+ BOOK IT: THE NEW #1
+ B THREE’S BEST: WHERE TO GET YOUR UK GEAR
+ DECEMBER 2014 VOLUME 3
+ KENTUCKY’S OWN DOMINIQUE HAWKINS
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Volume 3 | 3
DOMINIQUE HAWKINS POINT GUARD
6 ON THE COVER 8 2014-2015 SCHEDULE 10 IN ACTION: A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST PHOTOS 20 BOOK IT: BOOKER THE NEW NUMBER ONE 24 B THREE’S BEST 26 WILDCAT PROFILE: DOMINIQUE HAWKINS 30 WILDCAT PROFILE: THE HARRISON TWINS 34 CONTRIBUTIONS
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IBE R C S SUB MAG.COM
EEM 35 R H T B 7.65 5 . 2 859
E I S T R M ADVEKERNEL.CO
Y TI@K 7.2872 S I U AG 59.25 8
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SPOTLIGHT
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THE HARRISON TWINS – AARON AND ANDREW – RETURNED FOR THEIR SOPHOMORE SEASONS PROVIDING THE CATS WITH MUCH NEEDED BACKCOURT LEADERSHIP. PHOTO | MICHAEL REAVES | STAFF
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Photo | Jonathan Krueger
11/02
PIKEVILLE
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
11/09
GEORGETOWN (KY.)
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
11/14
GRAND CANYON
LEXINGTON, KY
8:00
11/16
BUFFALO
LEXINGTON, KY
12:00
11/18
KANSAS
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
9:00
11/21
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
11/23
MONTANA STATE
LEXINGTON, KY
6:00
11/25
UT ARLINGTON
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
11/30
PROVIDENCE
LEXINGTON, KY
2:00
12/05
TEXAS
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
12/07
EASTERN KENTUCKY
LEXINGTON, KY
6:00
12/10
COLUMBIA
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
12/13
NORTH CAROLINA
LEXINGTON, KY
12:00
12/20
UCLA
CHICAGO, IL
3:30
12/27
LOUISVILLE
LOUISVILLE, KY
2:00
01/06
OLE MISS
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
01/10
TEXAS A&M
COLLEGE STATION, TX
TBD
01/13
MISSOURI
LEXINGTON, KY
9:00
01/17
ALABAMA
TUSCALOOSA, AL
4:00
01/20
VANDERBILT
LEXINGTON, KY
9:00
01/24
SOUTH CAROLINA
COLUMBIA, SC
12:00
01/29
MISSOURI
COLUMBIA, MO
9:00
01/31
ALABAMA
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
02/03
GEORGIA
LEXINGTON, KY
7:00
02/07
FLORIDA
GAINSVILLE, FL
9:00
02/10
LSU
BATON ROUGE, LA
7:00
02/14
SOUTH CAROLINA
LEXINGTON, KY
2:00
02/17
TENNESSEE
KNOXVILLE, TN
7:00
02/21
AUBURN
LEXINGTON, KY
6:00
02/25
MISSISSIPPI STATE
STARKVILLE, MS
7:00
02/28
ARKANSAS
LEXINGTON, KY
4:00
03/03
GEORGIA
ATHENS, GA
9:00
03/07
FLORIDA
LEXINGTON, KY
2:00
Volume 3 | 9
IN ACTION
blowout timeout KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS DIVES ON A LOOSE BALL TO RETAIN POSSESSION IN THE CHAMPIONS CLASSIC WIN OVER KANSAS. PHOTO | JONATHAN KRUEGER | STAFF
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+
Volume 3 | 11
IN ACTION
the third platoon UK’S FIRST AND SECOND PLATOON CHEERS ON THEIR TEAMMATES IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF THE KANSAS WIN. PHOTO | JONATHAN KRUEGER | STAFF
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+
Volume 3 | 13
IN ACTION
deep in the paint DAKARI JOHNSON USES HIS MUSCLE TO BACK DOWN AN OPPONENT IN THE WIN AGAINST PROVIDENCE. PHOTO | BEN RICKARD | STAFF
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+
Volume 3 | 15
IN ACTION
fly willie fly UK FORWARD WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN SOARS FOR A LAYUP DURING THE WIN AGAINST PROVIDENCE IN RUPP. PHOTO | BEN RICKARD | STAFF
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THIS YEAR’S #1 WILL BE BETTER THAN LAST YEAR’S #1.
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THE NEW #1 Freshman guard Devin Booker replaces departed guard James Young as UK’s best shooter. In fact, Booker may be a better player now than Young. Young was a Top-20 pick for the Boston Celtics after he left the second-leading scorer for UK last season. He also shot 61 more 3-pointers than any other player. Therein lies the problem. Young shot at a similar clip than freshman guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison. Andrew Harrison is not fooling people into thinking he’s Stephen Curry shooting the ball, and Aaron Harrison shot from outside at a much higher rate during the SEC and NCAA Tournaments (48 percent). If there was any type of legitimate tweak from the regular season to the postseason, it was to not allow Young to chuck from outside. Aside from the SEC quarterfinal against LSU, Young never shot a 3-pointer more than five times in a game once. The eight-game stretchduring the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament was the longest of the season, and Young never played more than four consecutive games where he didn’t shoot more than five 3-pointers in a game. Diving deeper, of the 19 games where Young did attempt more than six 3-pointers, he did not connect on more than a third of them in 12 contests. Without a handful of possessions done in by a Young 3-pointer, UK won four consecutive games in the NCAA Tournament by single digits. Young’s lack of ample shooting was not the sole reason the Cats won these
games so narrowly. But single-digit games make every possession more crucial, and the crucial possessions become more stressful in the single-elimination NCAA Tournament. Where does Booker fit into all this? “(Booker’s) mechanics are just on point and it’s hard to shake him from it,” Aaron Harrison said, adding that he thought Booker was the best 3-point shooter on the team, even over himself. Booker’s effort outside of his shooting, from the Bahamas through preseason practices and the exhibitions, has been there when he can produce points, according to his coach. “If Devin thinks he’s going to get two points, you can’t believe how fast he is,” UK coach John Calipari said. “He will outrun world-class sprinters to go get that ball.” Booker might not yet be able to get to the rim like Young or flash the NBA potential right out of the gate, but he does have the ability to shoot and defend much better than the now-Boston Celtic. Calipari realizes that he’ll have to prod Booker like he does to freshmen each year. “If you guys want to score the ball, you will defend or you’ll be out,” Calipari said about Booker and freshman forward Karl Towns. “You’re not taking all the ball shots and then go back and let a guy run by you and dunk on you. It’s not happening here. But they’re young.” And the older Booker gets, the more he may separate himself from comparisons of Young to other lofty-sounding shooting guards.
