Kentucky coach bringing in star freshmen slowly
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky freshman Rajon Rondo can dunk off one foot. He can dunk off two feet. He's only 6-foot-1, but he can throw down an alley-oop.
But he can't talk to the media. Not right now.
Tubby's orders.
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| Rajon Rondo's shot is blocked by Coppin State's Henry Colter, but Kentucky fans have a lot to be excited about. (AP) |
If you were cynical enough to look at it this way, you'd note that Kentucky's top eight players divide nicely into two groups of four -- the freshmen, and the rest. Smith must have noticed. He also must have noticed that the majority of the preseason storylines written about the Wildcats centered on the freshman class.
That would explain Smith's stance that the freshmen, a mature group that handled preseason interviews with aplomb, are no longer available to the media. That also would explain Smith's reluctance Saturday to speak too effusively about his freshmen, especially Rondo, who had nine points, five steals and three assists in 21 minutes Saturday. The first time Smith mentioned a freshman by name, he did so to point out Rondo's three turnovers and to mention that "at times he tried to do too much."
Fair enough. Rondo had three turnovers, and at times he tried to do too much. But he can do so much. When he's on the court, the game is played at two speeds: his speed, and everyone else's speed. Rondo's the one on fast-forward.
Twice in the first half Rondo threw an outlet pass to junior guard Patrick Sparks, then beat him down the court for a return pass. Once Sparks tried to reward Rondo with an alley oop, but threw the pass to a level only ex-Wildcats great Kenny "Sky" Walker -- who was sitting courtside -- could have grabbed it.
Rondo came close. Only as he reached the apex of his jump did he give up on the ball and begin thinking of self-preservation. To catch his balance he smacked his hand on the backboard, because if it hadn't been his hand, it would have been his head. As it was, Rondo still crashed to the floor, landing on his rump as the crowd groaned.
The crowd was cheering in the second half after Rondo -- usually the smallest player on the court -- threw down three dunks in three minutes. The first was an alley oop from Sparks. The next was a one-handed dunk off one foot. For dessert, a two-hander off a two-foot takeoff.
The next time Smith gave Rondo a rest, the crowd broke into its first player-specific chant of the game: Ra-jon Ron-do ... clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.
It didn't last long. Two cycles into that chant, Kentucky's cheerleaders changed the tune: Let's go Wild-cats ... clap, clap, clap-clap-clap.
