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There’s is no doubt and never has been about Alex Poythress’ talent for John Calipari. Instead, the question for the Kentucky coach becomes just how hard he can get the UK freshman to play.
“Alex, it’s just a motor. We’ve got to get him to understand how hard on every possession you must play,” Calipari said. “When we get him there, he will be scary. But right now, we are going to be behind. That’s just the way it is.
“Last year we had Doron (Lamb), Terrence (Jones) and Darius (Miller). They had all been to a Final Four the year before. You are talking about one truly veteran player (Kyle Wiltjer) and two that seem to be as veteran as we keep here in two-year guys. We need Alex to play with that motor.”
Poythress, a power forward from Clarksville, Tenn., knows that and has already had many one-on-one conversations with Calipari about his intensity.
“He talks with me a lot about that. I am just trying to be like Mike (Kidd-Gilchrist was last year), trying to walk in his footsteps and play that role he played last year,” Poythress said.
Those are big footsteps, because not only was Kidd-Gilchrist the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft behind teammate Anthony Davis, but he was also one of the most intense players ever to play at Kentucky.
“I play that way all the time, I think. I can do that for this team. You just have to play hard all the time and not take plays off,” Poythress said.
“I was used to doing that in high school when I was double- and triple-teamed so much. It was good preparation for here now that everybody is really good and I won’t have two or three people on me. There’s no reason for me not to play harder than anyone else.
“I like that expectation of being like Mike. You have to have big expectations and set expectations high so you have something to live up to and work for.”
Poythress watched Kentucky’s national championship team play as much as possible last year and thought it was “pretty cool how they came together as a team” under Calipari. He says this season’s four freshmen are “really close” and willing to do the same things last year’s freshmen did to help the Wildcats win.
“We all have a time to lead. We all have times to step up and speak our mind,” he said. “I do it when I need to, but I don’t like to really talk like that. But if I need to do it, I will.”
Kidd-Gilchrist was the same way, and Poythress says he’ll also “be like Mike” on the court.
“There is no need to do all that celebrating or talking on the court. Let your game do that,” he said. “I just take it one day at a time. You never know what the future will hold. You can’t control that. So just go play hard and enjoy it.”
DraftExpress.com analyst Matt Kamalsky said he believes Poythress has even better talent than many realize.
“Poythress has all the physical tools to be a great NBA small forward and has shown remarkable development in his skill set over the past year and change,” Kamalsky said. “He is so versatile on the offensive end for a player his age, and it seems like he keeps finding more ways to impact the game as he's matured.
“If he can become a reliable 3-point shooter, get stronger and learn to make the most of that strength when attacking the rim, he can be a special talent.”
“Even with how highly touted he is coming in, I think Poythress has the potential to be to surprise of this UK recruiting class.”
That’s quite a feat for a player who once had trouble beating his twin sister in their middle school basketball battles.
“Yeah, she could beat me, but then I got bigger and started whipping on her. It was just a brother-sister rivalry. I think she enjoyed beating me more than I did when I beat her,” he said. “But I guess you could say that did motivate me to improve.”
His sister, who thought of playing volleyball in college, is now at Kentucky with him.
“I try to see her every day. She was trying to go somewhere to play volleyball but decided to come here,” Poythress said. “She will probably be my toughest critic. That’s good. She is not going to (lie to) me. She is going to tell me the truth, and you need that.”
His mother, Regina, was always the same way.
“She had a real big impact on my whole life. She has always been there for me,” Poythress said. “She’s the person I learned my work ethic from. She always pushed me. She probably worries all the time about me now. She tries not to call me every day. She will be at most of the games, but I know she worries.”
Poythress says his explosiveness on the court is all natural and something he’s been able to do without any special work.
“I never really did work special on it. I never did leg strength work, just upper body stuff. I have always been athletic and able to jump and block shots. But you have to keep progressing all the time,” he said.
He credits his high school coach, Al Cooper, for pushing him when he needed it.
“He had a great impact on me. He used to coach my sister when she actually played basketball, so I have been around him for a lot of years,” Poythress said. “He was always tough on me, doing drills with me. He had a big influence on my work ethic, too. He pushed me really hard sometimes to where I almost didn’t like him. I didn’t understand then what he was doing, but I do now and really appreciate it.
“I am proud of what I did in high school. I was one of the first McDonald’s All-Americans from Clarksville, junior All-American. I was proud of that. It was like a dream come true to go play in all those all-star games I got to play in across the country. As a little kid you dream about that after watching games on ESPN.”
He’s been trying to “sleep as much as possible” when not in class or on the basketball court. When he is working out, he’s been doing a variety of things.
“With the post players, we do hook shots. With the guards, we do triple moves, in-and-outs. Work on finishing different ways at the rim and jump shots,” he said. “I just want to do whatever my role is and play how I need to play. I can do whatever I am asked.”
Kentucky fans started coming to Poythress’ high school games after he signed with UK, and he has gotten a taste of the passion fans have already since he got to campus.
“The fans have been crazy saying they love you and Kentucky basketball,” he said. “I know Big Blue Madness will be crazy. I think I will enjoy that a lot. I have never had that experience before.
“But everything has been good. Classes are going good. They are pretty simple for the most part. Just do your work and you will be fine.”
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