Tangible Takeaways From Kentucky Basketball's Last Two Games

“Let’s wait and see how they do against someone with a pulse.” That is the attitude for a lot of Big Blue Nation right now. Admittedly, it isn’t completely unfair. That is what happens when you dominate in five “buy games” and then largely look outmatched against Louisville and Michigan State. Of course, Kentucky continues to play at less than full strength and both the Cardinals and Spartans will be ranked in the Top 10 this week. Those sort of details do not matter to Kentucky fans those. This is supposed to be the gold standard after all. That is what makes this upcoming week so important. The ‘Cats will host North Carolina on Tuesday and then face Gonzaga in Nashville on Friday. Back-to-back blowout wins over Loyola (MD) and Tennessee Tech were nice, but they mean nothing if Kentucky loses the next two games.

It can be hard to evaluate games against teams like Loyola (MD) and Tennessee Tech. They currently rank 299th and 323rd respectively in KenPom. Winning by 42 and 50 points makes everyone feel good in the moment, but does it mean that the Wildcats have actually improved? There is definitely some validity to the “let’s wait and see how they do against someone with a pulse” crowd. Ultimately, Kentucky will have to beat teams like North Carolina and Gonzaga to have a season like everyone expects them to have. However, it is still possible to glean some real information from matchups with lesser opponents.

After studying the film we have gathered two positives and one negative from the last two dominant victories. Kentucky continues to struggle with simple scouting report specific defensive assignments. Getting lost when guarding opposing shooters is a consistent problem. However, the defensive mistakes are so inconsistent that it is hard to know exactly where to place blame. As an outside observer all that is clear is that it remains a problem. With that being said, the Wildcats did take some positive strides defensively in the last two games. Guarding shooters is a concern, but the execution of overall team defensive concepts was improved. The ‘Cats were more decisive, moved in concert with one another, and communicated at a higher level. Finally, Kentucky also showed improved execution on the offensive end. Let’s step inside the film room and take a closer look.

Kentucky Has Made Some Positive Strides Defensively

Let’s use the good, old-fashioned sandwich method. We will begin here with a positive, touch on a negative, and then end with another positive. As mentioned above, the Kentucky Wildcats have improved defensively over the last two games. Loyola (MD) and Tennessee Tech obviously don’t place as much pressure on a defense as Louisville and Michigan State. However, there are things you see on film that translate regardless of the opponent. The Wildcats are doing a better job of not getting screened. They are making more decisive off-ball decisions. Also, as a whole, they are communicating and reacting off of one another at a high level. That isn’t just a function of playing weaker opponents. Those improvements should translate to this week.

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Otega Oweh did not look like himself through the first few games of the season. He still isn’t playing up to the SEC Player of the Year and All-American levels that were expected of him this season. However, he looked better in Kentucky’s last two games. He was more active, he was much better defensively, and he looked like he was having fun. In this clip, with seven seconds on the shot clock, you see him aggressively step over to take away the pass to #7 on the pop. That seemingly small, yet decisive, movement forced a reversal late in the shot clock. The Wildcats were locked in too showing a high hand on every catch throughout the possession. Finally, Collin Chandler got a deflection with under five seconds on the shot clock.

This is what Otega Oweh did so well last season. He would consistently blow ballscreen and handoff action up at the point of attack. Sometimes he was even able to take the ball and get an easy fast break dunk. Up until the last couple of games we simply hadn’t that activity level form him this season. However, the switch seemed to flip following the loss to Michigan State. Here you see Oweh chase the Zoom Action and then blow up the handoff deflecting the ball into the backcourt. Oweh has defensive issues, especially away from the ball, but these are the disruptive plays that Kentucky’s needs from him.

This clip is a great example of the defense being a bit more aggressive and moving well in concert with one another. First you get Jasper Johnson getting over a ballscreen and Brandon Garrison there a bit higher and more aggressive with his hedge. That forces the ball handler to pick up his dribble. Then, Collin Chandler slides over and takes away the pop just like Otega Oweh did a couple of clips ago. Kam Williams, who has been a defensive revelation, then plays perfect one-on-one defense. His length makes a lot of people miss around the basket. This is a well executed defensive possession from the entire team.

We talk a lot about being often wrong but never in doubt. Kentucky’s issue so far this season has been that, against the best teams, they look very hesitant while still being wrong. This clip is a perfect example of what Kentucky needs more of defensively. Is Trent Noah helping this aggressively off of Loyola (MD)’s best shooter in the strong side corner a “good” decision. Objectively, it would be hard to say yes. However, he did so with such decisiveness that he was able to tie up the ball handler and force a jump ball. It is okay to be wrong, but you at least need to be decisive.

