Does Kentucky’s #1 Status Make Teams Come at Them Any Harder Than They Already Do?

KENTUCKY BANK BLOG                 1/23/12

            Do you really think any opponent is going to come at Kentucky any harder as the number one ranked team than they have with the Wildcats at number two? Yeah, me neither—so enjoy the number one ranking for Big Blue for as long as it lasts.

            Given how rare an achievement it’s been for any team to go through the SEC season without a loss, I don’t expect a squad that starts three freshmen to do it.

            Only one team has three wins over Kentucky when the Cats were ranked first in the Associated Press poll. That’s Vanderbilt and that’s where most experts will project the first SEC loss for UK might come. With ESPN’s Gameday show broadcasting from Memorial Gym on February 11, the atmosphere will probably be similar to what the Cats faced at Indiana.

            Between now and then, Kentucky’s biggest threat might well come a week from Tuesday, when Tennessee comes into Rupp Arena. The Vols have the big bodies to cause problems for the Cats the way Alabama did so that one won’t be an automatic “W” just because it’s played in Rupp.

            A road trip to Mississippi State on February 21 is arguably the second-most dangerous spot for Kentucky as it pertains to the number one ranking. I’d rank the road game at Florida third-most risky for the Cats only because the Gators don’t play as physical a brand of basketball as Vandy or State could bring to the court.

            But the big picture view on all of this is that the Wildcats have six weeks to shore up things, like dealing with physical opponents, point guard play and Terrence Jones’ consistency—and whether or not they make it to tournament time as the number one ranked team is a much lesser concern.

You can follow Tom’s daily coverage of the Cats at www.tomleach.com and listen to his “Leach Report” radio show on WLAP, AM-630 from 9:05-10am each Monday-Friday.

–Tom Leach

 

How Good Could The Wildcats Get if They Play the Way Coach Calipari Wants?

                   You listen to John Calipari and it sounds like the formula could be just that simple for the Kentucky Wildcats.

   On a day that saw national title contender, North Carolina, get embarrassed by 33 at Florida State, Kentucky erased an eight-point, second-half deficit on the road. It makes you wonder just how good this team could get if it plays the way its coach wants.

Here’s the pro-con report for the Cats’ 17th win of the season:

 

PROS

• Will to win, especially MKG and Anthony Davis
• Defense. UK held the Vols scoreless on seven consecutive possessions down the stretch.
• For the mistakes Calipari laments, this team has shown an excellent closing punch, even in defeat at Indiana—save for that last play
• Kyle Wiltjer. His outside shooting could be a huge boost to this team in March and today was one of his best games relative to the level of competition

 

CONS

• First-half rebounding. Kentucky came close to being beaten on the boards for the third straight game, because of that first-half performance.
• Doron Lamb and Darius Miller. It’s hard to see the Cats achieving their goals without getting more from these two than they gave today

   

All in all, it was a good day for Big Blue. For just the second time since 1960, the men’s basketball team won in Knoxville in the same season in which the UK football team beat the Vols.

You can follow Tom’s daily coverage of the Cats at www.tomleach.com and listen to his “Leach Report” radio show on WLAP, AM-630 from 9:05-10am each Monday-Friday.

–Tom Leach

Key Storyline to Kentucky’s Win Over South Carolina Was the Play of Marquis Teague

                I’m hooked. I’ve got a case of Tebow fever. His first 300-yard passing day against the NFL’s top-rated defense, led his team to a playoff win. The TV ratings for Tebow-versus-Tom Brady II will be off the charts this weekend and I’m just glad the Cats’ game at Tennessee will be over in time for me to get back home from Knoxville to see it.

                A few weeks ago, I had former Wildcat linebacker, Wesley Woodyard, Tebow’s Denver Broncos teammate, on my “Leach Report” radio show. Two things he said about Tebow stuck out to me. First, he said Tebow’s teammates were taken by his work ethic. And second, it was how the Broncos see Tebow as being “genuine.” For all of the hype and other people and groups trying to co-op Tebow for their own causes, there’s nothing phony or manufactured about this kid. If there was, his teammates wouldn’t follow his leadership the way they do.

                I’m not sure Tebow is a long term answer to Denver’s QB position. Just look at the previous three weeks to understand the issue is far from settled, but I do know this—Tebow is a winner and if he’s in my organization, I’m going to find some way to take advantage of what he does best.

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                Yes, it was great to see Terrence Jones break out for a 20-point game, but to me, the key storyline to Kentucky’s win over South Carolina was the play of point guard Marquis Teague.

                And it wasn’t the season-high 17 points he scored, but the way he ran the team and took advantage of opportunities to do what he does best—get to the rim.

                Teague unfairly gets compared to Calipari’s previous point guards instead of other freshmen point guards this season. All he needs to do to be successful, in my opinion, is to focus on being the best Marquis Teague he can be and not worry about comparisons to John Wall, Brandon Knight or anyone else.

You can follow Tom’s daily coverage of the Cats at www.tomleach.com and listen to his “Leach Report” radio show on WLAP, AM-630 from 9:05-10am each Monday-Friday.

–Tom Leach

 

Nine Weeks from Now, Kentucky Will Be Preparing for the SEC Tournament—Let’s See How The Wildcats’ Questions Get Answered by Then

 

            Winning a national championship in college basketball isn’t like running for president in that it is not votes that determine the title. But as the national political focus turns to the Iowa caucuses this week, we can see one key similarity—a candidate doesn’t emerge with the nomination by hiding weaknesses. He or she does it by having those weaknesses exposed and then best showing the ability to improve upon them.

