Chasity Patterson doesn't feel bad about picking on opposing point guards
[caption id="attachment_328517" align="aligncenter" width="2560"]
Photo by Hannah Phillips | UK Athletics[/caption]
Kentucky point guard Chasity Patterson doesn't care about the score or time, she's going to play with 110 percent effort no matter what.
On the defensive end, when it's just her, the opposing ball handler, and an empty backcourt, she knows the advantage is usually in her favor. At that point, it comes down to who wants it more. And Patterson always does.
She's relentless with her on-ball pressure. Patterson is a hound in the backcourt; waiting to strike the moment an opening presents itself. Through six games for the No. 9 ranked Wildcats, she's racked up 22 steals. Eight of them came in the season-opener against Murray State and seven more in the most recent win on Sunday. She has at least one takeaway in every game this year.
In the victory against the Samford Bulldogs a few days ago, Patterson struck fear into every guard who had the unfortunate duty of bringing the ball up against her. She has a bit of an intimidating reputation at this point, and it's easy to tell the opposing team has highlighted her thievery in the scouting report. From the moment the ball is inbounded, Patterson is up in the jersey of the ball handler, denying her an inch of space for the entire 94-foot trip up the hardwood.
After the first few steals, Patterson can sniff out the nervousness of her opposition. A player who lacks the famous "killer instinct" might ease up as the score reaches insurmountable deficits, but not Patterson. To her, it's all just a part of the game.
"When I'm coming into the game, my mindset is just to be aggressive on the ball and put pressure on the other point guard," Patterson said after her excellent defensive performance against Samford. "So, that's my mindset coming into every game, just forcing turnovers and making it easier on my team in transition and score off the defensive plays. When we step on the court, you know, it's just straight ball, and I'm competing."
The senior point guard doesn't show any fear on the floor. Standing at just 5-foot-5, Patterson is typically one of the smallest players on the court at all times, but she uses steady doses of speed, agility, and timing to embarrass opposing ball handlers.
In the clip below, you'll watch three of her steals from Kentucky's 88-54 win over Samford. The last one, in particular, perfectly encapsulates everything Patterson brings to the table: A brilliant defensive mind, a knack for physicality, and someone who wants to do the dirty work.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://kentuckysportsradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Chasity-Patterson-steals.mp4"][/video]
The stats love her defense, too.
According to Her Hoop Stats, Patterson's 3.7 steals per game are good enough for 14th in the country while her steal rate of 5.9 percent is 22nd best in all of Divison I. Arguably more impressive though? She doesn't foul--ever. Patterson has been hit with a mere four personals on the season, just one of them coming in the two games she combined for 15 steals. Her foul rate of 1.1 percent ranks her in the 98th percentile among all Divison I players, per HHS.
It's not all defense for the former Texas transfer, either. We haven't even mentioned Patterson's incredible scoring prowess. She's the third-leading scorer for the 'Cats at 14.0 per game on an impressive shooting split of 47.6/33.3/81.0. Her 18 assists on the year are only mildly bogged down by just six turnovers.
Patterson is one of the premier perimeter players in all of college basketball and she puts it on display every game.
Photo by Hannah Phillips | UK Athletics[/caption]
Kentucky point guard Chasity Patterson doesn't care about the score or time, she's going to play with 110 percent effort no matter what.
On the defensive end, when it's just her, the opposing ball handler, and an empty backcourt, she knows the advantage is usually in her favor. At that point, it comes down to who wants it more. And Patterson always does.
She's relentless with her on-ball pressure. Patterson is a hound in the backcourt; waiting to strike the moment an opening presents itself. Through six games for the No. 9 ranked Wildcats, she's racked up 22 steals. Eight of them came in the season-opener against Murray State and seven more in the most recent win on Sunday. She has at least one takeaway in every game this year.
In the victory against the Samford Bulldogs a few days ago, Patterson struck fear into every guard who had the unfortunate duty of bringing the ball up against her. She has a bit of an intimidating reputation at this point, and it's easy to tell the opposing team has highlighted her thievery in the scouting report. From the moment the ball is inbounded, Patterson is up in the jersey of the ball handler, denying her an inch of space for the entire 94-foot trip up the hardwood.
After the first few steals, Patterson can sniff out the nervousness of her opposition. A player who lacks the famous "killer instinct" might ease up as the score reaches insurmountable deficits, but not Patterson. To her, it's all just a part of the game.
"When I'm coming into the game, my mindset is just to be aggressive on the ball and put pressure on the other point guard," Patterson said after her excellent defensive performance against Samford. "So, that's my mindset coming into every game, just forcing turnovers and making it easier on my team in transition and score off the defensive plays. When we step on the court, you know, it's just straight ball, and I'm competing."
The senior point guard doesn't show any fear on the floor. Standing at just 5-foot-5, Patterson is typically one of the smallest players on the court at all times, but she uses steady doses of speed, agility, and timing to embarrass opposing ball handlers.
In the clip below, you'll watch three of her steals from Kentucky's 88-54 win over Samford. The last one, in particular, perfectly encapsulates everything Patterson brings to the table: A brilliant defensive mind, a knack for physicality, and someone who wants to do the dirty work.
[video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://kentuckysportsradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Chasity-Patterson-steals.mp4"][/video]
The stats love her defense, too.
According to Her Hoop Stats, Patterson's 3.7 steals per game are good enough for 14th in the country while her steal rate of 5.9 percent is 22nd best in all of Divison I. Arguably more impressive though? She doesn't foul--ever. Patterson has been hit with a mere four personals on the season, just one of them coming in the two games she combined for 15 steals. Her foul rate of 1.1 percent ranks her in the 98th percentile among all Divison I players, per HHS.
It's not all defense for the former Texas transfer, either. We haven't even mentioned Patterson's incredible scoring prowess. She's the third-leading scorer for the 'Cats at 14.0 per game on an impressive shooting split of 47.6/33.3/81.0. Her 18 assists on the year are only mildly bogged down by just six turnovers.
Patterson is one of the premier perimeter players in all of college basketball and she puts it on display every game.
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