Getting Lost When Guard Shooters is Still a Major Problem

Out of 365 Division I college basketball teams, Kentucky ranks 317th in terms of the volume of three-point attempts their opponents shoot. Through seven games, teams are shooting 45.6% of their shots from beyond the arc. However, they are making just 27.6% of those attempts. That number is very misleading though. Louisville and Michigan State combined to make 24 three-point shots against Kentucky at a 38.7% clip. That will get you beat on most nights. Even going back to Coach Pope’s best teams at Utah Valley and BYU his defenses were much better at taking opponents away from three-point range. His last two seasons at Utah Valley and all three NCAA Tournament teams at BYU were in the Top 100 of that metric. It remains a glaring weakness for this group.

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We first have to discuss Kentucky’s ballscreen defense. Watching these two clips, which happened on back-to-back possessions, is truly confounding. This is why it is hard to know where to place blame. What is the plan when it comes to guarding the ballscreens? Is it poor scheme or poor execution? In the first clip, Collin Chandler is guarding a 40% three-point shooter. The ballscreen is set inside the arc, but Chandler still goes UNDER giving up a wide open jump shot. Then, in the second clip, he is guarding a 20% three-point shooter. This time the ballscreen is set at 25-feet, but Chandler goes OVER giving up a layup. Those two decisions, run back-to-back, make absolutely zero sense.

Overall, Collin Chandler is one of Kentucky’s better defenders. However, he can really get lost in screening action at times. Here he is hopping underneath a ballscreen against one of the best shooters on Loyola (MD). There are plenty of clips we could show of Chandler chasing some of the best shooters in the country off of screening action and taking them away. He knows how to do it and does it as well as anyone on the team, but the consistency simply isn’t there.

Kentucky played 26 seconds of excellent team defense in this clip. However, right at the end of the shot clock, Otega Oweh gets lost and gives up a wide open three-point shot. What is he doing helping down on the post? He is impacting nothing while leaving a good shooter wide open on the wing. These are the type of poor decisions and mental lapses that will, and have, cost Kentucky games against better opponents.

If you are going to pick someone up beyond half court you better be able to stay in front of the ball. Additionally, the entire point of switching is to keep a guy on a guy. Jasper Johnson gets smoked here, but Andrija Jelavic is also there to stop the ball. No harm, no foul. However, despite Jelavic switching onto the ball, both Denzel Aberdeen and Trent Noah completely leave their men to converge on the ball. Look at how far Noah went to “protect the rim” despite Jelavic being between the ball and the basket. That “help” was completely unnecessary. Then, Noah had a bad closeout and allowed a wide open pull-up jumper.

Improved Offensive Execution

Last season, Kentucky’s offensive execution is what led to them finishing 10th in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency. They manufactured offense and open looks better than just about anyone in the country. However, this season, it seems as though the ‘Cats have turned to more ballscreens and isolation offense. It has not worked in their favor. Against Loyola (MD) and Tennessee Tech they could have kept doing what they had been doing offensively and it would have all the sudden worked better. That comes with the territory when playing weaker opponents. The encouraging thing though was that the Wildcats actually ran more structured offense. There were more set plays, more Zoom Action, and simply a better flow in the half court.

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Kentucky came out of the gate against Loyola (MD) with a beautifully designed set play. From a Horns alignment, Collin Chandler back cuts the pindown into a Flex screen for Otega Oweh. You then get to screen-the-screener with Malachi Moreno cracking down on Chandler’s man. However, Oweh was open off of the Flex screen and laid it up. Coach Pope has a great package of set plays. Turning to actions like this more often could help the Wildcats in big games when things stagnate.

So many times, especially against Michigan State, it looked like Kentucky did not have a plan offensively. They were slow to initiate any action, the ball stuck, and everyone seemed unsure of what to do next. However, that change against Loyola (MD) and Tennessee Tech. There was a clear offensive plan, the ball moved with a purpose, and guys played with confidence. Look at the pacing of this possession. Malachi Moreno gets right into a Zoom Action from his catch. Collin Chandler probes, but then hits the lift. Jasper Johnson attacks well before kicking the ball back out. Then, Chandler is able to attack a closeout and uses great change of pace to get downhill for the layup.

Not only is Collin Chandler shooting the lights out, but he is also improving as a playmaker. He has 20 assists and just five turnovers through seven games. Here you see him slow down and really read the defense from a live dribble. He first is looking at Trent Noah’s defender to see if he tags Malachi Moreno’s roll. Once Chandler sees Moreno get beyond the tag he turns his eyes to Kam Williams’ man. Freezing that defender for a split second leaves Moreno wide open for the lob pass. In the absence of Jaland Lowe the ‘Cats will need other playmakers to step up.