UK freshmen Wall, Cousins pace Wildcats to (117-52) victory over Clarion

November 8, 12:12 PMKentucky Wildcats ExaminerAndrew Hardison

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Kentucky Wildcats Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

(Wall will sit out UK's first regular season game/AP:Ed Reinke)

Kentucky newcomers John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins displayed why they were part of the #1 recruiting class in the nation Friday night. During a game in which Kentucky hosted head coach John Calipari’s alma-mater, UK looked to be rolling on all cylinders with the two freshmen leading the way.
 

Wall led all scorers and was fairly close to recording a triple-double, racking up 9 assists, 4 rebounds and 27 points in his first collegiate game of his career. Cousins was nearly as impressive as he scored 20 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, all while controlling the paint against the smaller competition.

The season has yet to begin, but the results of the final exhibition game of Kentucky’s season is very promising for the young Wildcat’s future. Much is made of the fact that Kentucky isn’t the most experienced team in the nation, probably why many pundits picked UK as a #4 and #5 team in the pre-season rankings. But that hasn’t deterred the Cats from making an early impression on the rest of the nation.

Kentucky is certainly one of the most talented teams in the country based off of the freshmen class that includes four 5-star players; Wall, Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton, as well as 4-star recruits Jon Hood and Darnell Dodson. Orton and Bledsoe didn’t play in Friday’s matchup, but Kentucky was still able to roll to a huge victory.

Wall had sat out the previous exhibition but was more than ready to make a contribution in this game. He dazzled the attendants at Rupp Arena with his speed and quickness. His ability to drive the lane and get to the basket is overwhelming. Wall had several acrobatic layups which gives UK fans an idea of what kind of impact he’ll have on this team. Let’s just say UK has never had this kind of point guard on their team, ever.

Cousins used solid footwork and his massive frame to dominate the smaller Clarion post players, as he displayed why he was the #1 rated center of the 2009 recruiting class. He’s quicker than many might think; an advantage he’ll use against slower big men who are guarding him. It’s amazing how comfortable he looks with the ball in his hands, as he is an above average dribbler for his size.

Kentucky junior and leader Patrick Patterson also looked much more comfortable in the new look offense, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds. Patterson showed off his improved jump shot by draining two three pointers during the game. His best game is down low with his back to the basket, but with the dribble-drive offense frees up Patterson to allow him to roam more of the floor. He’ll look to get his points in a variety of ways this season, a stark contrast to the traditional low-post presence we saw from him last season.

All in all, the win was expected but was nice to see the Wildcats get things going more fluidly than their previous matchup. A lot of that had to do with the play of Wall, a welcome addition to a team that badly needed point guard leadership. This isn’t your typical Wildcats team, as they will look to run and gun throughout the season. With this being the final exhibition game of the season, things get more serious next Friday as the Cats begin their regular season against Morehead State.