Things to watch for in tonight's game v Morehead

[Edward100]

I thought Twany was a point guard when he transferred here, anyone?

[akaukswoosh]

I thought Twany was a point guard when he transferred here, anyone?

That's right.

[Darrell KSR]

I'm in a big minority, but I'd like to see more of Twany Beckham on the floor. I think he can handle it. He has a poise factor that you can't measure in stats. JMO.

[CatQuick]

I have a sinking feeling it may be "point guard by committee" for the rest of the season. Best combo is probably some Polson/Mays mix. Archie needs to be on the wing. I agree - give Beckham a shot at some playing time!

[Darrell KSR]

This is why I will look forward to Tyler resuming these.

The 3 points picked out--well, the PG is an easy pick; that will be an issue all season, probably even if/when Harrow returns. The Poythress consistency was interesting to me--I thought he picked it up fine after he and UK got figuratively socked in the mouth a few times, and then understood where he was and what he had to do.

The "X" factor--there was none. UK played 7 players the entire game, with the base of the players being a 6-player rotation. Polson added quality minutes, I guess, but as the 7th man, played only 13.

Attachment 1192
Twany Beckham

Tyler is traveling to the game today, so in his absence, I thought I would pick up his series with my own thoughts, albeit a weak sister to his more astute observations.

*Point guard play:

Sorry to continue to repeat this, but it is becoming evident this will be the most critical issue for the Kentucky Wildcats this season. We began the year wondering if Ryan Harrow would be able to pick up where John Wall, Brandon Knight, and Marquis Teague left off. We have yet to see that question answered, as Harrow has played only 10 minutes this season, and will not be in Lexington for tonight's game or Friday's game as he is at home addressing family issues. What those issues are remains the subject of much speculation.

In the meantime, John Calipari must face the question--what will he do if there is no Ryan Harrow? What will he do if Ryan Harrow isn't "the" answer. Jarrod Polson has played a very steady, heady game with some surprising quickness, but his ceiling is limited. Julius Mays and Archie Goodwin appear out of their element, although Mays' 10 assist, no turnover performance in the last outing gave hope to the possibility of him filling in at that position.

What Calipari does, and how they perform, may be important not only for tonight's game, but for the remainder of the season. Expect to see this as a "things to watch for" all season.

* Consistency from Alex Poythress


Poythress is quickly becoming a dark horse candidate to challenge for the top of the NBA Draft this season. Poythress was mentioned by ESPN Insider's Chad Ford today as being the most impressive player so far this season. The knock on him coming into the season was his reluctance to play with his motor turned on all the time. Calipari mentioned this even after Poythress' 20 point, 8 rebound performance versus Duke in the Champions Classic in Atlanta.

Poythress does not have to pour in 20 points every game, but needs to display a consistent effort throughout 40 minute contests this season. Against Morehead State, he may not be extremely motivated, so it will be interesting to watch how he performs.

* The "X" Factor

With Ryan Harrow out tonight again, will Kentucky have a player, or players step up who have not yet done so? Jarrod Polson had an outstanding game off the bench against Maryland with nobody expecting it. Will we see the same thing from Jon Hood tonight? Twany Beckham? We may not have to see any of this tonight since the opponent is an inferior opponent, but Calipari will likely want to start developing at least one other player in case we do not see much of Harrow the remainder of the season.

Anything you will be looking for in particular tonight? Give us your thoughts below.