Five things to watch when Kentucky takes on Duke in Indianapolis
Quade Green (UK Athletics)
Justin Rowland • CatsIllustrated.com
@RowlandRIVALS
We all know the big storylines that everyone will be talking about before the game and during the national television broadcast on Tuesday night.
Kentucky and Duke.
Coach Cal and Coach K.
An insane amount of talent between the two teams on the floor.
Two of the top teams in college basketball, both championship contenders.
The history between the programs, the great games that have been played.
Here are five different stories to follow that could decide the outcome and might shape what we think of the game afterwards.
1. How will Kentucky's point guard situation shake out?
Kentucky recruited a two-headed point guard monster and both Immanuel Quickley and Ashton Hagans have immense potential. Quickley had an 18 to 2 assist-turnover ratio on UK's trip to the Bahamas and Hagans is one of the best on-ball defenders Kentucky has had in many years.
But during exhibition season the point guard play wasn't stellar. It's definitely not time to be concerned, but it's also not clear how Kentucky's point guard situation will shake out in the short or even in the long term. The majority opinion is that Quickley will be the starting point guard but he struggled against IUP, when John Calipari said he forced things a little bit. He wasn't the facilitator he was on that trip to the Caribbean.
In such a big game against Duke is it possible that Calipari could allow Quade Green to be more of a facilitator, even though he prefers the sophomore playing off the ball? Or will Quickley and Hagans step up their game when the ball is tipped?
Calipari himself has said the Duke game is "going to be even harder than I thought." He might have had point guard play in mind, even if he said he was fairly pleased with their overall showings.
2. Does Duke have an answer for Reid Travis?
Everyone knows about Cam Reddish, Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, but do the Blue Devils have an answer for Kentucky's graduate transfer from Stanford, who looked like a force in the paint during exhibition season?
The Blue Devils have some length, athleticism and quickness to throw at Travis and that could bother him, and defensively Travis will need to find his footing. But it's not apparent who Duke has to bang with Travis on the boards and prevent those crafty baskets that he has such a good feel for with both hands and from a variety of angles and spots on the floor.
Jon Rothstein and some other analysts are expecting a big step forward from Duke's Javin DeLaurier, a returning 6-foot-10, 234-pound big man who played just 12.7 minutes per game last season with some ultra-talented frontcourt options ahead of him and now in the NBA. Kentucky fans are also very familiar with one-time target Marques Bolden, now a junior, who posted stats that were very similar to DeLaurier last season, though he's more of a shot blocker.
3. Does Kentucky have an answer for Reddish and Williamson?
This Kentucky team has more balance on paper than many Calipari squads. Better balance than many college basketball teams in recent history, if we're being honest. That means they should have the personnel to at least put a somewhat suitable matchup on most players they will see this year.
But there are two reasons for concern.
The first is that to defend this Duke team effectively you might need not one, but two or three versatile, athletic and physical players with length and prowess on that end of the court. Freshman Keldon Johnson seems to have all the tools to match up with one of those players, but he's got a ways to go on defense, from early appearances, before he's considered a lock down guy. It remains to be seen who Kentucky has to defend all of those players. It may be that no team in the country will fare well in that respect, and that the best defense might be relying on Duke's exceptional youth to show up.
Barrett and Reddish especially have to be respected outside and they can put the ball on the floor and attack the rim relentlessly. When it comes to attacking the rim, who stands in front of Williamson and stays in front of him? He certainly goes up and over everyone. Williamson's handle and guard-like skills are more widely known than they were months ago and that presents the same problems in a much different body, probably without the consistent shooting threat.
It will have to be a team defensive effort, but Kentucky's shot altering ability at the rim after penetration remains a question. If Kentucky can't slow down that trio, it could become a basket-for-basket showdown.
4. Can Kentucky get Duke in foul trouble?
Kentucky has more quality depth than Duke on paper by almost every analysis you will read and that could come into play on Tuesday night. Fouls are always tough to predict. Travis in particular could do a lot to put some uncomfortable lineups on the floor for Duke. He's among the best in the country at drawing contact when he's got the ball going at the rim.
If this is a five-on-five game then Duke could have an edge. Once the bench starts coming into play more, that favors Kentucky.
5. Just how good is Duke's supporting cast?
While improvement is expected from DeLaurier and it stands to reason that Bolden's production, if not his efficiency, will increase on the basis of greater opportunity, there's a lot of speculation going on here. It's completely understandable that those players saw the court as sparingly as they did in the past and they're used to being role players by now. Bolden has not always brought a consistent level of competitive fire and that will be something to watch in a heavyweight matchup that's bought to be intense.
Alex O'Connell is the shooting option outside of the Big Three and Kentucky will have to account for him when he's got the ball on the perimeter. He'll get open looks because Barrett is a very good passer and defenses, including Kentucky's, will have to pay so much attention to the Big Three.
Tre Jones is perhaps Duke's most important player outside of Williamson, Reddish and Barrett, because while he might not have the ball as much as most point guards, he will still have to be something of an orchestrator and organizer. He should be a quality defender but he's largely an unknown going into this matchup.
