Forget the final score. Forget that Tyler Herro back-ironed a potential game winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Sunday paper will tell you that Alabama defeated Kentucky 77-75. John Calipari said it best in his post game press conference. His team didn't deserve to win.
The Crimson Tide led 72-61 with 2:17 left and 74-66 with a minute remaining before a serious Wildcat run almost stole victory from the jaws of defeat.
The question remains, how did Kentucky get into the position to be trailing by double figures very late in the game? Calipari said that Reid Travis reverted, but in retrospect, the entire team reverted and showed some weaknesses that were worrisome back in November and early December.
Here are some issues that reared their ugly heads.
Too much Tevin Mack in the first half
Mack came into Saturday's game averaging 9.9 points per game and shooting 35.5 percent from deep. He had doubled that scoring number by halftime and had made six threes. Yes, the 6-foot-6 junior got hot, but defensive breakdowns got him started.
His first trifecta came on a pull-up when his defender, Keldon Johnson, went under a handoff. A couple off possessions later, Johnson tried to go under a ball screen, but ran right into it and eventually got over it, but Mack already had plenty of space. Travis also played off the screen and was too far away to help and contest the shot.
That brings us to a point we have made several times this season. Calipari's strategy has been to go under the ball screen and have have the screeners man play off in the lane. This forces the opponent to make shoot a jump shot. It has been effective thus far, but there was a concern in the back of our heads when they would come up against a hot shooting player and/or team. Alabama made 10 of 23 3-pointers and Mack hurt Kentucky badly in the first half.
On Mack's third make, Dazon Ingram tried to drive the ball from the top on Reid Travis but he didn't beat him. Ashton Hagans was on Mack. He tried to help on the dribble when he didn't have to and couldn't recover in time when the ball was kicked out to Mack.
Mack's fourth long ball was contested, which made his fifth one on the very next possession that much harder to take. He brought the ball down the floor in transition, passed it to the wing, then got the ball back at the top of the key when he was wide open and able to step into another shot. The first priority of transition defense is to stop the ball, especially when the man with the ball is shooting you out of the gym.
His final 3-pointer was in transition as well, but this time he was running down the side caught an outlet pass on the wing for an open catch and shoot jumper. The defensive breakdown was that there were two defenders under the goal and no one identified and picked him up as a shooter.
Kentucky adjusted by going over all screens with him in the second half. He scored 18 points less than in the first half, but there were other problems as well.
Alabama's 8-0 run out of the half
Alabama went from down 40-38 to up 46-40 in a hurry. Kira Lewis Jr. nailed a 3-pointer on the first possession when Tyler Herro went under a ball-screen. Next, Ingram went baseline and was doubled. Ashton Hagans helped down from the top into the lane but got lost on his assignment. Herb Jones dived from the top to the front of the bucket for a catch and a two-hand dunk. Ingram closed out the run with a three of his own when Immanuel Quickley gapped him just a little too much.
When Calipari was asked after the game what went wrong this was the first thing he brought up. He called this stretch "very dissapointing."
Transition defense
This was a consistent for the entire game. They did a better job on Mack in the second half. They out rebounded Alabama in the first half. But transition defense left something to be desired for the entirety.
Keep in mind the defense has two responsibilities in guarding the fast break. Somebody must stop the ball and the first man back must guard the bucket while player communicate who is guarding which spot and which player that will defend.
Donta Hall got an early dunk when an outlet was errant. Lewis ran it down in the corner, but two Kentucky defenders went with him leaving the lane unoccupied. Hall filled that spot quickly for the catch and two handed finish. There were also only three Wildcat players who ran back on that trip. Hall also caught an alley on another fast break when no Kentucky defender got back to take the bucket.
Jones got another breakaway dunk on a length of the floor pass. The breakdown that will get shown over and over in the team's film session were that Hagans and Herro were back and should have been well ahead of him on the run out but both stopped when they got past the half-line. This was an instance when they just didn't play hard.
My guess is that there will be plenty of transition defensive drills in practice this week.
Many of these defensive problems can be fixed. With such a young team communication will get better. Players should do better executing their individual defensive assignments such as who to go over screens on and who to go under as they gain experience. Hustle on transition defense will be up to the players.
It remains to be seen how Calipari chooses to defend ball screens and hand offs when they run into another team that can shoot off the dribble. Jay Bilas also pointed out another concern. Without Nick Richards on the floor, there is no rim protector. Alabama's length and athleticism on both ends caused Kentucky's interior problems.
Offensively there were times when Kentucky just couldn't buy one
Maybe it was playing on the road. Maybe it was being on national television. Maybe it was going up against lengthy defenders. Calipari bemoaned that they must have missed "ten one footers."
Donta Hall, Herb Jones, and Galin Smith caused problems around the rim. Avery Johnson's strategy was to pack the lane with help defenders. 5 of 18 shooting by the Cats from behind the arc ensured that they didn't have to come out. Not only were they able to double team an inside catch with the other post player, their big men stayed in the paint when Kentucky players drove to the bucket.
