Glad we won the game as I hate UL but we have to work on our defense. There is no way a very bad team like UL should have scored that many points. When we start the SEC schedule we need our defense to be better. Agree or disagree ?
Defense
- Thread starter westerncat
- Start date
I agree. This is the ONLY thing holding us back. We put up 95 tonight and our posts had what…2 points?? The offense is on another level, but have to get better on defense.
U of L had 33 pts at halftime. The game was over. Not saying its right or wrong but Ky coasted in the 2nd half because they could.
They will buckle down on D when need be.
I think we have to accept that Kentucky “is what they is” on defense. They can get a little better, but this team is never gonna be great on defense
Yeah and not only that even considering the game in it's entirety
76 points in 76 possessions. 1 point per possession. It's not great but it's not really that awful
I refuse to accept that. Defense, like rebounding, is largely about effort. I think this team can get a lot better, and they’re going to have to, or they’re not winning a title.
With all due respect, 1000% disagree with this. This team has the potential to be one of the best defensive teams in UK's history. Between the length, athleticism, and attitude this team has flashed glimpses of, if they completely buy into playing D the way Cal wants them to play, they would be lights out good.
It also takes some skill to, and our guards just can’t stay in front of anybody, they are gamblers on the perimeter, that’s what they are going to be. Now they can get better and I think they will, but there never gonna be lockdown defenders
Where. If your guards take gambles on the perimeter like ours do, then you’re gonna give up some baskets on the other end. Our guards don’t stay in front of anybody, they get steals to make up for it so it works itself out. But this team is probably not gonna be a great defensive team. They are great offensively though which can cover some problems
This would have been a great team to zone but Cal just won't do that. UL is not a good outside shooting team. Wish he would at least try.
100% agree. The good news is we’ve got the talent and the players to be very good defensively, but we’re not there yet. Not by a long shot. The second half showed a lot of defensive weaknesses but, in their defense (no pun intended), we had already won the game by then.
I agree they tend to gamble too much but they are learning to play the passing lanes and haven't quite mastered it yet. You are right in that it takes a certain talent to completely lock down a good offensive player 1 on 1, but the best defenses dont rely on 1 on 1 lock down. You just can't. You have to learn to play passing lanes, rotate and play help defense, and above all communicate. With our size and athleticism, as a team, we should be able to lock teams down. But it takes a while to learn and master. Defenses usually break down because of lack of communication and our guys seem to be doing a better job of that, which is encouraging. Dilly does gamble a lot, but thats just Dilly. Not sure you spend a lot of time to correct that. Just let him be him,
And please, lord help me, stop with the play more zone..........whoever said that
It obviously helps that we now have some shot blockers in the paint, but our perimeter defense has to improve for us to reach our full potential.
As Bradshaw and Onyenso sp? continue to improve I see us by the end of the season that our guards will run players off the 3 into all that length. That's what we did in 2012. Def not saying either player is anywhere remotely as good as Davis blocking shots. Theiro sp? blocks a lot of shots too.
We are currently in the 50's in defensive efficiency. We can fantasize about long arms and tall, muscular bodies dominating our opponents, but at some point, rubber has to meet the road. Our wildest Kentucky basketball fantasizes must comport to reality. Sauron can laugh with glee at the pitiful human resistance against his mighty orcish army, but in the end a pale gimp and hairy feet did him in.
