Storyline: Kentucky failed its first major test against UCLA. Can the Cats rebound against UNC and Louisville?
The Kentucky Wildcats’ basketball team failed the first major test of the year against Lonzo Ball and the UCLA Bruins.
UCLA’s Lonzo Ball (photo, Jae C. Hong, AP)
It’s not that the ‘Cats played terribly. It’s just that they were overpowered by a veteran UCLA team. The Bruins won, 97-92, to snap UK’s 42-game home winning streak.
Kentucky had made it through the cupcake portion of its schedule, blowing out teams like Canisius and UT-Martin. John Calipari’s son, Brad, has even got to come off the end of the bench to splash a couple of threes.
But Big Blue then lost its first game against a highly-regarded opponent. That’s concerning.
Up until the UCLA game, Michigan State had been the Wildcats’ toughest opponent. But the win over the Spartans won’t count as a marquee win. At 7-4, State is still trying to find its identity.
UK gets another chance to show what it can do. North Carolina and Louisville are up next.
Just how do the Cats stack up against those teams?
UK vs. North Carolina
The Tar Heels have looked unstoppable–that is, outside of a loss to Indiana and a close call against Tennessee. One of the reasons is Joel Berry II. He has done a terrific job filling Marcus Paige’s shoes. The junior is averaging about 15 points a game and is shooting 91% from the charity stripe to compliment 42% from three.
UNC’s Kennedy Meeks (photo, CBS Sports)
But the main thing about the Tar Heels is inside presence. Not only do opponents have to worry about Kennedy Meeks–a 6-10 senior who’s grabbing an average of about nine rebounds a night–they also have to worry about the Heels’ versatile post players.
First there’s Isaiah Hicks, a 6-9 senior who definitely knows how to put the biscuit in the basket. Hicks is averaging 12.7 points a game and is converting free throw attempts 81% of the time. Heck, most GUARDS aren’t even that accurate. Then there’s Justin Jackson, a 6-8 forward who wanders outside of the lane and is good for at least a couple of threes a game.
Long story short, UNC has a clear edge over UK on the inside. For Kentucky to win, the Wildcats must control the tempo. They must get out in transition and force UNC’s big men to run the floor and become fatigued. They also must win the rebounding battle. That’s what cost Tennessee its upset bid. The Volunteers allowed 22 offensive rebounds and 25 second-chance points in a 73-71 loss.
If the Wildcats do these things it will be a great game. If not, UNC will run away with it.
UK at Louisville
You hear horror stories about Rick Pitino’s conditioning…metal trash cans filled to the brim with vomit and players throwing up on themselves. Why are practices so vigorous? Petino wants his players in tip-top shape for defense.
The Cardinals surrender just 59.7 points a game. The defense is simply overwhelming and it’s a vital part of UL’s offense. They will get up in you on defense, force turnovers, grab the rebound off a missed shot, and run with it.
UL’s Donovan Mitchell (photo, The Courier-Journal)
But when they’re forced to settle in the half-court, they struggle offensively. Louisville is shooting an abysmal 43% from the field and just 32% from downtown. The one thing the Cardinals have going for themselves is an even scoring distribution. Donovan Mitchell, Quentin Snider, and Deng Adel average 11.4, 10.8, and 10.0 points, respectively.
How does UK win this game? Four things are vital.
First, the Wildcats mustn’t be fazed by the Cardinals’ pressure. They need to walk it up the court and settle down.
Second, Derek Willis and Malik Monk need to hit at least three trifectas apiece.
Third, the Cats must dominate the boards.
And, finally, Kentucky must knock down its FTs.
If those things are in place the Wildcats should take down the Cardinals … yet again … for its fourth consecutive series win.
*************************************
How important are these games? The reality is that the Wildcats are playing for NCAA tournament seeding because UK won’t see teams like UNC and UL in the SEC. Kansas may be the only Top 25 team UK will play the rest of the way. The teams meet in late January in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Kentucky failed its first major test against UCLA. Can the Cats rebound against UNC and Louisville? We’ll see.
