I have been on such a Kentucky Basketball high since I went to the press conference back in the spring. I've enjoyed actually liking our coach and being hopeful and excited about the program's future. So I was a bit worried that this game may burst that bubble.
Yeah, we looked good against some solid, but mid-major teams. Would Duke run circles around us? Would we be intimidated and outclassed? How good are we, anyway?
Turns out we're pretty darn good!
I'm semi-retired so I have some time to waste, so I have watched the game 4 or 5 times now. So much fun!
Some observations:
-Chandler will be a huge asset in time, but he was not ready for this game.
-I'm a little concerned about Jaxson Robinson. I don't know that he is quick enough to take anyone off the dribble. So is he a spot up shooter and transition guy? How would you rate his defense in the Duke game? I thought he did a pretty decent job in the second half.
-DO NOT run into a pick set by Amari Williams!
-Oweh is a baller! I think some were saying before the season that he may be our x-factor. His offense, defense, rebounding and general energy and fearless attitude will be huge going forward!
-Garrison has to be one of the best backup bigs in the country. He's pretty fearless too. In fact, everyone on the team seemed to be ready for the moment, other than Chandler and possibly Robinson.
-Almonor hit an early three, but then I don't remember seeing him much after that. He played 10 minutes, which seems about right. I'm curious about other's thoughts. Was it the plan all along to play him about 10 minutes? I'm a big Almonor fan so I'm just curious.
-40% from three against a top 5 team who's game plan was to limit threes is pretty good. Take away Kriisa's 30 foot attempt and the desperate heave at the end of the shot clock and the percentage climbs a bit more.
-The team defense in the second half was a beautiful thing to see. The idea that we were going to be a team who lives and dies by the three, and win simply by shooting more threes and outscoring you 110 to 94 is now dead. Our perceived best player had maybe the worst game he'll have this season, we hit only 10 threes, and still we were starting to pull away from the #6 team in the country by the end of the game. This team can play the finesse game, or get physical with you. This game was won with defense.
-Koby Brea hit 50% of his threes and his season percentage dropped 8 points.
-26 bench points compared to 6 for Duke. They have a really nice starting 5, but no bench. I like our bench - each person brings a unique ability and could easily be a starter.