Quade Green (UK Athletics)
Justin Rowland • CatsIllustrated.com
@RowlandRIVALS
We all know the big storylines that everyone will be talking about before the game and during the national television broadcast on Tuesday night.
Kentucky and Duke.
Coach Cal and Coach K.
An insane amount of talent between the two teams on the floor.
Two of the top teams in college basketball, both championship contenders.
The history between the programs, the great games that have been played.
Here are five different stories to follow that could decide the outcome and might shape what we think of the game afterwards.
1. How will Kentucky's point guard situation shake out?
Kentucky recruited a two-headed point guard monster and both Immanuel Quickley and Ashton Hagans have immense potential. Quickley had an 18 to 2 assist-turnover ratio on UK's trip to the Bahamas and Hagans is one of the best on-ball defenders Kentucky has had in many years.
But during exhibition season the point guard play wasn't stellar. It's definitely not time to be concerned, but it's also not clear how Kentucky's point guard situation will shake out in the short or even in the long term. The majority opinion is that Quickley will be the starting point guard but he struggled against IUP, when John Calipari said he forced things a little bit. He wasn't the facilitator he was on that trip to the Caribbean.
In such a big game against Duke is it possible that Calipari could allow Quade Green to be more of a facilitator, even though he prefers the sophomore playing off the ball? Or will Quickley and Hagans step up their game when the ball is tipped?
Calipari himself has said the Duke game is "going to be even harder than I thought." He might have had point guard play in mind, even if he said he was fairly pleased with their overall showings.
2. Does Duke have an answer for Reid Travis?
Everyone knows about Cam Reddish, Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, but do the Blue Devils have an answer for Kentucky's graduate transfer from Stanford, who looked like a force in the paint during exhibition season?
The Blue Devils have some length, athleticism and quickness to throw at Travis and that could bother him, and defensively Travis will need to find his footing. But it's not apparent who Duke has to bang with Travis on the boards and prevent those crafty baskets that he has such a good feel for with both hands and from a variety of angles and spots on the floor.
Jon Rothstein and some other analysts are expecting a big step forward from Duke's Javin DeLaurier, a returning 6-foot-10, 234-pound big man who played just 12.7 minutes per game last season with some ultra-talented frontcourt options ahead of him and now in the NBA. Kentucky fans are also very familiar with one-time target Marques Bolden, now a junior, who posted stats that were very similar to DeLaurier last season, though he's more of a shot blocker.
3. Does Kentucky have an answer for Reddish and Williamson?
This Kentucky team has more balance on paper than many Calipari squads. Better balance than many college basketball teams in recent history, if we're being honest. That means they should have the personnel to at least put a somewhat suitable matchup on most players they will see this year.
But there are two reasons for concern.
The first is that to defend this Duke team effectively you might need not one, but two or three versatile, athletic and physical players with length and prowess on that end of the court. Freshman Keldon Johnson seems to have all the tools to match up with one of those players, but he's got a ways to go on defense, from early appearances, before he's considered a lock down guy. It remains to be seen who Kentucky has to defend all of those players. It may be that no team in the country will fare well in that respect, and that the best defense might be relying on Duke's exceptional youth to show up.
Barrett and Reddish especially have to be respected outside and they can put the ball on the floor and attack the rim relentlessly. When it comes to attacking the rim, who stands in front of Williamson and stays in front of him? He certainly goes up and over everyone. Williamson's handle and guard-like skills are more widely known than they were months ago and that presents the same problems in a much different body, probably without the consistent shooting threat.
It will have to be a team defensive effort, but Kentucky's shot altering ability at the rim after penetration remains a question. If Kentucky can't slow down that trio, it could become a basket-for-basket showdown.
4. Can Kentucky get Duke in foul trouble?
Kentucky has more quality depth than Duke on paper by almost every analysis you will read and that could come into play on Tuesday night. Fouls are always tough to predict. Travis in particular could do a lot to put some uncomfortable lineups on the floor for Duke. He's among the best in the country at drawing contact when he's got the ball going at the rim.
If this is a five-on-five game then Duke could have an edge. Once the bench starts coming into play more, that favors Kentucky.
5. Just how good is Duke's supporting cast?
While improvement is expected from DeLaurier and it stands to reason that Bolden's production, if not his efficiency, will increase on the basis of greater opportunity, there's a lot of speculation going on here. It's completely understandable that those players saw the court as sparingly as they did in the past and they're used to being role players by now. Bolden has not always brought a consistent level of competitive fire and that will be something to watch in a heavyweight matchup that's bought to be intense.
Alex O'Connell is the shooting option outside of the Big Three and Kentucky will have to account for him when he's got the ball on the perimeter. He'll get open looks because Barrett is a very good passer and defenses, including Kentucky's, will have to pay so much attention to the Big Three.
Tre Jones is perhaps Duke's most important player outside of Williamson, Reddish and Barrett, because while he might not have the ball as much as most point guards, he will still have to be something of an orchestrator and organizer. He should be a quality defender but he's largely an unknown going into this matchup.
