Even With Top Recruiting Class UK Still Needs Shooters

Vicky Graff Photo

Kentucky has the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class but Sporting News columnist Mike DeCourcy believes that coach John Calipari still needs to add shooters for next season to go with his incoming freshmen.

Guard CJ Fredrick has announced he will not be back at Kentucky next year and Antonio Reeves has put his name into the NBA draft even though he could still return to UK for another season.

“You need to have as many shooters in the program as you can. They were short on that last year and relied too much on Antonio,” DeCourcy said.  “Some of that was CJ was hurt.”

Reeves became UK’s best — and sometimes only — 3-point threat and perimeter scorer but in the NCAA Tournament second-round loss to Kansas State he missed his first 14 shots, including nine from 3, before making his last shot.

“Everybody has bad days as a shooter. The best guys have their 1-for-7 days but they could not afford that because there was nobody else to make shots,” DeCourcy said. “Cason (Wallace) was struggling to defend because his leg was not healthy and then he had to run the point and now they needed him to make shots. That’s a lot to ask.

“I think they really need Antonio back but if they get him back he needs to play fewer minutes and be in a more specific role. When he is on, he plays a fair amount. But when he is not on, his minutes go lower. But he should never play more than 22 minutes in a game based on what he showed this year.

“Get him in, get him two or three shots and get him out before he hurts you defensively. That would be ideal for next season if Kentucky could do that. But they definitely need him and probably another shooter because no one guy is going to be on every game.”