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By: LARRY VAUGHT
LEXINGTON — Tod Lanter has had a lot of talented teammates during his Kentucky career, but admits freshmen Trey Lyles, Tyler Ulis, Devin Booker and Karl Anthony-Towns are “amazingly” mature
“That is a testament to Cal (coach John Calipari) for recruiting the right type of guys. He has always said that he can get good guys that realize this is not easy and they have to work, and he does,” said Lanter. “We haven’t had any problems off the court or attitude-wise in the past six years.
“Having returners for once has instilled a mindset in these young guys about how hard we have to work and there are no possessions off even in practice. It’s looking good so far with how they are doing that.
“All four of them have milestones they would like to reach and they are determined to do that. They realize if they are going to compete for minutes, they have to put extra work in beside from practice and they have been more than willing to do that. It’s going to be fun.”
Lanter, a guard, has been especially impressed with what he’s seen from Ulis, a speedy point guard, and Booker, a 3-point specialist.
“Their mindset is far beyond their years of experience. They went from playing against 17-year-old mediocre high school players for the most part to professionals that have children and families that are 35 and doing this for years in the Bahamas (on UK’s exhibition trip in August),” Lanter said. “Their ability level and being able to handle the pressure put on them immediately speaks wonders for them.”
Lanter remembers watching the way Anthony Davis grew up during UK’s 2012 national championship season when he became the nation’s dominant player as a freshman. Now he’s a NBA standout.
“There was a point in year both the media and fans didn’t think Anthony was the best player on team but that Mike (Michael Kidd-Gilchrist) was. He ended the year the best player in the world,” Lanter said.
“Karl coming in has the skill set and the size to be successful. He has a long way to go, but it has been done by Anthony. People have taken leaps here and he has the drive and attitude to do that and coaches and players to push him. It’s possible that he could be astounding by the time the year is over. He’s that good.”
Ulis quickly showed UK fans with his play in the Bahamas that they probably had underestimated him because of his 5-9 frame.
“But all four of them have impressed me more than I expected. I didn’t know much about any of them coming in. I am not one that buys in to highlight tapes much. People questioned Tyler’s size and with past experiences we’ve had with guards here, that’s a logical assumption,” Lanter said.
“I am not looking to say I doubted any of them, but they showed all of us they can play and they are not hear to watch other guys. They are going to push other guys and play their roles. Tyler is a bull. He is not going to take being bumped around and we saw that in the Bahamas. I think he responds well to on-ball pressure and mental pressure. That’s what you have to have under this microscope, and he’s got it.”
Lanter also likes the way Lyles and Booker have been so open to leadership from older players, including him.
“I think all returners have done a good job of explaining what the coaches expect from them. Let’s face it — the coaches are not always clear in what they want. They tell you to do something, but they don’t tell you how to do it,” Lanter said. “These returners have learned what is expected and know what Coach means and they have shown them what is expected.
“All four of them are looking for advice and want to learn. They want them to feed them what they know and teach them this is what it will take. Devin and Trey just a little more quiet than what you see until you get to know them a little more. Karl is very open but they are all vocal and outgoing on the court and that’s what we need from them to be the team we can be.”
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