faces Miami on Tuesday.

Fun, fun, and more fun

It is becoming cliché but the amount of fun this team brings to the court is unbelievable. The way they share the ball, the way they run, the way they (as Cal would say) play for each other, it is hard to not share in the joy this team has on the court.

After the game, Reed Sheppard and DJ Wagner confirmed this in depth analysis. Wagner said the fun starts in practice and it carries over onto the court.

Reed Sheppard went into a little more detail on the fun question: “Coach Cal always says, ‘Have fun,’ so that’s what we try to do [with the way we play]. When you make a good pass and get and get an assist, it makes two people happy.”

There was plenty of happiness going around Friday night. 27 assists. 118 points. Records broken. Gatorade showers had. It was a tremendously joyous night all the way around.