Cats impress fans, opponents

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By Kyle Arensdorf

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After a 48-point loss to UK basketball on Nov. 2, Pikeville head coach Kelly Wells predicted that they wouldn’t be “the only team that it’s going to happen to” this season.

UK’s matchup in Rupp Arena against Georgetown College on Sunday showed fans just how much of an understatement that was.

“I was really pleased with – this is going to sound silly – with the first three minutes of the game,” Georgetown head coach Chris Briggs said of his team’s performance.

While Pikeville stayed competitive for much of the first half of its game against the Cats, Briggs’ team fell behind early – being outscored 35-10 to start the game – and never recovered.

“Having (12) guys out there that can play really (well) … it’s tough, especially when we press and pressure the ball defensively,” sophomore guard Aaron Harrison said. “We picked it up (tonight) and got it going. It was fun.”

UK’s dominant performance had a lot to do with its three-point shooting, namely the shooting of the two-guard in each platoon (Harrison in the first, and freshman Devin Booker in the second).

Harrison failed to sink a shot from behind the 3-point line in the Cats’ exhibition game against Pikeville, going 0-for-3 from the field (and 0-for-3 in the Blue-White scrimmage as well), but turned it around in a big way Sunday night.

“I just got in a rhythm, every player knows how that feels,” Harrison said of his 5-for-7 showcase from beyond the 3-point arc. “(After) having an off night, you just have to work on your game and get more shots up, and that’s the result of working hard.”

Booker put up formidable numbers of his own, hitting three of his seven 3-point attempts to go along with four assists and three steals, catching the eye of an apprehensive UK head coach John Calipari.

“I’m really pleased with how hard he’s playing,” he said. “But he’s breaking down and he’s taking chances defensively that he doesn’t need to take.”

By the five-minute mark of the second half, Calipari had seen enough and pulled his second platoon for four deep bench players and sophomore forward Marcus Lee with the Cats up 110-47.

UK defeated Georgetown 121-52 and after the game, Briggs became the second coach to add to the runaway hype machine that is this season’s UK team.

“It’s going to take an extremely off night and an extremely great night out of somebody who has big-time NBA talent as well to get those guys,” he said. “Honestly. I don’t see how they’re going to get beat this year.”