The Leach Report

by:Tom Leach11/21/13
[caption id="attachment_145318" align="alignnone" width="630"](Getty Images) (Getty Images)[/caption] When longtime college basketball writer Mike DeCourcy of sportingnews.com joined me on "The Leach Report" show Monday, he had an interesting take on the changes in the way the game is being officiated this season. DeCourcy said he has long believed free throw shooting was a bit overrated by fans because other factors have as great or greater impact on the outcome but might not be as easy to recognize. Now, he looks at it differently.
"In the past, if you shot a lot of free throws, you were usually asserting a physical superiority over the other team that the opponent couldn't manage in other ways and you could still win (while) missing free throws. Now, you can earn free throws with asserting a physical superiority over the opponent. You can make a simple move and get two free throws so better take advantage of that because you may not get to assert your physical superiority over that (opponent)," DeCourcy told our show. "If you don't shoot free throws well, it may become prudent for the other team to foul you on purpose (if they have enough depth). That's why it becomes more important than probably ever in the history of the game that you have to be successful making free throws. "
Fouls are going to be a big storyline for this college basketball season--we knew it was coming and from everything we've been told, this plan to clean up the game is not going to change as the season unfolds. It seems clear that John Calipari is convinced of that. A referee friend of mine said Cal had game officials calling more UK preseason scrimmages than ever and you heard the coach say on Sunday that he had ordered any player not shooting 80 percent or better at the line to make sure to get up 100 free throws a day. This was in the wake of a 16-missed-free-throw-night against Michigan State and it's not the kind of thing I remember Cal doing in the past. Cal is a coach that more often than not is ahead of the curve when it comes to changes in the game, be those changes in recruiting or officiating. When the three-point shot came into college basketball, sharp coaches knew it wasn't just how many your team made that was important but also how many you give up--a big disparity in that area would often lead to defeat and that might well be true with this trend toward more fouls being called this season. You can't control how many free throws the other team makes so it's important to make sure your team doesn't leave too many points on the table at the FT line. The Cats are improving in that area but still not where they need to be. = = = Alabama was the worst matchup of the season for Kentucky because of the disparity in overall talent but Georgia is arguably a close second--because the Dogs have one of the league's best offenses, led by one of the best quarterbacks, and the Cats are struggling to put points on the board. Aaron Murray is averaging 309 yards per game through the air and Georgia is averaging 33ppg in SEC play to Kentucky's 14.5. UK was better on third down last week (7 of 16) but will likely need to improve on that stat to have a chance against the Dogs. KEY STORYLINES/MATCHUPS Kentucky needs a healthy plus-number in the turnover margin stat. Even with four interceptions last week, UK is tied for the fewest giveaways in the SEC with 11. And Georgia ranks dead last in takeaways with only nine. For the season, the Dogs are minus-8 in turnovers. Georgia's pass rush versus the UK O-line. UGA ranks second in the league with 28 sacks and Kentucky is at the bottom in sacks allowed, having given up 28. That's a scary stat for the Big Blue, given how the Cats struggle when they get into second-and-long and third-and-long situations. Can UK finish drives? Kentucky was one or two first downs away from being in field goal range several times last week and a few three's might have won that game. The best hope for improvement this week is that Georgia's defense is a good bit younger than the last two SEC defenses the Cats have seen. In SEC games, UGA's defense is giving up almost 415 yards per game. Kentucky often plays Georgia tough, both at home and away, but when UGA is healthy, its offense is one of the best in the league. Other than the games against Bama and Mizzou, Kentucky has found a way to stay close into the fourth quarter in the games it lost. Coach Stoops said he thought the Vandy game marked the hardest and most physical his team has played all season and they will definitely need to call on that resilient spirit Saturday to hang with the Dogs. (stats courtesy of cfbstats.com) --listen to Tom each weekday morning at 9:06am eastern on "The Leach Report" radio network --check out tomleachky.com for more of Tom's coverage of the Cats and follow Tom on Twitter @tomleachky and via Facebook for "The Leach Report"

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