Andrew Carr has been amazed by Travis Perry's 3-point accuracy. (UK Athletics Photo)
If Mark Pope has his way, Kentucky is going to shoot a lot of 3-point shots next season and that’s why freshman Travis Perry might have a chance to make a bigger impact for the Cats than many are expecting.
Perry scored a state record 5,481 points at Lyon County and won a state championship his senior year.
Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr said Thursday that Perry has already impressed him — and others — with his shooting in summer practices.
“Travis Perry has done a really great job,” Carr said. “Sometimes you walk in (the gym) and he’s at 500, 600 shots up in the day, something like that. And he’s still at 85 percent. And I’m like, how is that possible?
“I look over and it’s all 3’s. He’s at 85 percent. It’s pretty crazy. He made 59 in a row from the corner the other day. It’s incredible.”
Lyon County fans might not be surprised and others who followed his high school career knew he was an extraordinary shooter. However, summer practice uncontested shots do not always translate to in-season success even though I think they will with Perry.
The 6-11 Carr hit 37 percent from 3 on 97 attempts at Wake Forest last season and he can’t wait to shoot even more 3-pointers this year like Kentucky coaches are already encouraging him to do.
“I think it will be really, really cool to be able to play super fast and have the freedom to be as aggressive as early as possible in the clock. We always talk about getting the ball over (half) court in the first three seconds (of the shot clock),” Carr said.
“That’s a really fun way to play. And not many coaches are telling you, ‘If you don’t shoot the ball, you’re gonna sit next to me.’ So, it’s a lot of fun.”
BYU averaged 32 3’s per game last year under Pope and he wants a higher number this season with a lot of the long-range shots coming in transition.
Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh took 53 3-pointers last season and hit 38 percent. Like Carr, he expects to shoot more 3’s this season.
“It’s just a lot of going up and down,” Oweh said about UK’s style of play. “Just getting a feel. The way we play, you have to have a good connection with everybody.”
Ansley Almonor was a 38 percent 3-point shooter at Fairleigh Dickinson last season. He notes that UK has a “lot of shooters” and Pope emphasizes putting up 3’s every practice.
“Lot of shots, make sure we’re perfecting our craft and that’s something he emphasizes a lot as a key to how we’re gonna play this year, how we’re gonna beat teams. We’re gonna take a lot of 3’s and we’re gonna make a lot of 3’s,” Almonor said.
“I don’t know how these teams are going to try to defend us all game long. Especially the way Coach wants to play — so fast. It’s going to be tough for these teams to try and keep up with us, for sure.”
“If you wanna guard us, you’re gonna have to be in shape,” Oweh said Thursday.
14 Responses
Well, Rick was pretty successful with this formula. That’s where the pro game is now – 3’s and dunks. Should benefit recruiting as well !
Talk of Travis Perry redshirting or not playing much is ridiculous.
He ran and won a marathon after playing basketball one Saturday when he was in Highschool. Nobody guarding him will be in better shape than him. He just wears his defender out.
He ran a marathon? First time I have heard that
Yes I read it in last years Cats Paws preseason Yearbook.
Great post! So true!! I agree!!!
But, haven’t you read that Perry will not play this season? LOL LOL
I don’t have a problem with someone having a different opinion about who will play the most or start. But I am so fed up with crude & nasty childish remarks made by anyone who disagrees.
That’s why they play the games. Maybe Larry V can prepare some crow stew and have it ready for those who incorrectly predict whether Perry will play with significant contributions or sit in the bench/redshirt. I’m confident I won’t be eating any crow!
This is what the GREAT FANS of KENTUCKY BASKETBALL is all about and what they have been WAITING for the LAST FIFTEEN YEARS .Travis PERRY will light it up as well as a FEW OTHERS that shoot the 3.COACH POPE knows what he is facing and knows just what he is DOING ,so SIT back WILDCATS and ENJOY what LIES ahead . This is from a 83 year OLD WILDCAT fan for 75 YEARS listing to or WATCHING the WILDCATS. COACH POPE best of LUCK and if nothing else BEAT ARKANSAS and the TRAITOR WAGNER for the language he used towards LEAVING KY BASKETBALL, by at least 30 POINTS. GO BIG BLUE.
Travis Perry WILL PLAY A LOT this season AND he will HIT 3’s with 50% accuracy!!!
It makes you wonder if Pope has had a chance to talk to some experts who are positive Perry will HAVE to redshirt because he won’t get to play. 85% accuracy from 3 when taking 500 or more shots is just not good enough. Surely thousands of players do it every day in HS & elsewhere.
Well, I think I’ll let Coach Mark Pope make the decision whether or not to play the guy who shattered King Kelly Coleman’s long standing KY HS scoring record!!!
