Their University of Kentucky Wildcats put a 100 on the scoreboard in their first of four preseason tryouts at Bahamas’ Baha Mar Resort, when they faced a Dominican Republic team that never stood a chance from the jump. The DR held a lead in the game with a 3-pointer to take a 3-2 lead very early, but that was as good as it got for Kentucky’s first victim on his summer tour abroad.
In the end, Kentucky rode to a very convincing victory, 108-56, with a well-rounded performance that at times resembled a dunk contest after things got way out of reach in the second half. Let’s talk about some of the most exciting things that happened between that early 2-3 deficit and the 52-point win, and then we’ll sleep in and do it all again tomorrow.
Sounds good? Of course it does. Well, those takeaways that are riddled with overreaction, because that’s what these games are for…
A starting five that nobody predicted
For Kentucky, John Calipari started with a starting lineup few saw coming. Of course, Sahvir Wheeler and Oscar Tshiebwe retained their places at the top and inside from a year ago, but Illinois State transfer Antonio Reeves earned the nods over Cason Wallace or CJ Fredrick with the two, while Jacob guessed Toppin in his stead space played on the wing in the hole left open by Keion Brooks’ departure for Washington. Daimion Collins filled in Brooks’ old regular role in a larger than expected cast:
G – Sahvir Wheeler (2)
G – Antonio Reeves (12)
F – Jacob Toppin (0)
F – Daimion Collins (4)
F/C – Oscar Tshiebwe (34)
Not too much of a surprise, Calipari hinted earlier in the week that he plans to play with an experienced lineup in the Bahamas, and the group that started Game 1 is as experienced as any five we’ve seen under Calipari with zero Freshmen and only one sophomore on the starting lineup.
However, it’s no indication of the upcoming season, just the first of many experiments in the Bahamas.
And the experiment worked. It worked really well.
Hey, you’re not under 22
As for the other guys, the Dominican team originally planned for Kentucky was the U22 national team, but when they got to the property it was the Dominican National Select team full of 22-25 year olds. Tom Leach previously tweeted: “Tonight might be the toughest game here – an older DR team than KY originally anticipated.”
If that was the toughest team, it’s going to be a fun week… when the other three teams still show up after exploring Kentucky in the Wildcats’ first game.
MVP: All?
It’s no overreaction to say that everyone played well in those sharp, checkerboard-free Kentucky uniforms. From the veterans we know to the brand new boys in blue and white for the first time, it’s been a great debut for Kentucky to start the 2022-23 season, although that doesn’t matter beyond additional experience (definitely a plus). and thrilling the fanbase with excitement after a disappointing end to last season.
Here are some of the surprise stars who have surpassed anything we’ve seen of them so far:
Daimion Collins gets everyone talking
If we have to pick an MVP, the honor goes to second forward Daimion Collins, who finished second on the team with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two murders in a starting roll. KSR photographer Dr. Mike took a great photo of Collins’ first murder.
Even better, here’s the video before it’s sent for evidence.
He caught another corpse later in the game.
Not only was Collins a dunker, but he looked so much better than the freshman version of himself, who at times seemed lost and confused when thrown into action a year ago. The Daimion Collins we saw tonight will be tough to keep in Year 2, especially if the jumper he showed against the Dominicans makes the trip through customs and back home to the Southeastern Conference for the real thing .
Collins could take Kentucky from really good to great and may God have mercy on anyone who dares meet him on the edge.
Adou Thiero also made a statement
Who had Adou Theiro as a standout? Not me, not after Calipari announced the unranked perspective offered as recently as March of this year, would have limited minutes playing with his growing pains. But Thiero made the most of his limited minutes, all 10, with seven points, a made 3-pointer, three assists, three blocks and two steals – a real statistician in his brief appearances off the bench.
When Calipari recruited Thiero he told him he saw him as the eventual Defensive Player of the Year. Now, a meaningless preseason game in Thiero’s career, we see it too. He’s a stopper in the making with no rush to go anywhere, an early surprise on the new roster and is still growing.