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B THREE’S BEST | MAXIMIZE YOUR UK GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE GAMEDAY GEAR
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WILDCAT PROFILE
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Photo | Eleanor Hasken
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DOMINIQUE HAWKINS RICHMOND, KY #25 WORDS KYLE ARENSDORF
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rior to this season, UK had returned a total of seven freshmen in UK head coach John Calipari’s five-year tenure. In the 2014-15 year, it returned six. One of those returning six players who has gained more playing time is sophomore point guard Dominique Hawkins. The Richmond, Ky., native, who was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball after winning the 2013 state championship in high school, played in 33 games a season ago but only averaged 8.6 minutes per game and 25 total points.
me,” Hawkins said. “It’s my first time seeing someone who can drive and just dish it to somebody right on the block.” Hawkins said he learned in the offseason about the offensive side of the ball. In high school, Hawkins said he thought good offense meant a pick-and-roll move and either passing or shooting the ball.
Despite his minimal offensive output, Hawkins was consistent on the defensive end of the floor, often coming off the bench with fresh legs to harass the opponent’s best guard. “I definitely think my defense will get me on the court,” Hawkins said. “I’m basically the energy guy, and I’m able to put pressure on the player to make them uncomfortable when they’re bringing the ball up and down the court.” Hawkins especially shined during the 2014 NCAA Tournament in UK’s games against Louisville and Michigan, where he played a key defensive role in each win. His defensive prowess has been put to the test in the offseason, however, as he’s been frequently matched up with freshman point guard Tyler Ulis. At 5-feet 9-inches tall, Ulis presents a particularly difficult matchup for Hawkins, who is used to defending guards who are taller than him. “I feel like it’s always difficult to guard someone smaller than me because they’re usually quicker than 28 | B Three
“But (at UK), you have to actually move the ball, have some motion and find a way to get an open shot,” Hawkins said. He admitted that he had been working on his offense prior to the season. Like last season, when Calipari urged Hawkins to shoot with confidence, teammates and coaches implored him to put up a lot of shots heading into this season. “My offense is the one thing I’m more focused on,” Hawkins said. “My confidence wasn’t all the way up, but I feel like I’ve built it back up (this past offseason).”
Photo | Michael Reaves
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WILDCAT PROFILE
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Photo | Eleanor Hasken
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HARRISON TWINS RICHMOND, TX #2 & #5 WORDS JODY BEAMER
A
aron and Andrew Harrison had a chance to go to the NBA after the end of last season.
They didn’t. Instead, John Calipari’s Kentucky squad retained a pair of guards with championship experience for the first time since arriving at UK. The Cats’ coach is excited about that. “(Andrew’s) unbelievable right now,” Cal said. “He’s talking to me. He feels good, (he feels) comfortable giving me ideas. This eventually has got to be his team ... and not mine.”
what it takes to be a leader on a successful basketball team. “You’ve got to have some personal motivation ... and get up for big games,” Aaron said. “That’s our goal, to win a championship. I don’t know if it’s a bust thing or not, but it’s definitely going to be disappointing if we don’t win (a championship). It’s a very long way away though, so we’re just trying to get better and (improve) as a team.” That mentality is exactly why Cats fans are so excited this season. For a Calipari-coached team, a pair of motivated, seasoned sophomores with championship expectations is precisely what the team needs to get that ninth trophy. It’s safe to say that the twins are, indeed, likeminded. And perhaps it’s that championship motivation that led to both Harrisons transforming their bodies over the summer.
That sort of sophomore improvement can be seen in how quickly the Cats have gotten out of the gate this season. The results were clear when the buzzer sounded at the end of a 32-point drubbing of Kansas in Indianapolis. Aaron Harrison now understands 32 | B Three
12 pounds lighter, both Aaron and Andrew have looked more athletic this season as opposed to last. Trips that would have ended in layups last year are now emphatically dunked. And that’s what fans want to see. It’s hard to block a dunk. And this season, It’s hard to block a Harrison.
Photo | Tessa Lighty
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CONTRIBUTIONS
EDITORIAL NICK GRAY KYLE ARENSDORF TAYLOR CLEMENTS JODY BEAMER KATIE SALTZ
PHOTORAPHY MICHAEL REAVES EMILY WUETCHER TESSA LIGHTY ADAM PENNAVARIA JONATHAN KRUEGER TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
DESIGN JODY BEAMER BLAKE BEAMER MAY MAY BARTON UNDERGROUND DESIGN
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