Assistant coach (and offensive coordinator of sorts) Cody Fueger has told anyone who will listen his goal for the 2024-25 Wildcats is that they average 35 3-point attempts per game. Even if UK is better from the perimeter, percentage-wise, than 2023-24, when it set a single-season mark for accuracy (40.9%; 327 for 800), players are going to miss more shots than they make from distance. That heightens the importance of rebounding; specifically “long rebounds.” The farther away a shot attempt is, the farther away the ball is likely to ricochet after a miss. The Wildcats’ fire-away 3-point approach this season will make this scenario a reality numerous times every game. Though rebounding always must be a team-wide effort, it will place added pressure on UK’s big men: Carr, Garrison and Williams. A star at Drexel, Williams has averaged two offensive rebounds per game in his college career; Carr ranked among the top 20 in the ACC in total offensive boards in back-to-back seasons (2022-23 and 2023-24) at Wake Forest; and Oklahoma State transfer Garrison was 19th in offensive rebound percentage in the rough-and-tumble Big 12 last season — as a true freshman, no less.

The Wildcats don’t lack for shooting from deep. Brea was the top 3-point marksman in Division I last season (49.8%; 100 for 201) at Dayton. Almonor tied Farleigh Dickinson’s single-season mark for 3-point makes (93) in 2023-24. Carr and Kriisa are proven perimeter threats, while Oweh and Robinson have steadily improved in that area. The first-year trio (Chandler, Noah and Perry) all showcased 3-point aptitude during their high school careers. Of course, shooting 3s isn’t the be-all, end-all. It’s also a means to an end. The “five-out offense” — a system in which every offensive player on the floor begins a possession behind the 3-point line — Pope and Fueger employed during their stint at BYU also opens up shots closer to the basket. With opponents keying so heavily on the perimeter, the lane regularly clears out, allowing the ball handler to dish off to a cutting teammate for a straightforward conversion. But there will be times when a foe with a formidable defense shuts off the 3-point line and bottles up backdoor cuts. What will the Wildcats do then? For as many shooters as this team boasts, it lacks a bevy of players who have shown — repeatedly — the ability to create offense out of thin air, in 1-on-1 matchups. Their best bets for that likely will be Carr, Kriisa (also the team’s best passer) and Robinson. How well that trio fares in those nip-and-tuck situations will be the difference in victory or defeat in tight games.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.