Maxey explains why Kentucky and 2019
Tyrese Maxey was on full display this weekend for the first time since he chose Kentucky almost a week ago.
Maxey and his Houston Hoops squad went 3-1 in the third session for Nike EYBL this spring. He was one of the main attractions at the Lake Point Sports Complex in Cartersville, Georgia, and he didn't disappoint.
He had outings of 27, 22, and 20 points in the first three games of the weekend headed into Sunday's finale with Team Florida and Vernon Carey. Jr. We don't have access to his final numbers for the game, but he perhaps had his best outing of the weekend, in a 79-71 victory.
When he wasn't playing, the outgoing young man was working other players in the tournament to consider wearing Kentucky blue as well. Keion Brooks jokingly told us that Maxey is the top recruiter on the Wildcats' staff.
Cats Illustrated caught up with him after one of his games Saturday and was fortunate enough to be the only media outlet with access to interview him at the time. The following is a word for word transcript of the conversation.
CI. Tell us why it was Kentucky.
TM. "It was the best place for me. I felt it was the best opportunity for me and my future. I really like Coach Cal, and the way he coaches. I feel like it was the best system for me.
CI. What made it the best system?
TM. "Coach Cal lets his guards play. He plays off his guards, and he is really good at developing his guards. It was the right spot for me."
CI. So when did you know Kentucky was going to be your choice?
TM. "I've been a Kentucky fan forever. I got the offer all the way back in October. I had to make sure. I had to keep watching and make sure he (Calipari) was as interested in me as I was interested in him. He was. About two weeks ago after the first live period, I thought it was the right spot."
CI. There was a lot of speculation that you might reclassify to 2018. I actually thought that myself. Why did you choose to stay in the 2019 class?
TM. "I'm still seventeen, and I won't be eighteen until November. So I'm in my right grade. So I thought I should stay and finish high school and kick it with my friends one last year. I just want to enjoy my kid years before I have to go to college where it is a business."
CI. Did Quade Green decision to come back to Kentucky influence you at all to stay in the 2019 class?
TM. "I already had my mind made up. If Quade did stay, I knew that Coach Cal is good at playing multiple guards, so that is nothing that I'm worried about."
CI. You spoke about playing multiple guards. Has Coach Calipari indicated to you that he might go to a smaller lineup and play more guards? Has he said what style he would like to play?
TM. "He wants to get back to his dribble drive ways. He couldn't run it with the team he had last year, but they adjusted it and they finished really strong. That's one other reason why he's a really good coach. He adjusted and made the best of who he had. But he says he wants to get back to three guards playing dribble drive, playing downhill, and making plays."
CI. What are you going to be working on this summer to improve?
TM. "Demanding the ball at the point guard position, my leaderships skills. We are going to be young more than likely, and we are going to need somebody to step up and be a big time leader."
CI. So you're firm about staying in the 2019 class?
TM. "Right"
CI. Keion Brooks and James Wiseman say you are a great recruiter for Kentucky. Who are you talking to a lot right now?
TM. "James, of course. That's tough. He's a tough recruit. Keion, and I think Cole Anthony."
CI. Cole Anthony, that's interesting. That's not a name we hear a lot with Kentucky. Are you having any luck with him?
TM. "He does warm up to me sometimes. I won't say what he says. We have a really good relationship. We are really good friends. I just talk to him and text him all of the time on Twitter and Snapchat. I'm just trying to build the relationship right now.