Watched this game solely to see how good he was.
That move where he got the defensive rebound, pushed the ball up the court, went with a in-n-out dribble then behind the back to finish over length with a floater was absolutely filthy. He might just be a top 3 pick if he plays with that kind of motor all year.
Honestly, if he wanted to he could be in discussion for #1 overall. Super high ceiling. Wish we could have had him...
I was surprised by how he defended (he blocked a few shots) and made wise decisions in the half court. He didn't force offense and it's clear he can get his shot whenever he wants to. On one crucial play, he made a nice pass for a dunk instead of forcing a ten footer. On another play, he got an isolation call and drew a foul and went to the line. He also rebounded better than I thought he would and didn't mind mixing it up down low.
Washington has a decent team with top-heavy talent. If Quade can give them a fourth weapon, they might make some noise out west this year.
I know part of the sell on EJ returning was that he was slotted at the 4 spot, but I wish the staff had sold Jaden on EJ playing the 5 with Nick had McDaniels picked the Cats. Maybe they ultimately did. I guess we'll never know for sure, but McDaniels and Maxey would have given us a lethal combination in the half court.
It's not every day UK has a real shot at a 6'9" forward with those types of guard skills. Knox was that type of kid, too. I love watching those guys play for Kentucky. It's such a rarity to have a guy like that and it's a joy to watch it happen when they pick Kentucky.