FanPost

Where Are We in January?

This is the question Cal opened with before the Kansas game on Saturday, where are we in January? Well, after 3 top 25 wins in 8 days the Cats sit at #7 in the newest AP poll (should be #6) and have been playing with a sense of urgency since the Alabama loss to open SEC play. Let’s look at where your favorite Cats are on January 29th.

Reid Travis

Reid has been inconsistent in SEC play but has shown the ability to come up huge in big games. He was the driving factor of the Cats comeback early in the first half against Kansas and ended the game with 18 and 12. Against Auburn he scored 17 while shooting 7-11 from the field. That has been the good from Reid, but 6 points against Georgia and 5 against A&M go under the radar with how talented this team is, winning both games handily. Yes, the graduate transfer from Stanford has been inconsistent at times but as the Wildcats are surging, so is he. Look for him to have a big game against a Vanderbilt team who couldn’t guard Grant Williams (43 points) in the paint.

Nick Richards

After a disappointing freshman year to say the least, Nick has come into his own coming off the bench. No, the stats are not glamourous and yes, he is only playing around 10 minutes a game, but his impact with the second unit shows when he is on the court. It seems anytime an opposing player comes into the paint against the 7’0 big man it becomes a monster swat or an errant shot that leads to a UK fast break. Just how good is the sophomore this year at erasing shots at the rim? Richards has a 14.7 block percentage, which is a percentage of 2-point shots that become blocked by the player while they are on the floor. Anthony Davis finished his Kentucky career with 13.7%. Richards needs to continue to be a force on the defensive end for the Cats to make a run deep into March.

Tyler Herro

The Freshman sharpshooter has not been as advertised this season. Coming into the year, many Kentucky fans expected the freshman to light it up beyond the arc, but he has struggled in that aspect shooting only 34% from 3. While Herro has struggled at what many people thought would be his strong suit, he has impressed in many other areas. As the season progresses, Herro has become an astronomically better defender. At some points early in the season, he was a revolving door and couldn’t stay in front of anybody. Now, he rivals Ashton Hagans as an off-ball menace. Herro has a knack for the ball and it somehow always seems to find him on the defensive side. If Herro can find his stroke, he can be the best player for Kentucky in the tournament.

Team

While the players mentioned above are surging, this team runs through 3 guys. Keldon Johnson, Ashton Hagans, and P.J Washingotn. As they go, the Cats go. Everyone knows about Keldon’s draft stock (a projected lottery pick), Hagans’s defensive expertise, and P.J’s motor.

The Cats seem to be surging at just the right time before another potential College Gameday at Rupp with #1 Tennessee coming to town. Calipari always gets his team ready for March, and these young Cats are becoming that team right in front of our eyes.