LEXINGTON — Kentucky is playing fast. Carefree. And shooting 3s at a rate it’s never done in John Calipari‘s 15 seasons as coach.
In last week’s loss to top-ranked Kansas, UK attempted 38 shots behind the arc, the most in Calipari’s tenure. The Wildcats followed that up Friday in a 101-67 victory over Stonehill by sinking 17 triples, setting another high mark in the Calipari era.
What might have been lost in the shuffle, amid the frenetic offensive pace and aggressiveness, is the efficiency of Kentucky’s ball movement.
And how unshakeable the Wildcats have been with the ball in their hands.
Through Saturday’s slate of games, Kentucky leads the SEC, and ranks No. 9 nationally, in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.23). UK is the only conference club with a figure above 2.0.
Still wasn’t good enough for Calipari after their 34-point win Friday, though.
“Too many turnovers,” said Calipari, whose team gave the ball away 14 times against the Skyhawks after combining for just 17 through its first three games. “Like it’s not a crazy number, but it’s four or five more than we normally get because we were making the hardest play instead of just making the easy play.”
No Wildcat walks the tightrope between the spectacular and routine more than freshman guard Rob Dillingham. He had three turnovers in Friday’s victory, which tied for the game high. His six turnovers are second most on the team behind fellow freshman Justin Edwards‘ seven — but Edwards has been on the floor 23 more minutes (112 to 89) than Dillingham.
“Like (against Stonehill), Robert had three turnovers in a row. I had to take him out,” Calipari said. “(I told him), ‘You can’t stay in, man. You walked twice.’ (He said), ‘No, I didn’t.’ (I responded), ‘We’ll watch the tape. You walked twice. As a matter of fact, you took two extra steps. And then you drove baseline when all you had to do was swing the ball and dribble it out of bounds. Come over here and sit down.’
“‘I told him, ‘I am not going to stop coaching you because you could be really ridiculously good.'”
Here’s everything you need to know about Kentucky’s home game against Saint Joseph’s, including time, TV and streaming info, and more:
Kentucky basketball vs. Saint Joseph’s start time
UK and Saint Joseph’s are slated to tip off at 7 p.m. Monday at Rupp Arena.
What channel is Kentucky vs. Saint Joseph’s on today?
Kentucky vs. Saint Joseph’s will air nationally on SEC Network. Authenticated subscribers can access SEC Network via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
Those without cable can access SEC Network via streaming services, with Fubo offering a free trial to potential subscribers.
How to listen to Kentucky vs. Saint Joseph’s on the radio
Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington or online at UKAthletics.com.
C.L. Brown: Kentucky basketball’s energy vs Stonehill matched Kansas game. A good sign for Cats
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.