            Games like the one against Louisville help show Kentucky where it needs to improve—point guard play, attacking a press, attacking zones. But what we have also seen is a young team that plays hardest when it matters most.

            Teague’s second half against Indiana was the high water mark of the season to date and he’s regressed a bit in recent games, but we must remember how the previous two seasons went. Brandon Knight, last season at this time, wasn’t anywhere close to the player we saw in March. And it was mid-January in 2010 when John Wall publicly voiced frustration of not understanding what Calipari wanted from him. If Teague still has the same issues in March that he has now, then you can be concerned, but now, you can trust Calipari’s track record.

            As for attacking the press, a big part of it for Kentucky is becoming more willing to play through contact. Kentucky had players trying to run away from traps instead of getting into the bodies of Louisville players, muscling through those traps and making a strong pass.

            As for zones, I’m surprised the Cats have not seen more of it. Kentucky matched its season-high of 21 turnovers against U of L, the only team to play much zone since Old Dominion, which was UK’s other 21-turnover game. Against North Carolina, Indiana and Louisville combined, the Cats have made nine three-point baskets total.

            Kentucky doesn’t have the kind of low-post game that is going to generate a classic inside-out approach to attacking a 2-3 zone. In Davis, the Cats have a player that teams don’t want to leave, to prevent lobs, so the sweet spot is going to be where Jack Givens killed Duke in 1978—just inside the free throw line. Doron Lamb and Darius Miller have the mid-range game that could exploit that area and Kyle Wiltjer, who made a shot there on Saturday, could potentially be a nice weapon against zones if he develops enough to warrant more minutes.

            Nine weeks from today, Kentucky will be preparing for the SEC Tournament. Let’s see how the Wildcats’ questions get answered by that time.

You can follow Tom’s daily coverage of the Cats at www.tomleach.com and listen to his “Leach Report” radio show on WLAP, AM-630 from 9:05-10am each Monday-Friday.

–Tom Leach

 

Wildcats Square Off With Louisville—Both Teams Come Into the Game Ranked In the Nation’s Top Five

                Kentucky-North Carolina was supposed to be the toughest ticket of the season at Rupp Arena, but Christmas may come a little late for the scalpers as the Wildcats prepare to square off with rival Louisville, marking the first time that both teams come into the game ranked in the nation’s top five.

                It’s a different kind of challenge than the one the Wildcats met against the Tar Heels. Carolina could match Kentucky in overall talent, but did not offer a contrasting style of play the way Louisville will.  The Cardinals will surely try to make this a physical game in an effort to get Kentucky off its game.  And UofL has the ability to play more zone than Kentucky has seen since that struggle against Old Dominion.

                But the Cards cannot take away all of Kentucky’s options. To beat Kentucky, you have to give up some things and hope you don’t get beat by them.  And I’m guessing Louisville’s main goal will be limiting Kentucky’s baskets in transition.  And since Rick Pitino spent so much time recruiting—unsuccessfully—Marquis Teague, the Cards’ coach knows his game well and it’s likely the Cardinals will try to do some things to get inside the freshman point guard’s head.

                Teague has come a long way in the last couple of weeks, starting with that second half at Indiana, and if he plays well in this game, you have to like Kentucky’s chances.

                One of the major points of emphasis for Kentucky will be defending three-point shooters. Calipari has continually harped on his team about giving up too many corner threes and that’s where the Cards’ Kyle Kuric does his most damage. Kentucky was outscored at the three-point line by seven baskets against both UNC and Indiana. If that happens again, this game will likely be decided in the final minute, as those two were.

You can follow Tom’s daily coverage of the Cats at www.tomleach.com and listen to his “Leach Report” radio show on WLAP, AM-630 from 9:05-10am each Monday-Friday.

–Tom Leach

John Calipari Talks About His Team Needing to Be Tougher, With an Eye Toward UofL Game and Other Tough SEC Matchups

                It was a game in which the outcome was never in doubt, but Kentucky’s blowout of Chattanooga did little to satisfy a fan base still smarting from that loss to Indiana. And that’s likely to be the case against Samford, Loyola and Lamar. That game won’t come until December 31, when the Cats host Louisville and the next couple of weeks of practice will be just as important as those next three games in getting Kentucky ready to meet that challenge.

                When John Calipari talks about his team needing to be tougher, you know the comments are made with an eye toward that UofL game as well as tough SEC matchups that will follow. As he noted in his postgame interview Saturday, the book on beating Kentucky includes being physical with the Cats.  

                 With classes out of session, the Cats will get plenty of extra practice time and Calipari will do his best to build that tougher mindset into his young team.  But how soon it “takes” is hard to say.  You’re talking about changing a mentality instead of learning a skill or a play. UK may not ever master that mindset, but winning championships comes down to maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses.

                One thing we do know from what we saw in the three biggest games the Cats have had this season—Kansas, North Carolina and Indiana—is this team is more about winning than the numbers they might post individually.

                And freshman Anthony Davis deserves some credit for that. He’s the player that most say will be the number one pick in the next draft and you see playing just as hard when he’s scored six points in a game as he does when he’s scored 16. Against Chattanooga, Davis was a beast on the boards, soaring above the crowd to snatch rebounds with both hands. When your best player sets that kind of example, it sends a strong message.     

You can follow Tom’s daily coverage of the Cats at www.tomleach.com and listen to his “Leach Report” radio show on WLAP, AM-630 from 9:05-10am each Monday-Friday.

–Tom Leach