Opportunities keep Floreal at UK despite low playing time
October 7, 2014
By Nick Gray
Lost among the UK basketball starters are the unheralded walk-ons, who may go unnoticed by the fan base, but not by the radar of head coach John Calipari.
One of those walk-ons who has caught Calipari’s attention is sophomore guard EJ Floreal. Floreal, who played in just four total minutes last season, mainly served in a clean-up role in non-conference games.
But through Floreal’s hard work in practice, the guard earned himself a scholarship. According to Calipari, the reason came down to his defensive work in practices late in the season that helped prepare UK guards for the rugged defense they faced in March. Those practices aided the growth of sophomore guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison, who became a crucial part of the Cats’ NCAA Tournament run.
“EJ really did a good job, especially at the end of the year when I needed him to really guard our guards like they were going to be guarded in games,” Calipari said. “I know how appreciative his family is and the young man is.”
Floreal focused on improving his skill set throughout the offseason, repeating some of the same points that Calipari made in September.
“His skill set is not up to these guys, but his athleticism is,” Calipari said. “So he can go in and guard and rebound and do stuff. He just doesn’t have the skillset that they have.”
Floreal noticed early last season that his shot making ability was not up to par, especially to his teammate and good friend James Young. Watching Young and his other teammates motivated Floreal to make a marked improvement. He believes he made that mark, at least to an extent.
“I understood that I have to get to a certain point with (my offensive skills) while I’m here,” Floreal said. “I’m not sure I’m quite where I want to be, but I feel much more confident now.”
It can be argued that Floreal, due to his athleticism and his physical attributes, could play regularly for many Division I teams, including several teams in the Southeastern Conference.
Floreal noted that UK gives him an opportunity most of those teams cannot — a shot at championships.
“It’s an opportunity not many (college players) get to have, so you really have to take it,” Floreal said. “There’s so much you learn from this place, and it’s something you can’t duplicate.”