TLDR; We are 45th in defensive efficiency. No team has ever won an NC outside the top 25 in defensive efficiency
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Kentucky continues to win, but defensive challenges should not be overlooked
The return of Lamont Butler (33 points, 10-for-10) from an ankle injury sparked a 93-85 win for the Kentucky Wildcats over rival Louisville on Saturday, giving Mark Pope another victory to satisfy the program's rabid fan base. Kentucky's wins over Gonzaga and Duke, along with the other quality wins the program has amassed, have put the Wildcats in the early running for a top seed in the NCAA tournament.
They're playing at a top-25 pace, connecting on 37% of their 3-point attempts, and Pope's system has also allowed five different players to finish with a team-high in scoring over the course of their 11 games. Against Louisville, however, the Wildcats also surrendered 85 points (116 points per 100 possessions). The Cardinals committed just seven turnovers in a high-paced game, too.
Right now, the Wildcats are ranked 45th in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom. Since the 1996-97 season, there hasn't been a national champion end a season ranked lower than 22nd. While some of the champions over that span improved in the postseason, the one-month mark of the season is a solid snapshot of where a team stands.
And the truth is that the Wildcats have to be more disciplined on defense to reach their ceiling. They gave up 50 points in the first half against Gonzaga before their great comeback in Seattle earlier this month. They missed key stops in a loss to Clemson, too. Part of the challenge is the Wildcats play a defensive style that doesn't include a lot of gambles to force turnovers. Kentucky entered the week ranked 340th nationally in opponents' turnover rate. The Wildcats are so diverse and effective on offense that their defensive lapses have not outweighed their offensive gifts. But even a marginal defensive improvement could elevate the program to another level in the weeks and months ahead. -- Medcalf
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Kentucky continues to win, but defensive challenges should not be overlooked
The return of Lamont Butler (33 points, 10-for-10) from an ankle injury sparked a 93-85 win for the Kentucky Wildcats over rival Louisville on Saturday, giving Mark Pope another victory to satisfy the program's rabid fan base. Kentucky's wins over Gonzaga and Duke, along with the other quality wins the program has amassed, have put the Wildcats in the early running for a top seed in the NCAA tournament.
They're playing at a top-25 pace, connecting on 37% of their 3-point attempts, and Pope's system has also allowed five different players to finish with a team-high in scoring over the course of their 11 games. Against Louisville, however, the Wildcats also surrendered 85 points (116 points per 100 possessions). The Cardinals committed just seven turnovers in a high-paced game, too.
Right now, the Wildcats are ranked 45th in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom. Since the 1996-97 season, there hasn't been a national champion end a season ranked lower than 22nd. While some of the champions over that span improved in the postseason, the one-month mark of the season is a solid snapshot of where a team stands.
And the truth is that the Wildcats have to be more disciplined on defense to reach their ceiling. They gave up 50 points in the first half against Gonzaga before their great comeback in Seattle earlier this month. They missed key stops in a loss to Clemson, too. Part of the challenge is the Wildcats play a defensive style that doesn't include a lot of gambles to force turnovers. Kentucky entered the week ranked 340th nationally in opponents' turnover rate. The Wildcats are so diverse and effective on offense that their defensive lapses have not outweighed their offensive gifts. But even a marginal defensive improvement could elevate the program to another level in the weeks and months ahead. -- Medcalf
