Cats can go unbeaten

By LARRY VAUGHT



Before the season started, ESPN analyst and former Duke star Jay Williams said this was the “scariest” team coach John Calipari had put together during his time at Kentucky.

Now in mid-January, he still believes that Kentucky could go unbeaten despite needing an overtime to beat Ole Miss and two overtimes to down Texas A&M. The Cats bounced back with a 49-point win over Missouri on Tuesday.

“I am one who thought, and still do think, that Kentucky could go defeated in the regular season,” said Williams Wednesday during an ESPN teleconference. “They are a young team and can slip up on the road.”

Texas A&M players indicated they felt disrespected by ESPN analysts like Williams predicting UK could go unbeaten in league play — a feat Florida accomplished last year.

“I don’t think that is a slap in the face to the rest of the SEC,” Williams said. “I think the SEC is really good. I think it is more a testament to how good Kentucky is. I think this will be an ongoing thing. The more Kentucky wins close games, the more you will say they can be beaten but the fact of the matter is they found ways to win close games.”

He noted that Tennessee upset Arkansas and that UK has to play in Knoxville. He said the game Saturday at Alabama could be trouble.

“I would not put anything past Florida. LSU’s front line could give them trouble. They lost at South Carolina last year. Georgia could be a tough place to play,” Williams said. “So it (saying UK could go unbeaten) was no disrespect to the conference. It’s more respect for the talent on the Kentucky roster and what they possess.”

He believes Calipari has “one of the most difficult jobs in all of basketball” because of what comes with the type of talented players he recruits.

"You have nine McDonald's All-Americans, who came with something," he said about UK. "What I mean by that is when I was a player, I came (to Duke) with something. I came with a mother, a father, an AAU coach. I came with people yapping in my ear, trying to tell me how I needed to be better in order to achieve my overall goal, which was trying to be a dominating college basketball player and be a guy who eventually makes it in the NBA.”

He said “Kentucky basketball is reality TV” and rattled off a long list of questions from who is the best point guard to more touches for Karl-Anthony Towns to more minutes for Trey Lyles as possible “clutter” items for the Cats.

"As Cal is trying to figure out what makes the team great, he's trying to balance how to keep everybody actively engaged," Williams said. "It's going to be an on-going thing for Cal throughout the entire year."

Williams said he believes UK, like a lot of teams, is still looking for a leader. He said players leaving early for the NBA or transferring to a new school prevents most teams from having a “bonafide” leader.

He said few teams have struggles scrutinized like Kentucky does and did after the close calls with Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

“I love the fact they are still finding a way to win,” Williams said. “When you are not making shots, how do you find a way to win, especially on the road. I give Cal and a young team a ton of credit. Their trajectory is going in the right direction.”

He believes SEC games will adequately prepare UK for March Madness because the SEC is “exponentially better” than given credit for.

Williams thinks three Cats — Towns, Aaron Harrison and Tyler Ulis — have the biggest upsides between now and postseason play and could be “really impactful” at the end of the year.

Towns and Williams both were high school stars at St. Joseph in Piscataway, N.J.

He said he knows UK’s balance leads to limited minutes for everyone, including Towns. "No doubt in my mind he's a guy who can go off for 30 (points) in a game," he said. “I have seen him do it.”

He said Harrison “is a guy who can shoot better” like he did against Missouri Tuesday when he was 5-for-6 from 3-point range after going 4-for-20 from the field in the win at Texas A&M.

However, he said the “kid I truly love” is Ulis, a freshman pont guard.

“He has a chance to change the complexion of a game because of his ability to apply pressure on both ends,” Williams said.

Williams said as a former point guard, he “hated” to play against a quick point guard who could make him work and then having to guard someone so explosive.

“He adds another dimension,” Williams said.