Jacob Toppin admits it has been frustrating to be slowed by a shoulder injury. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Junior Jacob Toppin has had to watch a lot of Kentucky basketball from the bench this season because of a shoulder injury that caused him to miss four games and have only limited playing time in another game.
So what has he learned about UK during the team’s 6-1 start?
“We’re learning to trust one another, and it shows that we’re getting better at trusting each other more. We’re sharing the ball more and we’re getting the shots that we want,” said Toppin after Monday’s win over Central Michigan. “Some are falling, some aren’t, so we just have to become more consistent shooting the ball and we will be good going down the stretch.”
Kentucky is shooting 48.3 percent overall from the field and 33.1 percent from 3-point range.
Kentucky does have other areas of concern for Toppin.
“Defensively, we can get better. We have practice every day. We work on defense because that’s what we want to be. We want to be a defensive team, and that’s what we’re going to work on,” Toppin said.
A healthy Toppin could be a Godsend for Kentucky’s defense because of his ability to guard multiple positions and players. However, he’s not full-go just yet.
“It’s still frustrating. I’m not 100 percent right now but I am working back to being 100 percent,” Toppin said. “I don’t have a long way to go. I’m still getting treatment and still doing all these things to strengthen my shoulder, so I’ll be back to 100 percent soon.”
He has a needed break now as Kentucky does not play again until hosting Southern on Tuesday. After that, Kentucky will play better teams — Notre Dame, Ohio State, and then Louisville Dec. 22. Currently UK is on a seven-game streak against teams the Cats easily overmatch.
“It’s hard because we get up big and then we try to slow down, and coach Calipari always preaches to keep the foot on the gas pedal, and that is what we need to do,” Toppin said.
“I think we’re getting better at that once we get a lead. We’re still pushing the ball, we’re still moving the ball, and we’re still sharing and getting the shots that we want.”
4 Responses
This team played well in games 2, 4, and 6. However, the team efficiency in those 3 games declined from the peak in game 2 to the peaks at games 4 and 6.
In games 1, 3, 5, and 7, this team played as poorly as last year’s team based on game efficiencies compared to last year”s season-ending team efficiency. Furthermore, in game 7, this team played its best 1/2 game of basketball in the first half, but could not put a strong second half with it. Actually, the second half was among the weakest halves played by this team thus far this season as they stumbled to the end against a team that most people acknowledge as the weakest opponent on the 2021-22 UK schedule.
Some say this is a mark of inconsistency that will improve as these players "learn to trust" each other, but the measure of inconsistency is the standard deviation, and through 7 games, this team’s standard deviation has been about the same as it usually is, season after season. The quality of play is a function of the average level of performance over the course of several games (and 7 games is enough to establish that average), not the standard deviation. This team’s average level of performance has not been at a level that is competitive on the national championship stage.
I hope the players learn to trust one another. That will be good for the players. I hope they can get healthy. Becoming wealthy and wise would be nice outcomes too.
However, what I really want as a fan is a program that is a legitimate contender for the national championship. When that happens, the players by definition must be a trusting lot, and they will become wealthy too.
However, championship quality basketball has been sorely missing from this program since 2015 under Calipari’s leadership.
Can you name any other coach that can handle this type of pressure. Get the level of recruits that he get? The day of a player staying for four years at one program is pretty much over. That mean that coaches have try to rebuild or and in a pieces to their program every year. A blue blood program such as Kentucky mean they can get the best out of the recruiting and the transfer. Even then the kids got to buy in and play as one but most of have chemistry. I too as a fan would love for Kentucky to win the championship every but realistically we have one of the best at getting Kentucky in the running at that. The game is mostly won on runs and spurts. That will also happen in the season on wins and losses, that will be the same at having very good and great teams, and championships my friend. So please give us a list of 7 coaches that have gotten their schools in more position to win or be in the running for a NC, over the last 13 years other than our coach. Please
It’s not so much about trust as it is trying to make the most of limited minutes. If the guys were to commit to making this team the very best it can be, an SEC title and second weekend play at the Dance would be very attainable goals. If the guys focus on making their individual game better in hopes of an NBA future next year, then neither of those goals are likely to materialize. Sometimes, I wonder if Coach uses the players first objective as an excuse for not accomplishing more as a team.
His teams that were very good were very good quickly and stayed very good throughout the season. This business about needing 2 or 3 months to develop is nothing but BS to cover up and excuse the mediocre play.
Enough is enough.