TyTy Washington joining elite company of former Kentucky guards

John Calipari is no stranger to star freshman, specifically at the guard spot. From Memphis to Kentucky, he’s recruited some of the biggest names to play the one or two position; now, TyTy Washington is ascending to that level.

When he decommitted from Creighton, Washington gained the immediate interest of top programs across the country. Since they were still in need of a point at the time, the Wildcats swooped in and got his commitment.

In 18 games this season, we’ve watched him steadily grow. Washington struggled out of the gate against Duke, but has built on and improved every game since. He’s finished with double-digits scoring 13 times and has done it with incredible efficiency. He’s a three-level scorer that can handle the rock and make plays for his team as well. With his pace and maturity at his age, the college game has come very naturally to him.

He’s started to gain recognition with four consecutive SEC-Freshman of the Week awards and the latest CBS National Freshman of the Week Award. With his freshman season halfway done, Washington sizes up well all-time against some of the best to wear the blue and white under Calipari.

(All stats are via Sports-Reference.com)

TyTy vs. UK Freshman Guards since 2009-10 season

• 8th in Points Per Game (14.2)
• 5th in Assists Per Game (4.6)
• 10th in Rebounds Per Game (4.2)
• 2nd in Field Goal Percentage (50.5%)
• Tied for 5th in 3-Point Percentage (40.4%)
• 5th in Player Efficiency Rating (21.7)
• 8th in True Shooting Percentage (57.8%)
• 4th in Effective Field Goal Percentage (56.1%)
• 3rd in Offensive Rating (123.5)

In just about every category, he ranks within the top ten to fifteen that have played for Calipari at Kentucky. No matter which position in the backcourt you put him at, he is right there or ahead of them all. Plus, he has at least 13 more regular-season games and a postseason run to climb even higher.

Comparing him to players of Kentucky’s past is at least competitive. When you compare him to freshman guards in the SEC this season, the numbers aren’t even close

TyTy vs. SEC Freshman Guards in 2021-22

• 2nd in Points & Points Per Game (Jabari Smith)
• 1st in Assists & 2nd in Assists Per Game (Kennedy Chandler by 0.3)
• 2nd in Rebounds & Rebounds Per Game (JD Davidson)
• 1st in Minutes Played & Minutes Played Per Game
• 1st in Field Goal Percentage
• 3rd in 3-Point Percentage
• 1st in Points Produced
• 3rd in Player Efficiency Rating
• 4th in Offensive Rating
• 3rd in True Shooting Percentage
• 3rd in Effective Field Goal Percentage

Keep in mind that some of the players ahead of Washington aren’t playing the minutes or role that he is. TyTy is clearly running away as the conference’s best freshman in the backcourt. If not for Auburn’s Jabari Smith, he’d be the clear-cut best freshman in the SEC.

At the pace he’s on, we should all enjoy TyTy Washington while he’s in Lexington. He’s well on his way to becoming Calipari’s latest lottery selection. Let’s just hope we see him keep this up and win some more hardware before he griddys across the stage at the NBA Draft.