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Topic: Article on Cats defense
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SCWC
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Member # 2464
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posted 12-24-2017 01:31 PM
From the Cats Pause Magazine:
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Coming into the 2017-18 season, the scouting report on Kentucky was a team that would struggle to score offensively but had the ability to lock you down with its length and athleticism at the defensive end. In fact, the opposite has been true. Through its first 11 games, the 2017-18 Wildcats are averaging over 80 points per game but rank near the bottom of John Calipari's Kentucky teams statistically in nearly every defensive category. Get the latest UK news sent straight to your inbox with our EMAIL NEWSLETTER Of the nine teams in the Calipari Era, this UK team ranks last in field goal percentage defense (.405), eighth in scoring defense, (70.5 ppg) and seventh in three-point field goal percentage defense (.323). The Wildcats' defensive inefficiencies have been on full display over its last two games against quality opponents, a 93-86 win over Virginia Tech and Saturday's 83-75 loss to UCLA at the CBS Sports Classic in New Orleans. Over the last two games, Kentucky allowed the Hokies and Bruins to shoot a combined 52.6 percent overall and make 22 three-pointers while shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. UK's porous defense has led to Calipari experimenting more at the defensive end, which he says he's not comfortable with. "I'm trying to out-trick another coach who can coach, so I'm going zone and I'm switching this," Calipari said after the UCLA loss. "You know my teams have never done that. We just grind it out and play. I'm trying to do everything to keep us in a game and I don't like coaching that way. I tried a different type of pick and roll defense, which obviously was really good [Saturday] that didn't work." Calipari doesn't have long to figure things out either. The Wildcats (9-2) host archrival Louisville Friday before opening up league play in what appears to be a much-improved SEC. quote:
More on our team from CBS Sports via KSR:
quote:
Reid Forgrave of CBS Sports wrote a piece after the game talking about Kentucky’s struggles guarding the three-point line, and how the Bruins gave the world the blueprint for beating Kentucky this year by capitalizing off of it. Forget making 3-pointers – (Kentucky) barely takes 3-pointers, with only two teams in college basketball scoring a smaller percentage of its points off 3-pointers, according to KenPom.com. And that same team that doesn’t make 3-pointers happens to give them up at a pretty impressive rate; more than a third of the points Kentucky gives up comes off 3-pointers. 36.4 percent going into the UCLA game, to be exact. That’s 18th among schools from Power Six conferences, and that number will increase after UCLA made 12 of its 30 3-pointers in the upset win. The Bruins (9-3) showed us the blueprint for beating this Kentucky team, and it’s pretty simple: Make more 3-pointers than it does. And that makes Kentucky pretty vulnerable– especially, say, in March, when Kentucky is, say, a No. 3 seed, and playing a No. 14 seed that’s overmatched in every way except from beyond the arc. quote:
[ 12-24-2017, 02:28 PM: Message edited by: SCWC ]
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005
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Wildcat Bill
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Member # 615
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posted 12-26-2017 10:57 AM
As I see it, our defense comes essentially down to Cal's Players First philosophy and decisions deriving from that. Clearly, we are not a good man to man defensive team but appear to be a very good zone team, at the times that we have employed it. Our length is a huge asset in the zone and hides our lack of quickness at guard. Indeed, players getting by our perimeter defense and going to the rim continues to be a very big problem for our man to man. However, it is apparent that Cal believes that he has to develop players for the NBA level that demonstrate that they can guard in man to man and also handle the pick and roll, since that is what the NBA is looking for. These are not skills that are showcased in a zone.
Hence the dilemma, play a zone in order to win games or try to develop players in the man to man defense and possibly lose otherwise winnable games. The good of the team and program over the good of the individuals. I think that we all know the direction that Cal favors. Now, this has worked out in the past, favorable all around and showing that these are not necessarily mutually exclusive aims, and so it may yet also work out this year. But it does showcase the decision.
I do note in passing, for what it's worth, that Carmello Anthony played at Syracuse, won a national title playing the famous 2-3 Boeheim zone, and has, despite that handicap, done pretty well for himself in the NBA. Just saying.
I truly do hope that this all works itself out and we become a great man to man defensive team, as would appear to be the ideal solution. Then all will be well. Because if we are not at the very least a good defensive team, I think that we'll have trouble because we don't seem to be a very potent offensive team, and we can't simply count on outshooting and outscoring our opponent, at least not yet.
Go Big Blue!
Posts: 1070 | From: Evansville, IN, USA | Registered: Jul 2000
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SCWC
Player
Member # 2464
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posted 12-27-2017 06:48 AM
Great perspective on this team Bill. I totally agree with your assessment from what we have seen thus far. All we can do is hope.
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 12-27-2017 12:21 PM
I am sure Cal realizes what this teams the short-comings are and it will be interesting to see how he goes about making this team better.
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Posts: 186362 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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Bama Cat
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Member # 153
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posted 12-27-2017 01:21 PM
You know we always talk about "IT" each year. Teams do not reach their peak until they get "IT". Do you suppose they have not all found "IT" yet? That is my best guess. "IT" being team defense for one thing. We know they haven't found "IT" for their defense yet. And there is also offense. At times it looks like they have found offensive "IT". But then they have a relapse. I think it is entirely possible that this team may never get their "IT" together. Sounds like another common phrase we have heard before, "Will they ever get their $hit together?"
Posts: 14203 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999
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