Vicky Graff Photo
Kentucky coach Mark Pope was not surprised his team played well against Lipscomb and had no trouble winning 97-68 even if others worried the Cats might have trouble bouncing back from last week’s win over Duke.
In fact, Pope said he didn’t “stress” about any kind of letdown.
“We don’t stress, we don’t get nervous, we don’t worry because it doesn’t actually work,” Pope said after the game Tuesday night. “Sometimes we think if teams have a letdown after a big win that if the coach had just brought about the possibility it would not have happened. We all think overkill.
“We don’t actually do it at all. We’re going to always be focused on what we need to do. It’s human nature to worry about that a little bit but we really work hard to focus on what we’re trying to do. Our guys are really hungry to get better. We’re hungry to become a great team.
“The last game was over and it was on to, how can we get better. We’re not going to focus on what we don’t want to have happen, we’re going to focus on what we do want to have happen.”
What point guard Lamont Butler wanted was to be a better 3-point shooter this year after transferring from San Diego State to UK to play for Pope. He scored 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field, including 3-for-3 from 3.
“It was a good day— good shooting day for me. I work on it a lot,” Butler said. “I think it was just the results of the work I put in and the confidence that my teammates have in me— go out there and shoot that shot and just make plays for each other.”
He focused on his shot a lot during summer workouts and feels his form and mechanics have both improved.
“I think I get my feet in place almost every shot, but just getting the reps, repping out makes. I’m able to shoot with all of these guys — Kobe [Brea] and Travis [Perry], guys like that, Ansley [Almanor] — so I was able to build my confidence and every game I’m bringing the shot,” Butler said.
It also helps that Pope wants UK to shoot 3’s. The coach was actually a bit disappointed his team got only 25 3’s against Lipscomb.
“He doesn’t back down from any shot. If I feel comfortable shooting it, he’s comfortable with it,” Butler said about Pope. “It definitely gives us confidence to go out there and just make shots and make plays.”
Kentucky-Lipscomb Basketball
Photos by Vicky Graff
One Response
Chandler is very rusty. I don’t think he will be back to his high school form until the mid way point this season. When you play basketball and you never stop playing you stay in a rythym. I would notice a big difference in my game after baseball season in High school. When I would start playing summer basketball and I would take the spring off for baseball I would not be the same guy I was just 3-4 months of not playing. I can’t imagine taking 2 years off. It takes a long time to get back into the same shape and your shot takes awhile to get back. I don’t think he’s back yet. I think he still has a couple months to go to even get were he was. He looks slower than he was in high school. I still think he’s one of the leading scorers next year. But like I said be patient with him.