Third in a series previewing SEC basketball teams
HOOVER, Ala. - Brandon Knight has yet to play in a college basketball game, but the Kentucky freshman guard was chosen to the preseason All-SEC first team in balloting by 16 regional and national media members.
“When I heard you guys had voted him first-team, I said, ‘C’mon, you’ve got to be kidding me,’ ” Kentucky Coach John Calipari said at SEC media day. “But I hope at the end of the day you’re absolutely right, because if he is first-team all-conference, we’ll be pretty good.”
Perhaps the media vote for Knight reflected a desire to avoid embarrassment after John Wall - Kentucky’s freshman point guard last season - was picked as a preseason all-conferencesecond-teamer.
Wa ll then wound up being the SEC Player of the Year, a consensus firstteam All-American and the first player chosen in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards.
Calipari’s three previous starting point guards - including Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans at Memphis - started as freshmen and then were first-round NBA Draft picks. Rose was the first overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in 2008 and Evans the fourth pick by the Sacramento Kings in 2009.
Knight, who as a senior at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Pine Crest High School, averaged 32.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists, appears to be the latest model in Calipari’s assembly line of one-anddone point guards.
Ole Miss Coach Andy Kennedy said he has no problem with Knight being a preseason pick for first-team All-SEC honors.
“I don’t really get into saying, ‘Well, he’s got to earn his way in,’ ” Kennedy said. “The kid’s talented, and he’s got an opportunity to play right away.
“It’s not like he’s coming in trying to beat out a senior. The odds are he’s going to play quality minutes, and as talented as he is, I’m sure John will put him in position to be successful.”
Calipari was hesitant to draw too many comparisons between Knight and Rose, Evans and Wall.
“There’s one thread that I can tell you right now goes through Brandon just like it did Derrick, Tyreke and John, and that’s Brandon will be at our practice facility at 11 o’clock at night working out,” Calipari said. “Those young men all were anxious about how good they were.
“They didn’t ever read their press clippings. They weren’t sure, and so it drovethem, and Brandon’s the same.”
Knight, 6-3, offered a preview of what he can do for the Wildcats during the team’s three-game exhibition tour in Canada in August, when he averaged 25 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds.
In Kentucky’s 95-62 victory in the tour’s opener, Knight scored 31 points, hitting 11 of 19 field goal attempts and 8 of 8 free throws without a turnover.
“He’s super fast,” Windsor guard Monty Hardware told the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader of trying to guard Knight. “He’s super, super fast.”
When the preseason All-SEC f irst team was announced last week, Calipari informed Knight - in front of his teammates before practice - that he had been chosen for it.
“I told him, ‘They just put a bull’s-eye on you, and I hate to tell you, but they didn’t even put that bull’seye on John Wall,’ ” Calipari said. “He understands he’s going to have every guard in the league coming afterhim.
“I told him, ‘Good for you. Make it an honor, not a burden.’ ”
Kentucky junior guard Darius Miller said he doesn’t expect all the media attention to affect Knight negatively in any way.
“I think Brandon was just happy about being chosen f irst team, and I think anybody would be,” Miller said. “But I don’t think Brandon’s the type of guy that’s going to let it go to his head. He’s a very, very humble player.
“He’s a very, very talented player, too, and in my opinion he’s a really smart point guard.
“I don’t think you’ll see too many mistakes out of Brandon, too many turnovers. He really controls the ball and does a great job of controlling the team.”
Knight doesn’t seem fazed about replacing Wall.
“There’s always going to be comparisons no matter where you go,” Knight told the Herald-Leader after he signed with Kentucky. “I don’t look at it as pressure.
“I’m just going to go there and try to fulfill my potential the best I can.”
Next: TennesseeKentucky at a glance COACH John Calipari (35-3 in one season at Kentucky, 480-183 in 18 seasons overall) LAST SEASON 35-3, 14-2 SEC KEY LOSSES G John Wall, F DeMarcus Cousins, F Patrick Patterson, G Eric Bledsoe, F Daniel Orton KEY RETURNEES G Darius Miller, G DeAndre Liggins KEY NEWCOMERS G Brandon Knight, F Eloy Vargas, G Doron Lamb, C Enes Kanter PROJECTED FINISH Second in SEC East
Sports, Pages 26 on 10/24/2010