When the ball went inside, it particularly caused problems for Washington and Travis. They did combine for 27 points, but did it on 10 of 23 shooting. Trying to get off a shot against bigger more explosive posts bothered them. Travis had a huge walk in the final minute of the game when he faked inside when it appeared he was wide open. Calipari noted that he kept trying to "gather himself."
In the final ten minutes of the game, the Wildcats had numerous open midrange jump shots but couldn't buy a make. it seemed the buildup of contested attempts took their toll on frustrated shooters.
Isolations didn't work
Another impact of a packed in defense was the ineffectiveness of isolations. Calipari looked to take advantage of mismatches. He looked to get the ball to Washington when he was guarded by Alex Reese. Keldon Johnson also got a dose of post ups when Riley Norris came off the bench to guard him. Neither could get the ball in a good position because of the packed in lane and the help against the entry pass.
There wasn't that go to guy
This has been the emphasis of major improvements the past few games. Washington, Travis, Herro and Johnson have all shown the the capability to put the scoring load on their shoulders. On Saturday, all five players were in double figures, and Quickley had 8 points off the bench. But nobody had more than 15 points and no starter shot over 50 percent from the field.
Jay Bilas pointed this out in the second half. There wasn't a player in blue that got on a scoring roll like Mack did for the Crimson Tide. It also didn't appear that there was a Kentucky player in a comfortable shooting zone.
It ain't all bad
There were positives to take away from Saturday's loss. For perhaps the first time it looked like Hagans and Quickley might be able to be bookend guards in the backcourt. Hagans just keeps getting better and better. He had 12 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals, and at times it appeared he could get to the rim at will. He has become the player who can set the tone on both ends. Quickley had some big defensive player and hit a pair of 3-pointers when they needed them the most. This pair could provide explosiveness out front and a tandem that could play downhill.
This young team also didn't pack its bags on the road and quit. There is something to be said that they had enough fight in them to almost come all the way back from an eight point deficit in the final minute.
As we said earlier, many of Saturday's. deficiencies are fixable, especially on the defensive end. One of those problems was going on the road in a hostile Southeastern Conference environment. I'm sure Calipari had an easier time selling Louisville to the freshmen than they did a football school. I would expect them not to have as many breakdowns or scoring lapses the next time.
But on Saturday it didn't matter. The focus the next few days won't be how they almost won, but how they got down eleven and how they can keep that from happening again.
The Crimson Tide led 72-61 with 2:17 left and 74-66 with a minute remaining before a serious Wildcat run almost stole victory from the jaws of defeat.
The question remains, how did Kentucky get into the position to be trailing by double figures very late in the game? Calipari said that Reid Travis reverted, but in retrospect, the entire team reverted and showed some weaknesses that were worrisome back in November and early December.
Here are some issues that reared their ugly heads.
Too much Tevin Mack in the first half
Mack came into Saturday's game averaging 9.9 points per game and shooting 35.5 percent from deep. He had doubled that scoring number by halftime and had made six threes. Yes, the 6-foot-6 junior got hot, but defensive breakdowns got him started.
His first trifecta came on a pull-up when his defender, Keldon Johnson, went under a handoff. A couple off possessions later, Johnson tried to go under a ball screen, but ran right into it and eventually got over it, but Mack already had plenty of space. Travis also played off the screen and was too far away to help and contest the shot.
That brings us to a point we have made several times this season. Calipari's strategy has been to go under the ball screen and have have the screeners man play off in the lane. This forces the opponent to make shoot a jump shot. It has been effective thus far, but there was a concern in the back of our heads when they would come up against a hot shooting player and/or team. Alabama made 10 of 23 3-pointers and Mack hurt Kentucky badly in the first half.
On Mack's third make, Dazon Ingram tried to drive the ball from the top on Reid Travis but he didn't beat him. Ashton Hagans was on Mack. He tried to help on the dribble when he didn't have to and couldn't recover in time when the ball was kicked out to Mack.
Mack's fourth long ball was contested, which made his fifth one on the very next possession that much harder to take. He brought the ball down the floor in transition, passed it to the wing, then got the ball back at the top of the key when he was wide open and able to step into another shot. The first priority of transition defense is to stop the ball, especially when the man with the ball is shooting you out of the gym.
His final 3-pointer was in transition as well, but this time he was running down the side caught an outlet pass on the wing for an open catch and shoot jumper. The defensive breakdown was that there were two defenders under the goal and no one identified and picked him up as a shooter.
Kentucky adjusted by going over all screens with him in the second half. He scored 18 points less than in the first half, but there were other problems as well.
