Thousands of pickup basketball games take place in gyms, yards, and recreation centers around the state of Kentucky every day. However, future pros and current SEC stars can often be found in those informal games in Lexington.
This week, Andrija Jelavic, Braydon Hawthorne, and Reece Potter played a basketball game against ordinary Kentucky students at the Johnson Rec Center on campus. Furthermore, the post-game discussion may have been much more amusing than the game itself.
Given that Hawthorne and Potter have already committed to returning to Kentucky for the upcoming season, this particular pickup game is quite important. Does Andrija Jelavic’s inclination to return also stem from running the floor and developing an off-court rapport with those two? It is undoubtedly something.
However, it turns out that having three Division I Kentucky basketball players on your intramural team does not mean you will win.
Getting humbled at the Johnson Center
The three players were interviewed by the Kentucky Kernel, who inquired as to what specifically prompted them to visit the student recreation center. Reece Potter stated that they were merely seeking a “good run” and first asserted that they emerged “undefeated,” but his own teammate quickly refuted his claims.No, we ultimately lost. I won’t lie; we lost one. Braydon Hawthorne corrected, laughing, “We lost one.”
Jelavic was eager to thoroughly disparage his 7-foot-1 buddy when asked how an SEC frontcourt truly loses to college kids.Reece took place. Potter raised his hands in shock and Hawthorne laughed until Jelavic intervened, saying, “He didn’t rebound the ball for us well.”Jelavic went on to quip, “We got bullied in the paint.”
To protect his honor, Potter snatched up the microphone and said, “It was 4 to 3 and they made two layups.”
However, the 7-footer caught one last stray from a teammate who was a regular student. With a final punch, the student leaned in and said, “I just wanna say the only reason we lost is Reece Potter didn’t play any defense.” That is both hilarious and brutal. Potter simply turned to leave.
Reading the offseason tea leaves
Jelavic was asked directly about his future in Lexington, aside from the amazing banter and the fact that these players are obviously creating the exact kind of locker room chemistry Mark Pope sorely needs next year.
His remark was solely concerned with the fanbase’s culture.”I think what’s really special here at Kentucky is that hundreds of students came here and wanted to hoop against us,” Jelavic retorted.
In the age of transfer portals, where things can alter, actions typically speak louder than words. If you are covertly preparing your bags to leave, you don’t usually spend your offseason nights hanging out at the student recreation center, making friends with confirmed returners, and complimenting the local culture.
However, Jasper Johnson was also present and is undoubtedly departing.
However, if Jelavic makes a formal announcement about his return in the next few days, we can all look back on a funny, defenseless loss to a group of college students as the first indication that AJ would be returning.
