Brandon Garrison with coach Mark Pope. (UK Athletics Photo)
Kentucky coach Mark Pope wants his team to keep growing and learning and it never stops.
“Hopefully, our confidence is growing all the time,” Pope said. “I think mostly what (the win over Duke) gives us is like we’re just hungry to grow.”
The growth has been evident within the program after last week’s 77-72 signature win over Duke. As a result of the upset win, the Wildcats (3–0) made a big leap in the Associated Press Top 25 poll on Monday, climbing nine spots from 19th to No. 9. The Blue Devils dropped six spots down to 12th in the poll.
“I feel like it’s always good vibes around the whole team,” 6-foot-11 sophomore Brandon Garrison said. “But even better vibes since we pulled off the win versus Duke. I feel like it would give any team confidence. Third game in, beating a decent opponent like Duke, I feel like that will help our confidence for the rest of the season.”
Like Garrison, Pope is eager to see his team’s progression from start to finish and added it’s all about humility and curiosity.
Pope knows his team has “limited time” and “it’s just a race to see how fast we can grow.
“I think the biggest thing is to just go play again, find out who we are and how we can get better and what we can do better and how (much) we can grow,” he said. “It’s a race, with a team that’s constructed the way this team had to be — where everyone is new — is just a race from our first game on Nov. 4 to hopefully the Final Four.”
Garrison played a big role off the bench in the second half of Kentucky’s win over Duke and finished with eight points, including four during a crucial stretch in the second half.
“It meant a lot because I knew my team needed something from me,” Garrison said. “I started off the game slow, and the coaches were telling me to pick it up, and I picked it up right there. I’m an energy dude, and I feel like (when) my energy is up and I’m running the court, blocking shots that my team feeds off that.”
Coming off a five-point win over the Blue Devils, Kentucky will take on Lipscomb Tuesday night, the first of four straight home games to close out November.
Garrison said the Wildcats can’t afford to “get too big-headed and come in like we just won the national championship.
“We’ve got to take every game like it’s a big game,” Garrison said. “We’ve put (the Duke) game past us now, and we’re looking at Lipscomb — that’s our next big game.”
The Bison are 2-3 on the season, with losses to Belmont, Western Kentucky and Arkansas.
“(We) can’t go in there and think we’re going to walk over them because they’re going to put up a fight,” Garrison said.
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The team is still learning Pope’s system. It’s one thing to understand the system; it’s a totally different thing to have the confidence in themselves and each other to execute the system. They are still passing up shots that should be taken. They are thinking it’s too early in the shot clock, not enough guys have touched the ball, what if I miss. As a result, they are holding the ball too long at times, dribbling too much looking for a one on one drive to the basket (I know I can make those shots), and that slows the game down which neutralizes our biggest advantage…running at the opposing team in waves. They have to believe they are going to hit every shot and if they miss, forget that and take the next one. The shot you miss every time is the one you think too much about before taking it. This is a team of shooters…it’s in their DNA. If this team puts up 35 three pointers, they are going to make 13 or more. That opens up the lane for quick twos. That speeds up the game and juices up the defense which leads to turnovers and transition baskets. Sure you get tired quicker, but so does the other team. We have another wave of guys ready to come in while the first wave catches their breath. Most of the other teams won’t have that kind of depth. The second wave will get tired in 4 or 5 minutes, but then the first wave comes back in…rested. Most players have learned to pace themselves so they can play the entire game…they have to unlearn that here. It’s early and they are still learning. NOBODY will recognize this team now versus how they will look at tourney time. Pope has the right system. The kids will learn it and believe in it as the season unfolds. The SEC teams are going to wonder where in the hell did this come from…especially after having played so many Calipari teams that were one on one NBA wannabes. After this season, and from then on, NOBODY will talk about SEC basketball without talking about Mark Pope and Kentucky FIRST! That’s the way it should be. That’s the way it WILL BE. Kentucky basketball is in good hands. Go CATS!!!
I gave lipscomb 21 points and took the over at 160. I did a parlay and also gave bellarmine 23 points vs louisville. I’m now thinking I should have just bet on the Kentucky game. Bellarmine usually plays Louisville close. I think they beat Louisville a couple of years ago. Lol I live close to bellarmine so I see the soccer fields and such everyday. The great thing about this team is they can only get better. They have been playing together for 3-4 months. By the time we get to the SEC games they should be gellin. I also think Garrison by the end of the year will be just as good as Williams is. I think next year he has a all sec kind of year.