As if the timing could not be more perfect, at least for Marquis Teague, Junior transfer Twany Beckham will finally be eligible to play this Saturday. Due to final exams ending this week at UK, and thus ending the fall semester, he will immediately be eligible to play against UT-Chattanooga. As a junior with previous experience on the court, Beckham should prove to be a player that can help UK in a few valuable ways.
Many are expecting to see Beckham right away, but there is no sure guarantee he is playing. But assuming he does see the court, what exactly can we expect from him? He adds a bit of depth to the UK backcourt, allowing freshman PG Marquis Teague to get a breather more often. Teague has been rough at times this season (first half at IU), and great otherwise (second half at IU). So this should certainly relieve some pressure on the freshman guard and not have Doron Lamb play his position otherwise, giving Lamb the opportunity to play his natural position. Having someone else to rely on instead of Polson or Lamb as a backup would be a great addition.
Beckham has also been mentioned as a “pass-first” point guard, and it should help the Cats in transition. In his last season at Mississippi State, he averaged 2.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 15.7 minutes per game. If he can get others involved in scoring and can run the offense efficiently, as any point guard should, he will prove to be a valuable addition for UK.
Another factor Beckham brings to the table is that he is a 6-foot-5 point guard, meaning he will add size to a UK squad that already presents plenty of it. With Jones, Davis, Miller, Lamb, and Kidd-Gilchrist already in the lineup, UK will become a tougher team to guard. If Twany can just do the little things on the court that are required of him, he’ll be a perfect fit to the team. Saturday should answer plenty of questions for us.
Original Story:
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December 12, 2011
