Kentucky's defense creates easy scoring opportunities in another Bahamas blowout

Kentucky shot the ball very well in the four-game tour in the Bahamas. Illinois State transfer Antonio Reeves was the star of the event as the veteran gives John Calipari a legitimate scoring threat from the perimeter. But this team is not built to beat teams with a barrage of three-point shots.

Kentucky is built to win games with defense, rebounding, and paint scoring. If the team makes a deep run in March, it will be due to that. In Sunday’s finale against Bahamas National Select, the defense and its ability to create takeaways were the difference in the 98-74 victory.

KSR is jumping into the box score to wrap up another successful international tour for John Calipari’s program.

Easy buckets provide insurance for poor outside shooting

In the first half on Sunday afternoon, Kentucky shot just 1 of 13 from three but scored 41 points. How did the Cats do this? Mainly because there were 41 possessions as the defense consistently created extra opportunities for the offense.

For the game, Kentucky scored 35 points off 21 Bahamas National Select turnovers as the defense forced a 27.3 percent turnover rate. That number was over 30 percent in the first half.

9-0 run for the Cats 😺 pic.twitter.com/2ygwFGKl4l

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) August 14, 2022

Under Calipari, Kentucky has never been an all-in defensive pressure team as the hall of fame coach prefers to use his team’s length and athleticism in the halfcourt where rim protection typically sets them apart. The paint defense looks improved, but this international tour showed us that this is a team that can force a bunch of takeaways.

The offense was fun this week, but the defense is what could make this team special in 2022-23.

Antonio Reeves provides a scoring punch

Last year at Illinois State, Antonio Reeves averaged 20.1 points per game while shooting 39 percent from three on 5.9 attempts per game. The Chicago native did not play in a lot of big games as Illinois State had a bad season, but the scoring was a valuable asset.

That showed up in the Bahamas as Reeves brought home MVP honors.

The 6-5 guard can play multiple spots, and his shooting will be a real asset for this team to provide much-needed offensive spacing. On Sunday, Reeves poured four makes from deep and scored 22 points on 14 field goal attempts in 21 minutes.

We’re unsure what the starting lineup will be, but it’s clear that Antonio Reeves will play a big role for Kentucky this season.

Jacob Toppin as a secondary option

When looking at potential leading scorers for Kentucky, returning All-American Oscar Tshiebwe and freshman guard Cason Wallace immediately emerge as potential candidates. However, Kentucky should have a balanced scoring effort due to the overall depth of the roster.

A solid secondary option needs to emerge. Jacob Toppin could be that for Kentucky.

A day after pouring in five three-point makes, the former Rhode Island transfer scored 20 points on 15 shots on Sunday. The forward has improved his handle, and making some controlled plays off the bounce could give Kentucky another offensive threat on the wing.

Toppin is a natural four that Kentucky will hope can provide some three-point shooting, but there will be times where Calipari asks the veteran to play some at the three. When that happens, being able to make plays off the deck to get into the paint will be important.

Toppin flashed some versatility as a scorer the past two nights, and that offensive flexibility will be needed this season.

Stats that stood out

— Sahvir Wheeler was very good on Sunday. The senior point guard finished with 21 points on 11 shots with four assists and pushed the pace to create extra possessions. When he’s doing that he’s really good.

— Sunday was another ho-hum day for Oscar Tshiebwe as the senior finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Most of the week was like that for the defending National Player of the Year. Kentucky showed that they don’t need Tshiebwe to be a superstar to win. But if he is a superstar, it can take this team to another stratosphere.