Vicky Graff Photo
Fifth-year player Tre Mitchell thought it was easy to see how well his Kentucky freshman teammates handled the late-game pressure in Saturday’s win over North Carolina.
“You all saw it out there. They made plays down the stretch, big baskets. They were willing to step up and make the play as opposed to Kansas (when UK didn’t make plays late in the loss),” Mitchel said. “You see how we learned from that. Now that we have games like this, you see the fire in their eyes and they are ready to go get it.”
Having a healthy Aaron Bradshaw the last three games has impacted Mitchell’s role but that’s fine with him. Mitchell says there is more “switching” on defense and that has allowed him to go on the court to guard smaller players rather than staying inside.
“It has been great to have him back. You can see the impact he’s had on the court and it gives us all a lot more freedom out there,” Mitchell said.
The Cats play again at rival Louisville Thursday night but no way will that atmosphere match what it was like in Atlanta against North Carolina. The Cards are 5-6 and reeling going into this game.
“It felt like we were about to go on a deep run. You felt the crowd’s energy and intensity” Mitchell said after the win. “I think being able to feel that intensity for these (young) guys so early speaks volumes for how much they want to win.”
Mitchell believes Kentucky’s overall scoring balance will be a problem for teams all season. Kentucky had eight players with seven or more points in the win against North Carolina.
“You have seen it all season. We have four, five, six dudes in multiple figures,” Mitchell said. “We know dudes to the left or right of us are elite basketball players and that makes the game so much easier for each one of us.”
