Please don't label me with some of the posters who have headed over there to run their mouth -- I'm actually here to have a legit basketball discussion.
What do you guys think West Virginia needs to do well to beat Kentucky? What do they need to avoid? What would be your gameplan?
From what I've seen, I'll give you my take on what Kentucky needs to do to beat WVU.
1. Be physical on the defensive glass. WVU is a poor shooting team, but they get after it on the offensive boards. Due to our defensive scheme, we have left ourselves out of position a lot on the defensive glass -- That, combined with the fact that we have been soft with the ball (looking to run before securing the rebound), has led to a lot of 50/50 balls going against us. If we aren't stronger with the ball, we could be in for a long night.
2. Spacing vs. the press -- Whatever you've heard about Kentucky and their lack of ball handlers, please ignore it -- Look at the numbers, it's simply not true. However, where we do struggle is our spacing on the offensive end. Presses are more successful against teams with poor spacing because you get guys bunched together, creating trap opportunities with no outlet pass. We need to get the ball to Andrew Harrison in the middle of the court and clear out -- Make your guys decide to press and run the risk of having Andrew throw over top of the press or back off and let Andrew bring the ball up against man defense.
3. Get Willie Cauley-Stein involved early. WCS is always a game-changer on the defensive end, but he can disappear on the offensive end at times. I've noticed this year that if he doesn't get a few touches early, he's a no-show on the offensive end. I'd like to see getting the ball to WCS 10-12 feet away from the basket and letting him make a move the first few possessions.
4. Avoid a sluggish start. The one common theme with this Kentucky team has been that they seem to start slow a lot. We need to come out ready to play. "Upsets" happen when you let a team hang around and start truly believing they can win the game. If we come out and punch you guys in the mouth early, I like our chances to really pull away -- However, we haven't done that really at all this year.
That's all I got from the Kentucky side of things -- So what do you guys have? What do you need to do to win tomorrow night?
What do you guys think West Virginia needs to do well to beat Kentucky? What do they need to avoid? What would be your gameplan?
From what I've seen, I'll give you my take on what Kentucky needs to do to beat WVU.
1. Be physical on the defensive glass. WVU is a poor shooting team, but they get after it on the offensive boards. Due to our defensive scheme, we have left ourselves out of position a lot on the defensive glass -- That, combined with the fact that we have been soft with the ball (looking to run before securing the rebound), has led to a lot of 50/50 balls going against us. If we aren't stronger with the ball, we could be in for a long night.
2. Spacing vs. the press -- Whatever you've heard about Kentucky and their lack of ball handlers, please ignore it -- Look at the numbers, it's simply not true. However, where we do struggle is our spacing on the offensive end. Presses are more successful against teams with poor spacing because you get guys bunched together, creating trap opportunities with no outlet pass. We need to get the ball to Andrew Harrison in the middle of the court and clear out -- Make your guys decide to press and run the risk of having Andrew throw over top of the press or back off and let Andrew bring the ball up against man defense.
3. Get Willie Cauley-Stein involved early. WCS is always a game-changer on the defensive end, but he can disappear on the offensive end at times. I've noticed this year that if he doesn't get a few touches early, he's a no-show on the offensive end. I'd like to see getting the ball to WCS 10-12 feet away from the basket and letting him make a move the first few possessions.
4. Avoid a sluggish start. The one common theme with this Kentucky team has been that they seem to start slow a lot. We need to come out ready to play. "Upsets" happen when you let a team hang around and start truly believing they can win the game. If we come out and punch you guys in the mouth early, I like our chances to really pull away -- However, we haven't done that really at all this year.
That's all I got from the Kentucky side of things -- So what do you guys have? What do you need to do to win tomorrow night?
