Kyle Wiltjer sank five threes in the Blue-White scrimmage Wednesday night at Rupp Arena. (Bo Morris) |
LEXINGTON — Kyle Wiltjer’s first shot at Rupp Arena was a missed tip in the paint. The rest were mostly away from the rim.
Wiltjer, a freshman, tied white squad teammate Anthony Davis for team-high scoring honors with 27 points in the team’s intrasquad Blue-White scrimmage Wednesday night at Rupp Arena. In the first 10 minutes, Wiltjer misfired on a jump hook and his first two shots, but rarely missed once he moved past the jitters and got into a rhythm.
His first two made baskets included a 3-pointer, the first of five shots Wiltjer made from long range against the blue team, which defeated the White squad 126-104. Wiltjer completed a double-double with 11 rebounds and dished out a pair of assists.
“It was good to be out there with the guys, in front of the fans and trying to put on a good showing for them,” he said. “I felt comfortable once I got the jitters out of the way.”
Wiltjer arrived a few hours before tipoff and said the preparation led to his double-figure performance.
“I came in a little early and shot on the rims (at Rupp Arena)," he said. "It’s a lot different shooting in our practice gym (at the Craft Center), than at Rupp. I shot the ball well, because I got some shots up before the game.”
Wiltjer has always been known as a long-range shooter, but has been getting more “lessons” from teammate Jarrod Polson during preseason workouts.
“He’s my shooting coach,” Wiltjer said with a smile. “I just get into the gym, jack some shots up and make my shot better. He has taught me a lot of things on and off the court.”
“I teach him a few things here and there,” Polson added. “We’re pretty close and we hang out a lot on and off the court. We get a lot of shots up together. He shoots the ball better than a lot of people I’ve seen. He’s probably one of the best shooters I’ve been around.”
Polson said Wiltjer’s desire to improve is one of his biggest assets as a player.
“It’s the drive that he has (that makes him good),” Polson said. “You’ll see him in the gym at night getting shots up all by himself with somebody else. He’s so mature for his age. He knows what’s ahead of him and he keeps working like that.”
Wiltjer also is a competitor and displayed his passion for the game after he “caught an elbow to the face” while going for a rebound in the opening half of the exhibition contest. Wiltjer returned to the lineup and played 38 minutes.
Wiltjer said the team’s plan in the scrimmage was to get “up-and-down the floor.”
“We don’t want to run sets every play,” he said. “We want to run the dribble-drive in multiple ways. Coach Calipari taught us a couple of ways (to get into our offense).”
Wiltjer said the team has “progressed a tremendous amount” since workouts began last week and said the team is “getting to know each other.”
“We’re doing little things like that to build team chemistry,” he said.
One of Wiltjer’s top priorities is to become a part of the team’s rotation.
“I’m working on getting quicker and stronger,” he said. ”I’m just trying to do what coach (Calipari) asks and focus on doing the little things. We’re just working together to get better.”
Wiltjer is hoping his performance in the scrimmage carries over into the remainder of the season.
“I just like to get out and run the floor,” he said. “I have great teammates who were passing me the ball. I have confidence in them, and hopefully they do in me. When they pass me the ball, I just try to knock it down.”
Wiltjer, a freshman, tied white squad teammate Anthony Davis for team-high scoring honors with 27 points in the team’s intrasquad Blue-White scrimmage Wednesday night at Rupp Arena. In the first 10 minutes, Wiltjer misfired on a jump hook and his first two shots, but rarely missed once he moved past the jitters and got into a rhythm.
His first two made baskets included a 3-pointer, the first of five shots Wiltjer made from long range against the blue team, which defeated the White squad 126-104. Wiltjer completed a double-double with 11 rebounds and dished out a pair of assists.
“It was good to be out there with the guys, in front of the fans and trying to put on a good showing for them,” he said. “I felt comfortable once I got the jitters out of the way.”
Wiltjer arrived a few hours before tipoff and said the preparation led to his double-figure performance.
“I came in a little early and shot on the rims (at Rupp Arena)," he said. "It’s a lot different shooting in our practice gym (at the Craft Center), than at Rupp. I shot the ball well, because I got some shots up before the game.”
Wiltjer has always been known as a long-range shooter, but has been getting more “lessons” from teammate Jarrod Polson during preseason workouts.
“He’s my shooting coach,” Wiltjer said with a smile. “I just get into the gym, jack some shots up and make my shot better. He has taught me a lot of things on and off the court.”
“I teach him a few things here and there,” Polson added. “We’re pretty close and we hang out a lot on and off the court. We get a lot of shots up together. He shoots the ball better than a lot of people I’ve seen. He’s probably one of the best shooters I’ve been around.”
Polson said Wiltjer’s desire to improve is one of his biggest assets as a player.
“It’s the drive that he has (that makes him good),” Polson said. “You’ll see him in the gym at night getting shots up all by himself with somebody else. He’s so mature for his age. He knows what’s ahead of him and he keeps working like that.”
Wiltjer also is a competitor and displayed his passion for the game after he “caught an elbow to the face” while going for a rebound in the opening half of the exhibition contest. Wiltjer returned to the lineup and played 38 minutes.
Wiltjer said the team’s plan in the scrimmage was to get “up-and-down the floor.”
“We don’t want to run sets every play,” he said. “We want to run the dribble-drive in multiple ways. Coach Calipari taught us a couple of ways (to get into our offense).”
Wiltjer said the team has “progressed a tremendous amount” since workouts began last week and said the team is “getting to know each other.”
“We’re doing little things like that to build team chemistry,” he said.
One of Wiltjer’s top priorities is to become a part of the team’s rotation.
“I’m working on getting quicker and stronger,” he said. ”I’m just trying to do what coach (Calipari) asks and focus on doing the little things. We’re just working together to get better.”
Wiltjer is hoping his performance in the scrimmage carries over into the remainder of the season.
“I just like to get out and run the floor,” he said. “I have great teammates who were passing me the ball. I have confidence in them, and hopefully they do in me. When they pass me the ball, I just try to knock it down.”
