KSR Today: Kentucky Misses Big Opportunity in Loss to Kansas
The stage was set. All eyes were on Kentucky. The Cats failed to deliver. Kansas snapped a three-game losing streak with a 77-68 victory on the road in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
Kentucky actually capitalized early on the energy inside Rupp Arena. Typically a slow-starting group, John Calipari’s team was off and running. Jacob Toppin and Chris Livingston did the heavy lifting early, primarily in transition, to help Kentucky build a five-point lead.
The Cats owned the first quarter of the game, but that was about it. Once Kansas retook the lead with 9:17 left in the first half, Kentucky played from behind for the rest of the night. The Jayhawks built up a 7-point halftime lead and kept the Cats at arm’s length the entire second half. Every time Kentucky cut the deficit to four and it felt like the Cats were going on a run, Kansas had a response.
Gradey Dick delivered the biggest gut-punch. Toppin’s contested jumper in the post made it a two-point game with just over five minutes to play. After a relatively quiet game, the sharp-shooting Kansas freshman sunk a three-pointer to quiet the crowd. The following possession Jalen Wilson delivered the dagger from behind the three-point line.
John Calipari’s team could have reasserted itself on the national stage as a force to be reckoned with in the postseason. The Cats are close, but still not consistent enough in certain areas to get all the way over the hump. Here’s specifically how and why Kentucky came up short in the biggest home game of the season.
Kentucky Size Advantage is a Disadvantage
The Wildcats clearly had a size advantage. They just didn’t use it to their advantage. Kentucky got out-rebounded by the Jayhawks 34-29 and scored zero second chance points off only four offensive boards. Simply put, a significant portion of Kentucky’s offense was just non-existent. Meanwhile, Kansas capitalized with 11 second chance points.
They were able to do the dirty work inside, all while creating problems for the Kentucky defense. They often played five-out to create space, then ball-screened the Cats to death. It’s the biggest weakness in Oscar Tshiebwe‘s game. You are able to live with his bad ball-screen defense because he makes up for it with his rebounding ability. It was not neutralized Saturday night and Kansas made Kentucky pay. Small ball lineups will not always work against the Cats, but if you can still rebound out of it, this is clearly where Kentucky is most vulnerable.
Kentucky Rolled Out Some Weird Lineups
Chris Livingston’s early success — 8 points in the first 8:30 minutes — put a pretzel in John Calipari’s brain. Typically Antonio Reeves is the first off the bench to replace Livingston, creating the infamous ‘Basketball Bennies’ lineup, but Cal couldn’t take out Livingston. He earned the right to stay in the game. Calipari also tried Livingston out at the four on a few occasions. Combine it with Kansas’ small ball lineup and UK foul trouble, the lineup that propelled Kentucky to its four-game win streak was rarely on the floor together.
Would it have made a difference? Maybe not. CJ Fredrick could not knock down open shots (1-8 FG) and Cason Wallace was the only Wildcat to make a three-pointer (UK was 2-of-13 from deep). It felt like John Calipari spent the whole night trying out new combinations, but he forgot the one that brought them success in previous games and early in the game. After playing 16 minutes in the first half, Livingston only played one in the second.
“Chris Livingston should have played more in the second half and the reason is, he could offensive rebound…,” Calipari said after the game, “…In the second half, we were going to go at Oscar. Like, we’re going at Oscar. They weren’t playing Chris. His man was immediately running to Oscar and that’s why — I talked to him and said, ‘Chris, the only reason I took you out is they’re not playing you and I’ve got to free up this court for Oscar.’”
Two Unexpected Kansas Contributions
In football we use the concept “hidden yards” to describe the little things on special teams that make a big difference. Kansas won the battle of loose balls and “hidden points.” Their backup center, Ernest Udeh, had made a field goal since Dec. 1. He made two shots at the rim on Kentucky defensive breakdowns. Kansas point guard Dajuan Harris averaged 1.3 points per game through their three-game losing streak. He hit his first two threes against Kentucky. Meanwhile, Kentucky left points on the floor by shooting 16-of-23 from the free throw line.
Rowdy Rupp Arena
Kentucky missed countless opportunities to take down Kansas, through no fault of the fans. The BBN brought it. You could feel the big game atmosphere all day surrounding Rupp Arena. It was explosive throughout the night, just a shame we could not get the full experience with a big second half run. Still, the players thanked the fans for bringing their A-game all night long.
“The crowd was amazing. I’ve never seen it like that,” Oscar Tshiebwe said of Saturday night’s atmosphere. “I’m really disappointed, I wish they could have left with happiness, but I just want to say thank you for them coming in to support. It was great, very good to see them.”
Celebrity Sightings at Rupp
Talented Kentucky football recruits flooded the stands, Red Panda performed at halftime, Rajon Rondo was the ‘Y’ and two future Wildcats, Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, received a standing ovation from the Big Blue Nation. See more snapshots of all of the action from inside Rupp Arena.
Kentucky Women’s Basketball is Back at Memorial Coliseum
Kyra Elzy’s Cats continue to keep coming up short. Today’s a great day to snap the skid and pick up a second SEC win. They host South Carolina today at 3 pm inside Memorial Coliseum. You can watch all of the action on the SEC Network.
NFL Championship Sunday
The four best teams in the NFL are facing off Sunday and we are in for a real treat. The NFC is up first when the San Francisco 49ers travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles at 3 pm EST on Fox. It’s followed by a sensational showdown between Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs and Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals at Burrowhead Stadium. The game kicks off at 6:30 pm EST on CBS, but the Bengals Watch Party at KSBar and Grille is starting early. Get in here for drink specials and Who Deys all day long.
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