catmandoo
Player
Member # 1284
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posted 05-13-2021 03:22 PM
Q. First off, tell us what kind of kid CJ is? On the court. Off the court. Quiet? Shy? Outgoing? Funny?
A. CJ is a very outgoing and funny person off the court, but on the court, he is one of the most business-like and focused players around. He has always been very social and thrives off his teammates. Lastly, he is very close with his family and makes that a priority in his life. On the court, he goes about his business quietly but will always work incredibly hard to fine-tune his craft. CJ ensures that he works in a quiet manner without promoting himself or anything like that.
Q. Outside of the obvious – incredible shooting – what do you believe he will bring to Kentucky next year?
A. Yeah, that’s a great question, because on the surface, a casual fan immediately sees the floor spacing impact that he has. However, his ball security will help Kentucky immensely next season. Over the course of the 16 games that CJ played in during the regular Big Ten season, he combined for just two turnovers. Over the course of the entire season, he has a turnover rate of 6.9 (3rd lowest of any high-major player). He won’t make too many flashy passes and is not the most ball dominant player, but his poise and steadiness will help a Kentucky team that turned the ball over on nearly 20 percent of its possessions last season.
Q. What is his work ethic like behind the scenes? You don’t get to be a 47 percent three point shooter without putting in the work, right?
A. Not at all. His work ethic has immensely impressed me over the last three years. Obviously, he focuses a lot on his shot, but he also works on ball-handling and other dribbling moves. To add, he has developed a polished floater package as well as crafty finishes around the rim. We have also worked very hard on moving up his release point in order to get his shot off quicker to counter defenses closing out harder. Lastly, he has made it a priority to be able to shoot off the move, off the dribble, and off various screening actions to expand his shooting repertoire.
Q. What other skills does he have, that maybe fans aren’t quite aware of (this may be repetitive of Question No. 2, so if so, just skip it)?
A. Yeah, other than his ball security, I think that an underrated skill of his is just his ability to pick his spots and not rely on being a ball dominant player. Over the course of his two-year career, he has only averaged 6.5 field goal attempts per game. His ability to be ruthlessly efficient, while not taking demanding too many shots, is an underrated skill, since over the course of a 40-minute game, there are only a certain number of shots that can be taken. Lastly, his gravity as an off-ball shooter will demand the defense to pay attention to him wherever he is on the court.
Q. There’s been talk that CJ in transferring to Kentucky, CJ has made it clear that he doesn’t care about cosmetic things, like number of shots he will take, or being a starter, or minutes played. Does that jive with the guy you worked with?
A. Yes, 100%. As mentioned above, he doesn’t rely on taking too many shots and has an innate ability to pick his spots while letting the game come to him naturally. Obviously, fans like to make a big deal out of the starting lineup, but what truly matters is who ends the game in clutch situations for a team. While there is a very real scenario where CJ might not start, it is hard to envision a scenario where he doesn’t close a game due to his ball security and gravity as a shooter.
Q. CJ dealt with a handful of different injuries this past season. Is this something you think fans should at all be concerned with?
A. Yeah, that obviously should be a concern of fans. The best ability is availability, and CJ has missed enough time over the last two years to make that a fair concern. However, I think playing less minutes in a reserve role will take more of a load off his body and as he gets older, understanding what he can/can’t do training and conditioning wise will be important.
Q. How excited do you think CJ is, as a Kentucky area native, to wear that “KENTUCKY” across his chest?
A. I think he is very excited. However, CJ is just a pure baller. He has never been big into the fanfare as he quietly will go about his business. Despite that, he did win his state championship inside the famous Rupp Arena, and it must be meaningful to return there as a player wearing the Kentucky uniform.
Link
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http://www.ukfightsong.com/
Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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