Film Room: Joey Hart

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Bad news has clouded this offseason for the Kentucky Wildcats. High profile transfer portal targets like Hunter Dickinson and Arthur Kaluma went elsewhere. Antonio Reeves is taking classes at Illinois State putting his return very much up in the air. Then, on Friday, we were hit with the news that Aaron Bradshaw could miss 4-6 months due to needing foot surgery. It is only human nature to wonder whether he ever suits up for the ‘Cats. However, on Saturday afternoon, Joey Hart committed to Kentucky to help round out the 2023-2024 roster.

So, what does Joey Hart bring to the table? The former Central Florida signee is an elite shooter with some positional size and athleticism on the wing. He comes to Kentucky ranked by the On3 Industry Ranking as a three-star prospect and #268 in the country. After coming available on May 12th, the 6’5″ Hart picked up interest from some big time programs such as Indiana, Texas, Notre Dame, and Rutgers before ultimately deciding to come to Lexington. The first time around, before committing to UCF, Northwestern was the other high-major program vying for his services.

With Saturday’s commitment, Hart becomes the seventh member of Kentucky’s incoming freshman class. He now makes nine total players, 10 if you count Brennan Canada. There is still work to be done, especially if Bradshaw’s availability is in question, but the roster is starting to take shape for the upcoming season. Now, let’s dive into the KSR Film Room and take a closer look at Joey Hart. We will evaluate how his shooting translates, his immediate ceiling, and his prospectus as a development piece.

Elite Shooting Ability

There is a world where Joey Hart has a college career similar to a healthy C.J. Fredrick. Both were three-star prospects ranked outside of the top 150. Hart is an inch or two bigger and a better athlete which should help the transition to high-major college basketball. Shooting is the greatest equalizer and if Hart can come in and make a couple of three-pointers per game at a 40% clip it will be very difficult to keep him off of the floor. Between shooting 40% from deep while averaging 23.9 points per game for the Class 2A state runner-up as a senior or leading the UAA Circuit in three-point shooting, the Linton-Stockton High School product has been a sniper everywhere he has played.

Joey Hart has some of the best perimeter footwork of any shooter in the Class of 2023. He keeps the ball high when getting into his shot which allows him to have a very quick release. Then, when you combine being 6’5″ with the elevation he gets on his shot it makes it very hard for opposing guards to contest. While Linton-Stockton, a small, rural, public school is southwestern Indiana didn’t play the highest level of competition, this clip shows Hart knocking in a three-pointer over Purdue commit Myles Colvin.

There are a lot of catch-and-shoot threats at the college level. However, there are surprisingly few who can truly make shots while running full speed off of screening action. Hart has the potential to join the list of the latter. His footwork and athleticism make it possible to plant, square his shoulders, and fire off a three-point attempt all while curling off of this pindown screen. You can envision the 6’5″ guard coming off of floppy action at Kentucky this coming season.

It is important to sift through Joey Hart’s highlights and evaluate him against college-level competition. This clip comes from the IHSAA State Finals where he is being guarded by a 6’8″ Class of 2025 prospect who, ironically enough, recently received his first offer from UCF. Hart comes off of the floppy action, his defender starts to go up through the screen, and he settles in behind the screen for a highly contested three-point attempt. These are the type of shots you have to make to be an elite shooter at the college level.

Kentucky needs more guys who defenders cannot help off of. The ‘Cats most recent commitment certainly fits that billing. When Hart has any amount of space beyond the arc he is going to rise and fire. Look at how much elevation he gets and the release point high above his head. That is a very hard shot to contest. Also, again, this was while being defended by Myles Colvin who is headed to Purdue and was recently selected to represent the United States on the U19 national team.

High-Level Athleticism

Joey Hart is not sneaky athletic. That common moniker would not do just to how athletic he truly is. He is a 6’5″ guard that can play well above the rim at the end of his drives. As a freshman, it is unlikely that he creates much off of the dribble the way he did at times in high school. However, his leaping ability does come in handy on the perimeter as well. Being able to elevate over the defense on his jump shot is a big part of Hart’s game. Let’s take a look at how his athleticism will translate to the Southeastern Conference.

If the gym looks familiar, yes, that is where they filmed the movie Hoosiers. This clip comes from the Hoosier Reunion All-Star Classic which is the second best All-Star game in Indiana aside from the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star series. Joey Hart has excellent leaping ability and can play high above the rim. His shooting ability will obviously help Kentucky in transition. However, his ability to go dunk the basketball can be a factor as well. Hart could put on a show at Big Blue Madness in layup lines.

Being able to dunk it on a run out in transition is great. However, having that athleticism translate to actual half court basketball is more important. Here you see Hart come off of a flare screen in a Horns action and attack the baseline where he finishes with a two-hand slam. The 6’5″ guard does such a great job of reading screens and will be one of Kentucky’s best cutters from day one.

If you don’t get the ball stopped, Joey Hart will take it to the rim and slam it home. His shooting ability, rightfully so, will get all of the headlines, but his athleticism is pretty high-level as well. If he can attack closeouts and play above the rim it will really unlock his ceiling at Kentucky.

Shot Creation off of the Dribble

We know that Joey Hart will bring elite shooting ability from day one. However, his ability to contribute in other ways will likely determine just how long he can be on the floor. He will need to be able to handle the ball some without turning it over and potentially even create his own shot some as opposing defenses work to take away his catch-and-shoot ability. Hart has shown the ability to get his own shot some at the high school level, but how that translate to high-major basketball remains to be seen.

Hart is going to face a lot of pressure defense as a freshman. Most will evaluate him as “just a shooter” meaning they won’t help off of him and they will defend in a way that forces him to drive the basketball. His ability to make some mid-range, pull-up jump shots will be huge for his immediate production. Once again, this is where his athleticism comes into play. Hart can get to his spot, spin, and elevate over most perimeter defenders. Being 6’5″ certainly does not hurt the cause either.

When defenses feel the need to guard you all the way out near half court it really opens up some driving opportunities. This is admittedly pretty poor defense, but the concept still holds. Joey Hart is going to be pressured every time he touches the basketball due to his shooting prowess. However, his size and athleticism can allow him to make the defense pay with some straight line drives to the rim. Plays like this can loosen up opposing defenses when he gets to Kentucky.

Joey Hart doesn’t need to be a dynamic playmaker off of the dribble to create shots. First and foremost his three-point shooting ability will be his ticket to playing time. However, it is also that shooting ability that will open up some mid-range opportunities. Being 6’5″ with excellent vertical athleticism, Hart doesn’t need a ton of space to get off a clean look. Simple one or two dribble moves to create a little separation will be enough to get some mid-range shots. If Hart can pair shots like this with his three-point shooting it will be hard to keep him off of the floor.