We regret to inform you that Kentucky is not, in fact, midway through “Hell Week” at the Joe Craft Center, as Rick Pitino would have called it in the 90s. That’s how things were then, part of the reason the 20-hours-per-week, four-hours-per-day rule was implemented by the NCAA — Coach P had ’em going 35 to 40 hours per week when there weren’t restrictions.
“People were saying, ‘Wait, wait, this is not what a student-athlete should be doing,’” Pitino said. “We got so much press over it, it almost became a negative when it was a positive.”
It isn’t quite like it was under Pitino, despite going “all out, 2X a day” with “exhaustion, mental fatigue, jelly legs” as Cameron Mills described it after attending the first official practice of the season on Monday. Hell Week was Coach P’s thing, now Mark Pope is creating his own in Lexington.
That’s why the first week of practice has been rebranded.
Understanding the assignment with Banner Camp
Ahead of Mills’ first UK HealthCare Practice Report of the season — that’s coming early Thursday morning — the former Kentucky sharpshooter offered clarification on Pope’s vision going into the year. No, he’s not trading out ‘Hell Week’ for ‘Heck Week’ as some fans joked on social media. Instead, the first-year coach is taking out the negative connotation entirely, putting the emphasis on bringing championships to Lexington, just as he did during his introductory press conference at Rupp Arena.
“Need to add a correction regarding what the team is enduring this week,” Mills wrote on social media. “I’ve been calling it ‘Hell Week’ as that’s what we called it in the 90’s. But in pure (Mark Pope) style we have a better name for the hardest week of practice. No longer is it ‘Hell Week’, It’s… (Banner Camp).”
Eye on the prize, Cats. Eye on the prize.
Our first practice highlights of the season
We know what this week of practice is being called, but what about seeing it with our own eyes? The first run of highlights is here to help with that.
The Kentucky men’s basketball video team showed off our first look at the Wildcats going into the season, a 35-second clip opening with a splashed 3-pointer from Trent Noah, followed by a tough finish inside by Lamont Butler on Otega Oweh. That takes us to a loose ball with Butler and Oweh diving to the floor, then a dunk by Amari Williams over Brandon Garrison. How about a catch-and-shoot three for Travis Perry? You got it, plus a couple from Jaxson Robinson and Ansley Almonor before things wrap up with a finish inside for Andrew Carr over Williams.
It’s not a full entree of content, but it’s the perfect appetizer to hold us over until the real stuff begins in the next couple of weeks.
We are hooping 🔥😼 pic.twitter.com/jNQXdwMaU4
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) September 24, 2024
New York school names basketball court after Julius Randle
Switching gears to former Wildcats, Julius Randle’s work in the community as a New York Knick has earned him a pretty rewarding honor, one that will impact the next generation of local athletes.
As part of his “30 for 3” program, Randle has raised $1.3 million for the Earl Monroe New Renaissance Basketball School in The Bronx. That has funded an impressive eight full-time literary teachers resulting in the reading levels of over 200 students increasing by several grade levels thanks to the former Kentucky star’s contributions.
Now, the school has decided to name its basketball court after him, calling it “The Julius Randle All-Star Court.”
Knicks reporter Ian Begley shared his view from the scene today in New York, putting quite the smile on Randle’s face.
Reed Sheppard expected to have biggest impact among rookies
Could Kentucky add another NBA Rookie of the Year to the program’s long list of professional accolades? Reed Sheppard has positioned himself well to do it.
Drawing early comparisons to Steph Curry and seen among league executives as the best player in this draft class, it’s no shock that CBS Sports has named him the rookie expected to have the biggest impact in year one among his peers. The former Wildcat beat out the likes of Zach Edey of the Memphis Grizzlies, Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks, Alex Sarr of the Washington Wizards and Stephon Castle and San Antonio Spurs atop the list.
Adam Finkelstein called his evaluation “complicated” amid his rise to superstardom.
“Sheppard’s evaluation has been a complicated one, especially for those of us who tracked him when he was in high school. If you only saw him last year at Kentucky, the incredible shooting numbers, coupled by the defensive metrics lead to extreme enthusiasm. Supplement that with some encouraging on-ball reps in the summer league, and there’s a very real case to be made that the No. 3 overall pick could be the best player in this draft,” he wrote. “Sheppard shot 52% from 3 last year at Kentucky. Not only was that the best in college basketball, but it was also very unexpected based on what he showed in high school.
“… The Rockets lacked a consistent backup point guard behind VanVleet a year ago, so at minimum Sheppard can hopefully provide that, and at most complete a potentially potent three-guard rotation that needs to counterbalance with an assortment of young and talented wings in Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore, all of whom need time to develop next season.”
Not bad for a kid from the 606.