Alabama's 8-0 run out of the half
Alabama went from down 40-38 to up 46-40 in a hurry. Kira Lewis Jr. nailed a 3-pointer on the first possession when Tyler Herro went under a ball-screen. Next, Ingram went baseline and was doubled. Ashton Hagans helped down from the top into the lane but got lost on his assignment. Herb Jones dived from the top to the front of the bucket for a catch and a two-hand dunk. Ingram closed out the run with a three of his own when Immanuel Quickley gapped him just a little too much.
When Calipari was asked after the game what went wrong this was the first thing he brought up. He called this stretch "very dissapointing."
Transition defense
This was a consistent for the entire game. They did a better job on Mack in the second half. They out rebounded Alabama in the first half. But transition defense left something to be desired for the entirety.
Keep in mind the defense has two responsibilities in guarding the fast break. Somebody must stop the ball and the first man back must guard the bucket while player communicate who is guarding which spot and which player that will defend.
Donta Hall got an early dunk when an outlet was errant. Lewis ran it down in the corner, but two Kentucky defenders went with him leaving the lane unoccupied. Hall filled that spot quickly for the catch and two handed finish. There were also only three Wildcat players who ran back on that trip. Hall also caught an alley on another fast break when no Kentucky defender got back to take the bucket.
Jones got another breakaway dunk on a length of the floor pass. The breakdown that will get shown over and over in the team's film session were that Hagans and Herro were back and should have been well ahead of him on the run out but both stopped when they got past the half-line. This was an instance when they just didn't play hard.
My guess is that there will be plenty of transition defensive drills in practice this week.
Many of these defensive problems can be fixed. With such a young team communication will get better. Players should do better executing their individual defensive assignments such as who to go over screens on and who to go under as they gain experience. Hustle on transition defense will be up to the players.
It remains to be seen how Calipari chooses to defend ball screens and hand offs when they run into another team that can shoot off the dribble. Jay Bilas also pointed out another concern. Without Nick Richards on the floor, there is no rim protector. Alabama's length and athleticism on both ends caused Kentucky's interior problems.
Offensively there were times when Kentucky just couldn't buy one
Maybe it was playing on the road. Maybe it was being on national television. Maybe it was going up against lengthy defenders. Calipari bemoaned that they must have missed "ten one footers."
Donta Hall, Herb Jones, and Galin Smith caused problems around the rim. Avery Johnson's strategy was to pack the lane with help defenders. 5 of 18 shooting by the Cats from behind the arc ensured that they didn't have to come out. Not only were they able to double team an inside catch with the other post player, their big men stayed in the paint when Kentucky players drove to the bucket.
When the ball went inside, it particularly caused problems for Washington and Travis. They did combine for 27 points, but did it on 10 of 23 shooting. Trying to get off a shot against bigger more explosive posts bothered them. Travis had a huge walk in the final minute of the game when he faked inside when it appeared he was wide open. Calipari noted that he kept trying to "gather himself."
In the final ten minutes of the game, the Wildcats had numerous open midrange jump shots but couldn't buy a make. it seemed the buildup of contested attempts took their toll on frustrated shooters.
Isolations didn't work
Another impact of a packed in defense was the ineffectiveness of isolations. Calipari looked to take advantage of mismatches. He looked to get the ball to Washington when he was guarded by Alex Reese. Keldon Johnson also got a dose of post ups when Riley Norris came off the bench to guard him. Neither could get the ball in a good position because of the packed in lane and the help against the entry pass.
There wasn't that go to guy
This has been the emphasis of major improvements the past few games. Washington, Travis, Herro and Johnson have all shown the the capability to put the scoring load on their shoulders. On Saturday, all five players were in double figures, and Quickley had 8 points off the bench. But nobody had more than 15 points and no starter shot over 50 percent from the field.
Jay Bilas pointed this out in the second half. There wasn't a player in blue that got on a scoring roll like Mack did for the Crimson Tide. It also didn't appear that there was a Kentucky player in a comfortable shooting zone.
It ain't all bad
There were positives to take away from Saturday's loss. For perhaps the first time it looked like Hagans and Quickley might be able to be bookend guards in the backcourt. Hagans just keeps getting better and better. He had 12 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals, and at times it appeared he could get to the rim at will. He has become the player who can set the tone on both ends. Quickley had some big defensive player and hit a pair of 3-pointers when they needed them the most. This pair could provide explosiveness out front and a tandem that could play downhill.
This young team also didn't pack its bags on the road and quit. There is something to be said that they had enough fight in them to almost come all the way back from an eight point deficit in the final minute.
As we said earlier, many of Saturday's. deficiencies are fixable, especially on the defensive end. One of those problems was going on the road in a hostile Southeastern Conference environment. I'm sure Calipari had an easier time selling Louisville to the freshmen than they did a football school. I would expect them not to have as many breakdowns or scoring lapses the next time.
But on Saturday it didn't matter. The focus the next few days won't be how they almost won, but how they got down eleven and how they can keep that from happening again.
