Kentucky Basketball: How To Watch The Jordan Brand Classic Tonight From A Wildcats Perspective

Tonight, the Jordan Brand Classic game will take place, and some of the best players in the country will take the floor, including Kentucky’s entire recruiting class. This is the only event this year where Kentucky will have every one of their future players at the game.

Particulars

Rosters

East Team

West Team

Kentucky’s signees — Isaiah Briscoe, Skal Labissiere, and Charles Matthews will all play for the East. Unsigned recruits that have Kentucky on their list are:

• Jaylen Brown
• Cheik Diallo
• Malik Newman

You can find all their bios here at the Jordan Brand Classic website.

How to watch

This is an all-star game, so don’t expect anything as competitive as the Nike Hoop summit. These guys have just been together since Thursday, so don’t expect a lot of teamwork.

What I like to look for in games like this is:

Shooting form

Points come and go, but proper shooting form is the key to being a quick success when moving from high school to pro. Great form isn’t always necessary, but the better a player’s form, the more consistent they are likely to be. Look for things like hitches, funny spins on the ball, low (flat) shots, and players who don’t jump straight up and down

Ballhandling

How well does the player handle the ball in traffic? Does he use both hands interchangeably, or is he right or left-hand dominant?

Passing

Is he a willing passer? Does he go for "home run" passes a lot, or just look to get the ball to players in places where they can score? Does the player outlet the ball well, or does he tend to dribble it up himself.

Effort

Cheik Diallo will be your model for effort. If you see anyone approaching his level of motor, you know you want that guy. Defense falls into this category as well, since defense is really not expected in games like this. Does the player put forth a lot of effort on defense? If so, that’s a guy you want.

Finishing ability

Can the player finish at the rim when challenged? Is he able to be creative around the rim and get the ball into the basket under duress? Does the player finish at the rim with both hands on open layups?  On challenged shots?

Strength

Can the player finish through contact? Does he get stripped a lot in the post? Can he overpower players his size?

Court vision

Does the player keep his eyes up the court, or does he watch the ball when he dribbles? Does he find open guys in the middle of the defense in transition?

Athleticism

Is the player able to run faster, jump higher, or blow past his peers? Is he one of the more athletic players, or less?

That’s what I have. Enjoy the game.