Antonio Reeves is a real outside threat
A week ago, Antonio Reeves stole the show in Kentucky’s open practice for the Kentucky Flood Relief Telethon. We told ourselves not to react at the time, but he did it again tonight, giving up four of his five 3-point attempts and again looking happy with the ball in his hands. Any concerns about the jump from Missouri Valley to the SEC are fading and now we’re wondering how it will fit into the rotation with excitement around fellow guards Cason Wallace, who caught Daimion Collins’ 15 points off the bench tonight, and CJ fredrick .
Whatever happens to that equation, it’s a good problem, and Reeves’ first two dress rehearsals should allay some concerns about shooting over Fredrick.
CJ Fredrick played cautiously
As expected, Fredrick hasn’t had to push himself too hard in his first basketball since March 2021 when he was an Iowa Hawkeye. He played 12 minutes and didn’t score (just one shot attempt) but was a midwayer from half-time with four assists to take on Sahvir Wheeler and newcomer Chris Livingston in that column.
Fredrick is all about getting back into the flow of live basketball, and tonight it was just good to see him do it. With his Lights Out sweaterhe’ll play a big role when he’s in full swing this fall.
photo of dr Michael Huang | KSR
The two All-American freshmen were as good as advertised
Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston are the two Burger Boys in Kentucky’s freshman class and they were everything one could ask for in their first preseason game two months after arriving on campus. The one with the greatest NBA potential right now is Wallace, and he gave fans a taste of the excellent defense we’ve heard so much about and showed he can manage point guard when needed. Wallace will likely play Wheeler in the regular season, but it will be an ongoing competition and he might even push Wheeler for some of his PG minutes. Wallace has the playmaker ability with the rock.
Livingston is a little more mysterious about how he’ll fit in, but his versatility will make him a little easier to pocket. Tonight, the combo forward showed he can fire from the outside with a 3-of-4 shot from beyond the arc and eight team-strength rebounds, all in just 19 minutes played off the bench.
Did you read that? Oscar Tshiebwe did not lead the team in rebounding. Also no double-double. Just 17 points and six boards in his 17 minutes. I say sarcastically.
The Full Box Score:
Two shooting stats to highlight from the box score:
Kentucky 3-pointers…11-26 (42.3%)
Free throws from Kentucky…13-14 (92.9%)
Conversely, the Kentucky Dominican Select defense held on a 4-of-19 outside shot. A few of those misses can be attributed to Collins’ insanely long, double-armed closeouts. Guys shot moon balls over his outstretched arms.
Cal’s friend Jerry was a popular supporting actress in the game
Beyond basketball, we showed keen interest online in Caliparis’ neighbor in the crowd at the game, his close friend Jerry Haffey. BBN’s Twitter presence was very curious about the mystery man alongside Calipari and assistant coach Bruiser Flint, especially when Haffey switched from an adidas t-shirt to a Nike shirt mid-game, likely at the request of someone who owns it was tired of seeing his adidas logo on TV.
The tribute to Mike Pratt was a nice touch
The TV broadcast honored the late Mike Pratt during the game and there was a minute’s silence before the tip.
On the radio show, Jack Givens had big shoes to fill in his first game alongside Tom Leach. In what little I heard on my second-half drive, Goose did a great job in a difficult place, replacing a fan favorite and a talent like Mike.
It’s not fun unless the walk-ons get some
Kentucky’s four walk-ons played a few minutes late in the game and nobody made better use of garbage time than Brennan Canada. The Mt. Sterling senior hit both of his 3-point attempts to put six points on the board from the Victory Cigars.
I leave it to you with Jacob Toppins 360
Between Toppin and Collins, the top 10 plays from the Bahamas next Sunday will be difficult to identify.
Rumor has it that more fun awaits us on a Thursday night when Kentucky take on Mexico’s Tec De Monterrey.