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McMillan takes second unofficial visit to Kentucky

Paul McMilan IV took an official visit to Kentucky last Saturday
Paul McMilan IV took an official visit to Kentucky last Saturday (https://twitter.com)

Cincinnati is not far up the road from Lexington and 2022 guard Paul McMillan IV has taken full advantage of his proximity to the UK campus. The 2022 guard took his second unofficial visit to Kentucky this past Saturday.

He was a guest at Big Blue Madness back in October. The second time around, he watched the Cats take care of business against Ole Miss in a nail biter.

McMillan has taken several unofficial visits in the fall and winter, and also already has a nice haul of offers despite only being a sophomore. Those include ones from Cincinnati, Dayton. Ole Miss, UT-Martin, and Xavier,

We spoke with his father, Paul McMillan III, on Tuesday afternoon. In that conversation he gave us details about the trip and what his son was looking for while he was there.

Q: How did you guys enjoy the visit?

McMillan: "Kentucky is Kentucky. It's big-time basketball. The atmosphere is crazy. The people are comforting all the way down from the coaching staff to the fans. They know who you are when you arrive. They speak to you very politely. They told us, "we'll see you in two years." Kentucky is a first-class place. It's just a mecca of basketball for college. There is nothing like it."

Q: Was the game atmosphere what you expected? Were there any surprises?

McMillan: "I wouldn't say there were any surprises. We follow college basketball pretty closely. We've known Kentucky is one of the best college basketball programs in the country. It was a good experience.

I can't say as a parent there were a lot fo surprises. Of course I played Division I and some professional basketball, so I kind of knew what to expect. I expected no different than what it was, a first class place."

Q: What was your son's take on the trip? Was he more in awe as a teenager than you or I might be as adults?

McMillan: "The thing about Paul is he is real mild-mannered, laid back, and humble. Paul loved the atmosphere. When he goes to those games, he is looking more in detail from the basketball perspective. What offense does the team run? Are they playing one guard or are they playing two guards? He's looking more in detail. He is like a real basketball junkie. He's looking more at that kind of stuff. When he walks away he is wanting to know if he can go watch a practice.

He plays in front of big crowds nightly and night out. Obviously not at that magnitude, but he is kind of even-keeled. He is just mild mannered and his temperament stays the same across the board. He just wants the opportunity to play and win. That's his mindset. For a kid his age he is a very mature kid."

Q: What did you take away from the way Calipari uses his guards, and did you like that and the style?

McMillan: "Yes. We definitely love the way Coach Cal deals with his guards, and how he plays them. You can look back since he has been at Kentucky with two point guards on the floor like (John) Wall and (Eric) Bledsoe. Coach Cal plays a couple of guards with (Tyrese) Maxey, (Ashton) Hagans, and (Immanuel) Quickley. Quickley is probably more like a one and two type of guard also. We definitely love the way Coach Cal plays his guards. It's more of an up-tempo style of play. Kentucky is the mecca of college basketball, As Coach Cal says, Kentucky isn't for everybody, and if you go there after all of the glitter and gold is gone, and you are in the gym you have to be ready to work. It's first class, and it's exciting from the perspective of the opportunities that can happen there: winning the National Championship, being able to compete with the nation's best day in and day out in practice and not just games. So it's a good atmosphere. It's a really good situation for all of those that are involved and have that opportunity."

Q: Is there a guard Calipari has had at Kentucky that you can envision Paul being like when he plays at the college level?

McMillan: "I can't think back, but Paul's open court speed is similar to a number of different guards that that have come through Kentucky. He's right around 6-foot-2 like Maxey. I believe John Wall is about 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3. A lot of those guys are around the same height. I believe Devin Booker may be around that same height also. Paul's game resembles a lot of those guards that he has had. He can knock down the three. He's electric in the open floor. His change of speed and change of direction is magnificent on the floor, so he resembles a lot of those players. Being young, there is a lot of things he has to continue to improve on. That's the challenge and the fun part of the game, showing up everyday and working to get better."

Q: How is his high school season going?

McMillan: "The school he is at now (Woodward Technical) won three games last year. Paul said they would be undefeated, but that's the kind of kid he is. He wants to win. The season went really well.We finished third place in our conference and ended up with a 12-10 record after they only won three games last year. We had some really good wins and had some really close losses. I'm looking at his stats now. Paul averaged 31.3 points per game, 55.5% from the field, 43.4% from three-point, 80% from the foul line, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 2.5 turnovers, and 5.1 assists. He also shot over 200 free throws this season."

Q: Where have you visited this winter, and do you have any more planned?

McMillan: "So far this winter we have been to the University of Dayton which is top five in the country right how. We've been to Purdue twice and a football game, Cincinnati, Xavier, Kentucky, and Louisville twice. We've kind of been around a little bit.

We're going to Ohio State this upcoming Sunday for a game. He actually goes to Louisville tomorrow for a game against Syracuse."

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