A more mature BG could mean trouble for the rest of the SEC.
Drew Brown Big Blue Drew has been covering University of Kentucky Basketball and Football for SB Nation’s A Sea Of Blue since 2017.
Brandon Garrison provided the Kentucky Wildcats with extraordinary benefits along with some much-needed front-court debt in his first season in Lexington.
Despite all of his great qualities and undeniable likability, I’m not sure that many folks would describe him as a beacon of emotional maturity.
Mark Pope had some big-time praise for Garrison during his recent meeting with local media, calling attention to his evolving transformation as an off-court leader thanks in large part to Amari Williams.
“He’ll be the first to tell you that Amari Williams was a life-changing mentor for him. He’s excited to help some other guys come along.”
Pope would follow that comment up by specifically mentioning Garrison’s proactive approach on speaking with incoming transfers about how this Kentucky coaching staff operates.
In the transfer portal era, getting reliable, unsolicited feedback about your new coaching staff from a player who’s been there and done that is a huge benefit.
When taking into consideration all of the great qualities that Garrison brings to the table, I don’t think many people would have mentioned the word leadership or mentor, so it’s incredibly encouraging to hear Coach Pope point to BG’s growth off the court.
Pope later expanded on what he hopes to see from BG in Year 2 during an interview with KSR.
“Brandon Garrison showed me some signs in the last month, and certainly this summer, where he is just — like he is growing up, man. It’s so cool to see, it’s the best thing to see as a coach,” Pope said. “He’s talking about what he wants to be. It’s no longer kind of what he is and who he is and how he acts, but it’s what he wants to become.”
After averaging 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game a year ago, Garrison is expected to take on a much bigger role in 2025-26. For anyone who watched Kentucky basketball last season, you were able to see first-hand the flashes of brilliance from the 6-foot-10 Oklahoma City native.
The potential is evident, and based off Pope’s recent comments, it sounds like #10 could be taking major steps off the court to contribute to UK’s success.
Leave a Reply