By LARRY VAUGHT
(LEXINGTON, Ky.)-Former Kentucky All-American Jack Givens certainly understands the Kentucky basketball program both from a player’s standpoint and a fan’s standpoint.
He had 41 points on 18 of 27 shooting in the 1978 national championship game win over Duke and finished his UK career with 2,038 points, third best on the school’s all-time scoring list. He’s a Lexington native and former Kentucky Mr. Basketball who returned to Lexington after his professional playing and broadcast career ended. He’s currently the analyst for the UK Radio Network.
During UK’s recent Pro Day, Givens called it the “Mt. Rushmore of distractions here at Kentucky” to have over 30 NBA scouts watching a preseason practice/workout session. However, he knows Kentucky coach Mark Pope is well equipped to handle that and any other distraction thrown at him or his team.
“He is so different from every other coach we have had here with his constant positivity. They (previous coaches) have been loud and never held back on words,” said Givens, who played for coach Joe Hall at UK. “You won’t see him (Pope) get loud or mad very often but the times I have seen him get to that point it was not the Mark Pope that I know and love. Every guy on the team refocuses when that happens.
“It is kind of more by less by him. He won’t get that way very often but when he does every guy on the team stops what they are doing and gives him 100 percent focus. He just knows what he’s doing.”
Givens is not one to make bold predictions but he’s also not prone to downplay his beliefs. He thinks Pope has a legitimate national title contender after getting his first UK team to the Sweet Sixteen.
“If this team can get six guys in double figures, this team will win a lot of games and I think they can do that with the talent on this team,” Givens, a first-round NBA Draft pick in 1978, said.
He doesn’t think Otega Oweh, UK’s leader in points and steals last season, needs a dramatic increase in his production this year for Kentucky to be an elite team.
“What he has to do is get about the exact same numbers he did last year because that should mean about another five guys will be averaging in double figures and this team will be averaging in the mid 80’s (in points per game). If this team does what it is capable of doing defensively and hold teams to around 75 points, then it will be a very successful season,” the former UK All-American said.
Alabama transfer Mo Dioubate, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward, will make Kentucky a better defensive team with his toughness. He played on Alabama teams that reached the Final Four and Elite Eight the last two seasons.
“If there are eight guys going for a rebound or loose ball, he is coming out with the ball. Just understand that,” Givens said. “If five guys go for a rebound, he’s getting it. He has a knack for being around the basketball.
“Early in the summer he was kind of not just going through the motions but it looked like a vet. He was saving his energy for when it counted. Right now he is laying it on the line every play. He is just one of those players you want on your team.”
Dioubate reminds Givens of former LSU star Rudy Macklin, a Louisville native that Givens played against. Macklin finished his playing career as LSU’s leading rebounder (1,276) and second all-time leading scorer (2,080) and was also SEC Player of the Year.
“I had to play against Rudy at LSU and he was built like Mo. Had long arms like Mo. He shot better than Mo. Rudy would stick me every second I played against him and that’s how Mo is. He wore down Otega last year. Nobody wants Mo guarding them,” Givens said.
Two players he thinks could be better than expected are sophomores Collin Chandler and Kam Williams, a Tulane transfer.
“Collin Chandler was away from the game two years (on a mission trip) but you get to the point and we saw it late in the year that he was remembering what it was like to play basketball but he still was not quite there,” Givens said.
“Conditioning-wise, still not quite there. Comfort-wise, still not quite there. What I have seen from Collin this year is that the whole package is kind of there now. It was never there last year but it is now and it is a really good package.”
The 6-foot-8 Williams had Givens wondering about how he might fit in early in the summer. Those doubts are now gone.
“Kam Williams has looked awesome in practice and has looked more comfortable. He has gotten better,” Givens said. “This guy can do a little bit of everything and has been that way in practice. There is never a time now when I see practice that I don’t know when he is on the floor. He is long and jumps out of the gym. He shoots the 3 as well as anybody on that team.
“If we look late in the season and he is averaging 8-11 points, this team will be winning a lot. I love watching this guy play. He is one of my favorites already. I am looking forward to seeing how he develops and improves because what he does could be a big factor for a team that I already think is going to be really good. He could just make the team even better.”
(Vicky Graff Photo)
