Kentucky Basketball Champions Classic 2016
NEW YORK Forgive the rest of us if we didnt see Nuclear Monk coming, at least not on Tuesday nights big stage, but Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari did.
So what if hed only made 3 of 12 3-pointers in his first two college games? Freshman guard Malik Monk has always been a streaky shooter, and he started feeling it again hours before the second-ranked Wildcats tipped off against 13th-ranked Michigan State at Madison Square Garden.
He had an unbelievable shootaround, Calipari said. Malik Monk had one of the best shootarounds any of my players have had the past few years, and I expected he would go in and play well.
Good call. Monk buried his first three 3-pointers against the Spartans, signaling to teammates that he was cooking and keep it coming his way. They did, and Monk finished 7 of 11 from deep, dropping 23 points and 6 rebounds in a stunningly easy 69-48 win over Michigan State in the Champions Classic.
Had two other players on the team that had so-so shootarounds, and guess what? They had so-so games, Calipari said. Players not named Monk shot 0 for 10 from beyond the arc. And it was a great lesson.
RELATED:What John Calipari said after beating Michigan State.
Monk, a McDonalds All-American and projected lottery pick, is nothing if not confident. He was never too worried about his stroke. But he did realize it needed a little work after nothing would fall against Stephen F. Austin and Canisius.
With help from Calipari and UK assistant Kenny Payne, Monk said he drilled himself on staying low, stepping into the shot every time, not being casual, like Coach Cal likes to say. Try to focus on every shot being the same and just let it go smooth.
It doesnt get much smoother than what Monk did against the Spartans, swishing open and contested shots alike. More of them were open, thanks to Michigan States defense sagging back to stop Monks backcourt mates, Isaiah Briscoe and DeAaron Fox, from penetrating at will.
That wasnt especially effective, as those other two combined for 33 points and 8 assists, but it did give Monk the green light.
They get in the lane too good, every time they can, he said, so I just had to be prepared. They set me up well and I was able to knock down the shot.
Spartans coach Tom Izzo could only shake his head after the barrage buried his overmatched team. They picked a poison and Monk killed them.
If you look at our game plan, we wanted to somewhat contain Fox, Izzo said. Youve got to give Monk credit.
The scouting report suggested it was safe to leave him alone on the perimeter.That probably wont be the case going forward. Monk is a binge scorer who only needs to see one or two shots drop early and suddenly hes locked in and lethal.
I knew he was due for a big game, Briscoe said. I told him that before the game.
Inside Kentuckys locker room, then, confidence in Monks shooting never wavered. The 6-foot-3 guard with a 42-inch vertical leap had already demonstrated his ability to put opponents on posters with crazy dunks, and now if Monk shoots it like that, theyre a real good team.
There will almost certainly be more cold-shooting nights in his future, but there isa lotto work with.
He is one of the most athletic kids that Ive coached, Calipari said. Hes a little antsy right now. His mind moves really fast. When his feet move fast, his mind moves fast. So I gotta slow down his mind and let him see the game a little differently, and thats all Im talking about to him.
Athletically, jumping, speed, all those things,whew.He can defend, hes tough, hes got a curious mind. Hes got a quick mind, he reacts to stuff. Theres things that I cant teach.
WATCH: Calipari, Briscoe and Monk at the podium after beating MSU.
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNHm__EWitBtP9naWVCede9I8QAHCQ&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&cid=52779271150779&ei=y2UsWKj-F8LapwfT7YWACg&url=https://www.seccountry.com/kentucky/kentucky-basketball-malik-monk-finally-warmed-up-and-it-cooked-michigan-state
No comments:
Post a Comment