How can so many players with so much successful experience think Perry is going to make an impact thai season? Haven’t some “self-appointed experts”made it clear with comments on VV that Perry will NOT play this season and will have to redshirt unless he wants to waste a year sitting on the bench?
Let’s quickly rank each Kentucky player’s career three-point percentage going into this season:
・Koby Brea: 43.3% Trent Noah: 43% (2023-24 at Harlan County)
・Travis Perry: 41.7% (2023-24 at Lyon County) Ansley Almonor: 38.5%
・Collin Chandler: 37% (2019-22 at Farmington) Kerr Kriisa: 36.8%
・Otega Oweh: 36.8% Andrew Carr: 34.4% Jaxson Robinson: 34.3%
・Lamont Butler: 32.1% Amari Williams: 30.8%
・Brandon Garrison: (has not attempted a 3 point shot in a game) Team AVERAGE: 37.2%
My take: I can see a lot of shots taken in the first 10 seconds of the shot clock with Pope’s motion offense. We won’t make 60% of them, so there will be plenty of rebound opportunities for putbacks or kickouts for another 3. This will be paired with a smothering defense as well, but with 12 kids capable of contributing, fouls and fatigue shouldn’t be a problem. This reminds me of Pitino’s first Kentucky team, but this team has shooters, defenders, and rebounders! Not bad for a team that only had one commitment after the middle of April. Kentucky will once again be feared every time we take the floor! Kentucky basketball is back! Go CATS!!!
Agree 100%.
The depth will make it possible to maintain the shark feeding frenzy defense. Fresh legs will be a very big advantage especially in the last segment of a game. If it’s close, then UK will start getting more open shots late in the game because defenders won’t be able to keep up. If it’s a runaway, then Coach Pope may invite a few fans to play the last few minutes since it might be 125-45 with a few minutes left.
It is not “conventional coaching” to have more than 7 or 8 players in a rotation, but depth AND AN INTELLIGENT COACH who can keep track of every player and who does not have pets guaranteed minutes to try to push them into the draft, will make UK a unique team in many respects.
Those FG%’s from 3 in the high 30’s are very acceptable and will probably improve with the practices and game plan aligned to prepare players mentally and team-work wise to expect some good fairly open shots due to ball movement & players moving without the ball.
The FF will not surprise me this year. Pope will draw the hunger for a Title out of the depths of these older players who never had a vision for the FF til they came to UK and had a coach with a realistic vision.
Perry was hounded & double teamed in HS, but won’t be double teamed @ UK because everyone else on the floor will be able to score if left unattended. The same goes for all the UK players.
I wonder/worry about the long athletic SEC defenders – I guess the 3’s off the break will be the equalizer !?
A legitimate concern, but I do believe fatigue will wear them down when Pope plays a lot of guys to keep fresh legs on the floor.
All 5 Kentucky players will be streaking down the floor and will have fresh legs to do so. 3s won’t be the only shots taken. There will be a lot of easy 2s also. There will be very few times when an opposing defense will get to set up in a 5 on 5 matchup.
Read yesterday Perry made 58 straight 3pt shot from the corner during practice. REDSHIRT is hogwash
I hope this summer prediction stands on what it weighs. He will get playing time against eastern Kentucky and the non conference schedule. We’ve also heard last summer that Justin Edwards in practice looked like Michael Jordan. Taking wide open 3 pointers in a gym with no defenders doesn’t give a example against SEC competition with a better and taller athlete with a hand in his face. He could surprise me and earn some playing time. I still say he gets 10th or 11th man minutes. I’ve seen him play in 4 games. He was very good against very weak competition. Decent against stellar competition. He’s a great player and the way Pope wants to run the other teams legs off he might get 5-10 mpg, and I hope he does but I’ve heard every year certain players shooting countless unattested 3 pointers and not missing and then they freeze up in the game and can’t get a shot off. Like I said I hope he scores double figures every game but we will see soon enough. Remember in the non conference we play Gonzaga Ohio State and a couple of more big name teams. That’s where you see what kids are made of. I don’t expect him to play to much he might get some minutes to give others a rest. My buddy plays with some of the guys on the team and said nobody can stop Oweh. Oweh completely dominates with his body. But don’t get to hung up on summer tabloids. I can make 50 out of 100 3’s from the corner unguarded. No I can’t make 50 something in a row but I’m also 40 years old. That stat tells me nothing. Like I said I hope he scores double figures and we win the championship, but I still don’t see Perry being a main contributor. Like I said he may squeeze 5-10 mpg of action up if he wants it more and practices for it. I think the best thing about Perry is that the others will follow his lead and stay in the gym. He’s a gym rat.