Kentucky getting "deadly" shooter, underrated athlete in Joey Hart

Would you believe me if I told you three-star sharpshooter Joey Hart had the highest standing vertical on the Kentucky basketball team? That’s the word out of Lexington to open early summer workouts.

His former high school coach at Linton-Stockton, Noah Hawkins, confirmed the rumor on 630WLAP’s Sunday Morning Sports Talk this week.

“It’s funny. I was going to bring that up, I didn’t know if that word had gotten out,” he told KSR. “He’s labeled as a shooter, but my son gets bored watching NBA guys warm up doing all of their crazy dunks because he’s like, ‘Joey does this all the time.’ Where we’re from, that’s unique. You don’t see that a lot in South Central Indiana, that kind of athleticism coming through there.

“You just don’t know how special it is. When I heard he had the highest standing vertical on the team, I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.'”

That’s the thing. The reputation he’s developed as a knockdown shooter is deserved. Hart averaged 23.7 points per contest as a senior while shooting 41% from three, led the UAA Circuit in 3-pointers made in 2022. The 6-foot-5 guard out of Linton, IN was brought to Lexington to make shots.

But don’t be surprised if he throws down a poster or two along the way.

“An athletic director at a local school, we left their gym and he said, ‘Tell your AD we’re going to send him a bill for a new rim,'” Hawkins added. “Joey had eight dunks that game, it was just phenomenal.”

The two traits go hand-in-hand. He’s able to play above the rim as a dunker because he’s such a threat from deep. And he’s such a threat from deep because he’s an underrated athlete capable of turning reckless closeouts into explosive slams.

Can’t leave him open, can’t guard him too tight.

“He gets those dunks because he’s such a great shooter. They’re not just in transition, highlight reel 360s and windmills, stuff like that,” Hawkins said. “You’ve got to close out on him and you’ve got to close high, not low, because his release point is so high. He uses that vertical on his jumper. So if you close out, he’ll go around you and rip the rim off in the half-court setting. It’s a testament to how well he shoots the ball.”

But again, let’s not overlook why Hart is a Wildcat. He’s an impressive athlete, but a truly elite shooter. And the numbers back that up.

“He’s in the gym — I don’t know how many shots he gets up a day, but it’s a bunch. It’s not an accident he’s such a great shooter,” his former coach said. “… I saw some numbers, when he’s wide-open, he’s dang near 60 percent. And he’s upper-40s, low-50s when he’s lightly contested, low- to mid-40s overall. He’s a knockdown shooter, and that’s not an accident. It’s because he’s a gym rat.”

That’s what he’ll be expected to do from day one at Kentucky, an immediate plug-and-play shooting presence his coaches and teammates are certain to love. Fans, too.

At the end of the day, it’s a shock when the former Linton-Stockton star misses from deep.

“His shooting prowess and presence, his teammates are going to love it. He’s going to space the floor and they’re going to be more open because you can’t leave him,” Hawkins told KSR. “You know, he’s 6-5, got a nice vertical on him, and he uses that vertical on his shot. He’s got a high release point and he’s deadly. When he’s open, he doesn’t miss, man. His teammates will love him because he’s going to work hard, make the right basketball play, and when he’s open, he’s going to hit the shot.”

Hart himself told KSR at the time of his commitment that he put winning above all else. “I’ve never really lost much in my life, never had a losing season,” he said at the time. “I’m expecting to come in there and win. If we don’t that would be pretty upsetting.”

His former coach backs that up after seeing him operate first-hand. Enjoy the shooting and athleticism, but really appreciate the winning mindset.

“A lot of people talk about shooting as the biggest asset that he brings to the table, and that wouldn’t be wrong. It’s an accurate description,” he said. “But the most underrated aspect of his game is he just wins. If you want to do the math on this, IHSAA (Indiana High School Athletic Association) allows 24 regular-season high school basketball games per year. Joey had 98 wins as a starter when they only allow 24 games.

“Sure, he won some postseason games to get to that point, but overall — he’s going to bring shooting to the table and some athleticism, but he’s a winner. He could have scored points galore, has to be the most efficient 1,900-plus point scorer that I’ve certainly seen. But he wins.”

His minutes may be limited early, having to wait a year or two before his role really expands. But that doesn’t mean his presence won’t be felt in practice and around the facilities from day one. One way or another, he’s going to impact winning.

“UK provides a ceiling and some potential other schools just don’t offer. That’s what it came down to, betting on himself. He’s going to have some good opportunities there, and I’m really looking forward to it,” Hawkins said. “His role that first year at Kentucky may be different from year two or three, but he’s going to help the program win and I think the fanbase will be OK with that.”

Music to Big Blue Nation’s ears.