TyTy Washington had injuries impact his play the final six weeks of the season. (Photo by UK Athletics)
If you look at NBA mock drafts, most have Kentucky freshman guard TyTy Washington as a late lottery pick — a higher spot than either Tyrese Maxey or Immanuel Quickley went two years ago.
Washington has put his name into the draft, hired an agent and will not be back at Kentucky next season.
Krysten Peek, basketball analyst/writer for Yahoo.com and Rivals.com, believes upcoming workouts with NBA teams could improve Washington’s draft stock. He admitted after the season ended that he was never fully healthy after being injured against Auburn and then re-injuring the same ankle against Florida.
“I really think TyTy is a player who can rise up the draft boards. He will be healthy when he works out for teams,” Peek said. “I think he will be better in the NBA with the ball in his hands. You did not get to see that a lot at Kentucky with (Sahvir) Wheeler having the ball in his hands so much.”
“NBA teams are looking for good lead guards who are competitive and can give you minutes off the bench if needed. TyTy can do all that.”
What about the chatter that Oscar Tshiebwe might be a potential late first-round draft pick now?
“If a team needs a rim runner and somebody to protect the lane, he could easily be that guy in the late first round or very early in the second round,” Peek said. “I am not sure he’s a first-round pick this year but he could be.
“What he is doing right now is smart. Listen to the feedback NBA teams give him and then make a decision, especially if NIL roadblocks keep impacting him.”
2 Responses
Possibly, but he plays too soft at times.
TyTy led the team with point guard responsibility in one game vs Georgia when Wheeler was recovering from whiplash. And he showed what he is, and will be in the NBA.
8 of 13 shooting for 17 pts, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, only 2 turnovers AND BROKE THE UK ASSISTS RECORD with 17 assists!! ONE GAME to display his true talents at his actual NBA position, and he did not disappoint.
He is a high IQ, calm, decisive, team player.
We all witnessed the incredible TyTy vs Ga. performance showing what he can do with the ball in hands (that is, for more than 3 seconds per possession)
……..and then a few games later, with TyTy and Wheeler out, versus Alabama, what about Kellan Grady’s performance at point guard with the ball in HIS hands (that is, for more than 1 second at a time in a top of the key offensive weave system, or ……a catch, covered up by defense, so immediately pass back to Wheeler offense)?
Frankly, I was surprised the coaching staff didn’t at least try to work that success into the offensive philosophy.
I thought for sure, when Wheeler and TyTy came back from injury, we were going to surprise all opponents who thought they had our number….. a new offense with Wheeler running the ball up looking for the fast break, then if the fast break failed, turn the ball over to Washington and/or Grady to run the offensive set.
End of shot clock? Back to wheeler to drive and flip up a shot or pass out to the wings, as he did so effectively all season.
To me, the question directed at Grady so many times " you scored a zillion points at Davidson, why can’t you score for us?" was definitively answered versus Alabama with:
7 of 9 3pt shooting, 25 pts, 3 reb, only 2 turnovers…….
Just put the ball in his hands!
As a spot up shooter, he struggled to run all over the court trying to lose his defender waiting for a catch and shoot. But, with the ball in his hands, he only needed his defender to sleep for a split second to get his shot off. Or a half dozen other options as point. That is how he played and scored a zillion at Davidson.
I thought he did an admirable job of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole in his new role at Ky all season as a catch and shoot specialist, sometimes in amazing, twisting ways. But when teams had a lock down defender that could face guard him on the wings, he was stagnant in an offense not designed to free up 3 point shooters.
TyTy will be fine. And I hope someone gives Kellan a chance- he’s a tremendous young man too.