BJ Boston backed a promising performance in Georgia with another great game tonight, scoring 18 points to pass along with six rebounds, three assists, a block, steal and no turnover in 34 minutes. The freshman was 7-17 off the floor (2-7 from three) and when LSU returned its second half to reduce Kentucky’s lead to five, Boston scored eight straight to push the lead back to double figures.
“I always imagined myself to be the man who could help the team; just do everything I can to help the team win, honestly,” Boston said afterwards. “Whether I’re defending a goal, ‘rebound’ or ‘help’.”
Boston’s work ethic has long been noticed by its coaches and teammates. At the start of the season, he started the “Breakfast Club,” and after Kentucky’s recent struggle, the story that he was in the gym late Monday night made the rounds and was mentioned again in tonight’s broadcast. On Friday, Boston said the extra work at the gym is the ‘only thing helping me escape reality’, and tonight we have further proof that it is bearing fruit.
“I would just say my work ethic,” Boston said of what ‘clicked’ him this week. ‘I just worked hard, took it day by day, just remained humble, kept my head, stayed the same. Just believing in what my team is doing, believing in what my coaches are telling us. ”
All that being said, Boston has not yet broken all of its bad habits. Late in the first half he tried one of his shots near the edge, which made John Calipari absolutely nut on the sideline.
“Did you see that one flip in the first half?” Calipari said when asked about Boston’s actions. “I went crazy. ‘You’re not going back to the guy. That man left the building. You’re going to be the guy we keep practicing. That’s who you are. ‘And now, running downhill, making mistakes, getting to the edge. All of a sudden you look like one of the best players in the country. The flipsy doodles that get nothing but a layout on the other side? No. We do not have it anymore. When he turned it around, I went crazy. It was one-on-two, Dontaie was open and he did a lightning strike. I got berserk. I did a setback. Said, “We are not going back to this.” So I try to hold these guys accountable and thank goodness I can do that while we win. ”
“When I did, he lost it, but I just listened to him,” Boston said. “And when I came back, I got the one-and-one and it’s just from there.”
Babatrap.