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Kentucky Staff Says Justin Edwards’ Breakout Game Is Coming

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Kentucky head coach John Calipari coaches up Justin Edwards from the sideline at Rupp Arena.
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Justin Edwards arrived in Lexington this offseason as the highest-ranked recruit of Kentucky’s No. 1 recruiting class, with some projecting him as a top-three pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Yet, he has not played up to those expectations to this point.

Averaging 9.8 points and 4.2 rebounds, his stats aren’t too bad on the surface. Looking deeper into the analytics, a clearer picture is painted as Edwards is 7th or worse (out of 9 players) in defensive (100.6) and offensive efficiency (117.2), according to Evan Miya.

While struggling, Edwards is young and has all the tools to be successful. Standing 6-foot-8, 203 pounds, he holds the physical traits and versatility to be one of the best players on this Wildcat team, even when the shots. Knowing that and seeing it firsthand in their evaluation and practice, the staff has never wavered in their belief in him.

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During his weekly call-in show, Calipari went as far as to say that THE Justin Edwards game is coming. “I really think there’s going to be a game where Justin goes for 30,” Calipari said.

New assistant coach Chuck Martin talked about the hard work Edwards’ is giving to put things together, citing it’s just a matter of time before he breaks out. “Everyone’s journey is different. He’s an extremely hard-working kid, in the gym every day. He’s super versatile. It’s just a matter of time before he breaks out,” Martin said. “He’s had some really good moments already. He’s just got to focus on defending and rebounding and letting the game come to him, which he does. Good things are gonna happen for him and us.”

Everyone’s journey is different. Just look at last season, Chris Livingston came to Kentucky as a projected first-round pick. Yet, he didn’t even play more than 30 minutes until late January, but by the end of the season, his versatility on the wing was one of Kentucky’s biggest strengths.

It’s clear that Edwards is putting in the effort and just a third of the way into the season, he still has time. With the big guys returning, it takes some pressure off of him to play bigger than he is used to and could help him find some needed comfort.

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Also published on a Sea of Blue.

Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
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Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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