Five questions Kentucky looks to answer in Toronto at the GLOBL JAM

Kentucky basketball in July? The time has come for the Wildcats to tip things off in Toronto for the 2023 GLOBL JAM, a round-robin international event running from July 12-16. John Calipari’s group will be representing the United States, taking on U23 squads from Germany, Canada and Africa.

Live game action begins Wednesday, with USA set to take on Team Germany starting at 1:30 p.m. ET, live on CBS Sports Network. From there, it will be matchups vs. Team Canada at 8 p.m. ET on July 13, Team Africa at 1:30 p.m. ET on July 15 and either a Gold or Bronze Medal Game to wrap up the event on July 16.

What can fans expect from Kentucky as it prepares to represent the United States in Toronto? Here are five questions the Wildcats hope to answer during the trip.

Who is Kentucky’s point guard?

DJ Wagner and Rob Dillingham both came to Lexington as ball-dominant guards who were the straws that stirred the drink for their respective high school and grassroots programs. The offense ran through the five-star talents, the former as an attack specialist looking for paint touches and the latter as a dynamic shot creator. They’re both clearly talented as individuals, but how would they work together in the same backcourt? And more importantly, who would emerge as the primary lead guard while the other deferred? Or would they split time evenly? Does it even matter considering both are going to be high-minute, high-usage pieces regardless?

All eyes are on Wagner and Dillingham in Toronto and how John Calipari decides to utilize the five-star duo. The dribble-drive will ensure both players get their touches, as will Antonio Reeves and Justin Edwards, but style of play is also a factor here. Will the Hall of Fame coach favor Wagner’s ability to get downhill or Dillingham’s playmaking and creation to initiate the offense? The former may be safer, but the latter’s potential to light fireworks is undeniably intriguing.

A little of both this week? Maybe some run with Reeves and Reed Sheppard there, as well?

What does random basketball look like?

“There’s going to be a lot of randomness to how we play but we are a really unselfish group and can score in a variety of ways,” John Calipari said this week. “I’m so excited to learn more about our team.”

Random basketball. Be prepared to hear quite a bit of that throughout the season. Why? Well, Kentucky has the personnel to do it. The Wildcats have been running true four- and five-out looks with new actions and wrinkles that maximize spacing and ball movement to create scoring opportunities. With any combination of Dillingham, Wagner, Reeves, Edwards, Sheppard, Adou Thiero, Tre Mitchell and Jordan Burks on the floor together, you’ve got shooting at every position with real versatility and playmaking, guys capable of going to get theirs while also putting teammates in position to succeed.

Things will get busy at times with so many moving parts, but the randomness will allow each individual to do what they do best while remaining unpredictable as a unit. Less scripting, more pass, screen and cut quick-hitters to allow Kentucky’s dudes to be dudes.

Is Ugonna Onyenso ready to make the jump?

Oscar Tshiebwe did not return to Lexington and Hunter Dickinson took his talents to Kansas. Lance Ware transferred to Villanova, Daimion Collins transferred to LSU and Somto Cyril opted against a reclass — for now, at least. Aaron Bradshaw underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his foot, but he prefers to play the four upon his return to game action anyway. Tre Mitchell has small-ball five potential, but he’s more finesse than brawn as a face-up forward.

That leaves Ugonna Onyenso as the lone true center on the roster. His elite defensive tools showed up in spurts in year one, but so did his offensive limitations. Beyond clean-up buckets and lob finishes, there wasn’t a lot there. His goals this upcoming season?

“I’m trying to get buckets,” the sophomore center said last week. “I’m trying to be like the other guys, I’m trying to get buckets. When I get someone smaller on me in the paint what to do, when I’m up top what to do. Those are things that I’m working on.”

There’s some pressure on the 6-foot-11 big to make that second-year jump, especially with Bradshaw out for the foreseeable future. It didn’t help that Mitchell was a late addition — Burks was the team’s backup center before then. He’s grown physically, adding 12 pounds and cutting his body fat down to 7.6%, but he hasn’t had an enforcer to battle in practice to help with physicality. That was a clear struggle of his as a freshman.

What should we expect from Onyenso in Toronto and beyond? It’s inarguably the biggest question mark on the team right now. One way or another, his play in the GLOBL JAM will help set preseason expectations — and determine Calipari’s plan of attack in August.

Who steps up defensively?

Offense shouldn’t be an issue with this team — points can be created and had in a hurry. Just too much firepower with shooting and scoring potential at all five positions, one designed to find and attack mismatches. The entertainment value will be high.

But how much will the Wildcats give up on the other end? That’s where things could get interesting with this group. Edwards is a strong off-ball defender, living in the passing lanes to get deflections and force turnovers, but he’s just OK on the ball. His length is a nice recovery crutch, but he’s not immune to giving up buckets off the dribble. Wagner and Dillingham will fight, but they’ve got physical limitations. Same with Sheppard. Reeves’ defensive lapses were well-documented throughout his debut season in Lexington.

In the frontcourt, Mitchell was an average defender at West Virginia while Onyenso struggled with physicality as a freshman. He’s got impeccable instincts and timing as a shot-blocker, but will he be able to dig in and earn stops on post-up attempts? That remains to be seen — again, it’s a big week for him.

Adou Thiero is the wildcard, someone who had flashes of brilliance on the defensive end in year one while bringing positional versatility to the table, even more so now thanks to his added size and strength. He can guard one through four, a Swiss army knife with a standout motor. Could he be the team’s defensive anchor this season? Will anyone else emerge as a high-level on-ball threat?

Where does shooting come from?

The immediate answer is Antonio Reeves, who knocked down 39.8 percent of his 3-pointers on 5.9 attempts per contest. That’s your primary shooting option. But who else?

Early returns indicate Reed Sheppard is that guy, continuing where he left off after shooting 37 percent from deep throughout his historic high school career at North Laurel. The freshman guard has immediately stepped in and made shots, a consensus early standout on the roster. Combine that with his ability to facilitate with a high basketball IQ, and there’s a real chance he earns a significant role as a freshman. Don’t be shocked to see a preview of that in Toronto.

Elsewhere, incoming freshman Joey Hart was brought in to make shots at some point. Shooting 41% from three as a senior at Linton (IN) Stockton, could that be sooner rather than later? He’ll get some run in Toronto to see if he’s ready to contribute.

And then it goes back to the lead guards, Dillingham and Wagner. They don’t have to be elite shooters, but knocking them down at a solid clip will go a long way with this group.