Kentucky redshirt freshman guard Jemarl Baker doesn’t mind talking — unless it is about himself.
Let former UK star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proclaim that Baker was the best 3-point shooter on last year’s team. Let others talk about his court presence and passing ability.
“I don’t like to talk about it,” Baker said when asked about how he might surprise fans this season. “I just like to go out there and show it. When the games come, then I will show everybody what I can do.”
His 3-point shooting ability is well documented. He moved from shooting guard to point guard his senior season at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in California but hit 94 3-pointers (and shot 44 percent from 3-point range) while leading his team to its first state championship.
However, Baker has said since he signed with UK that he’s a better defender, ball handler and passer than most realize because his shooting ability overshadows what others see.
Jemarl Baker Sr. was a 6-1 shooting guard who played at Cal State Northridge. His goal was to play professional basketball — just like the players on John Calipari’s team at Kentucky. It didn’t happen for Baker Sr. and he tried to give his son every edge possible to make the next level.
“I raised him to be a point guard that could shoot like a 2 (guard),” Baker Sr. said. “Everyone loved his shot so much that he still ended up playing the 2 the majority of the time.”
So what does he expect his son, who missed last season after needing surgery to repair a high school knee injury, this season?
“I think he will be able to do a lot more than most people are thinking he can do,” Baker Sr. said. “They know he can shoot, but he can do a lot more. He’s a good kid and team player. What Cal needs, he will do. But I think he will definitely surprise a lot of people this year with all he can do.”
Baker, an honor roll student in high school, averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game as a high school senior. Baker, who originally committed to California, was a top 100 rated recruit and ESPN had him among the nation’s top 15 shooting guards.
“You have to be a willing and able passer. You have to care about your teammates,” Baker Sr. said. “He was taught if someone is open, you pass the ball. It’s not about you, it is about the team. It’s a team game and if someone is open, you give him the ball. That’s why he passes so well and can play point guard.”
Baker couldn’t do anything last season. He had knee surgery before the season started and originally thought he would be playing by January. Instead, it took longer to rehab and recover than he anticipated. Rather than pout and wonder why he was sidelined at a time when UK needed outside shooting, he said it was an “enjoyable” experience because it gave him a different perspective on basketball.
“He always looks at the positive side of everything. It was tough not playing because he loves to play, but it was a learning experience,” Baker Sr. said. “God blesses him with a lot of things. Being out did make him much hungrier for this season. That’s a big key. He’s happy and ready to go. I have never seen him smile so much as when he gets to represent Kentucky.”
(STORY BY LARRY VAUGHT)