Kentucky Basketball: Tyrese Maxey inserts himself into top-5 pick consideration

Despite entering the season opener off the bench, Kentucky Basketball’s Tyrese Maxey kicked off his collegiate college with a bang heard around the nation. The currently projected lottery pick made one thing clear last night: top-14 might not be high enough.

With 9:25 left in the first half against Michigan State, Kentucky Basketball’s Tyrese Maxey got the ball on the left-wing after coming off a ball-screen down on the low block. His defender, Rocket Watts, managed to chase him down but was hopeless the second he finally recovered. Maxey jolted to the paint; as soon as he took his first step he had Watts facing his back. Nobody had a chance to even blink before Maxey was laying in his first-ever collegiate bucket.

“Star! S-T-A-R!” Dick Vitale spelled out following the Kentucky Basketball freshman’s first two career points. That was all it took for Vitale to be convinced of Maxey’s it-factor; those who were slower to the show would soon be forced to follow.

Second-Ranked Kentucky went on to defeat the top-ranked Spartans 69-62. Maxey was the driver who got them there. Despite being a freshman getting his first glimpse of college action on prime-time national television, against the top team in the country, he so-finely prevailed

Maxey ended his night with 26 points (game-high), 5 rebounds (team 2nd high), 2 assists, and 1 steal paired with only 1 turnover. His stellar well-rounded game was done with both consistency and efficiency (7/13 from the field, 3/8 from downtown, and 9/10 from the stripe). Ironically this was all done coming off the bench.

He was driving force for the offense throughout the entire game; it seemed as if he was apart of every game-changing play. One of those plays being his (retrospectively) game-icing 3-point bomb to make it 65-60 with only a minute left. It was a star-making shot; it was one that came out of nothing and it came from the deep waters that only few dare to swim into. It was a shot that (to once again quote the great Dick Vitale) spelt out “Star! S-T-A-R!”

For college basketball, the sight of the Kentucky Basketball freshman leaving defenders to eat his dust and popping off threes from the Atlantic Ocean likely left many with mixed feelings. In the midst of the moment, fans abroad were likely quite enjoying the dominance that Maxey was putting on MSU’s defense. But they were also likely double-checking their teams schedule soon after to assure their defense wasn’t fit for the same fate (for those yet to check, feel free).

Which is quite the amazing thing for a player to accomplish after only one game. While Maxey certainly struck fear in fans across the country last night, there’s a chance he alternatively struck hope in a fair share of struggling NBA franchises.

Maxey has been no stranger to the 2020 NBA Draft buzz (considering his status as the tenth ranked freshman recruit). His athleticism and prowess as a three-level scorer have long been noted. But whether or not those traits would transition, along with his ability in using them to run an offense, remained in question (so likewise, as did his status as a surefire top prospect).

If it is allowed fully channel the overreactive spirit, this game has put those questions to rest. Because not only did Maxey’s numbers turn out pretty, the display which allowed him to get those numbers looked even prettier.

Tyrese Maxey – Point Distribution

• 3-pointers: 9 PTS
• Free throws: 9 PTS
• Layups: 8 PTS

18 of Maxey’s 26 points came from either two places: the 3-point line or the free throw line. An intriguing sign for the advanced statistics enthusiast out there, given that those two shots are the two most efficient in basketball (the other 8 came from layups, meaning Maxey is attractively avoiding unreliable mid-range jumpers).

Maxey’s speed is what allows him to thrive in both areas. Off his first step, Maxey is more often than not going to get by his man, leaving somebody on the opposition to overreact (whether it be the guy who got blown-by or a help defender). Maxey showed last night that he does not fear overreactive contact though, hence why last night’s showing from the free throw line could be expected to continue.

In terms of his speed helping his jumper (which is certainly ready to launch from deep by the looks of it), Maxey’s overpowering tendency to beat his man off the bounce often left Michigan State’s defenders over-preparing for the second that Maxey pounces. This sets him up perfectly to torment defenders with his mean step back game, which unsurprisingly happened numerous times against the Spartans.

Those two methods of attack describe Maxey’s version of Thor’s Hammer; his murderous, again murderous, speed. It seemed as if he was moving on a different plane compared to every one around him last night. The threat of his takeoff ability had MSU constantly misinterpreting his next move; they literally couldn’t keep up.

The most pleasant surprise that came along with Maxey’s night was not his speed though. What was more impressive was his ability to act as the heart of a Kentucky team with so many other capable suitors. Kentucky Basketball belonged to Tyrese Maxey last night, and that is an important proclamation. He is a star and he knows it, Dick Vitale knows it, and now NBA teams might too.

Maxey was not a perfect exhibit last night, of course. He often overcommitted on his help defense and at times displayed a bit too much off-ball inactivity on offense. But there’s no such thing as a perfect player, as there shouldn’t be, especially during the opening day of the college season.

But Maxey was awfully close to such last night. His eye-opening performance should not go forgotten in the eyes of fans, as it most certainly will not in the eyes of NBA scouts. And while even in their eyes Maxey might not be a top-5 player in the 2020 Draft yet, he certainly took one step closer to being so last night. Now, he is definitely in the conversation.