Josh White
Kentucky Wildcats vs. Kansas Jayhawks
Monday, April 2, 2012, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
9:23PM Tipoff, CBS
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In the words of the great Jim Morrison, “This is the end, beautiful friend”. While Morrison was undoubtedly talking about something completely different, the sentiment remains. This is the end. It’s the end of the season, the end of an entertaining NCAA tournament. It’s the end of the career of Darius Miller, who defines this era of change by coming full circle, from a freshman on a team plowed into the ground by an overwhelmed coach to a senior glue-guy on the best team in the country. It’s the possible end to the Kentucky careers of Naismith Player of the Year Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones. It all culminates tonight in the National Championship Game, and the Blue Bus is calling us.
Many fans will remember back to November 15, when Kentucky took on this same Kansas Jayhawk team in Madison Square Garden. At the time, Kansas was ranked 13[SUP]th[/SUP] in the nation and considered by basketball pundits to be rebuilding. They’d lost the core of a talented team to graduation and other departures and for the first time in years weren’t picked to win the Big 12. Kentucky won that game 75-65, but a funny thing happened for Kansas on the way to New Orleans. After a surprising home loss to Davidson on December 19 left them at 7-3 on the season, Kansas found a way to turn their fortunes around. They finished the regular season 19-2, and again won the Big 12 regular season championship. And they did it with scrappiness and good defense.
One thing Kentucky will have to watch for is Kansas’ second half defense. With the exception of the North Carolina game, Kansas has played each game in the tournament with the same pattern. The first half they tend to struggle on offense, failing to make easy baskets, and the opponent gets out to a comfortable lead. Remember, Purdue was up by as much as ten points in their game, and Ohio State was up by 13. The second half became a different story, with the defensive pressure ratcheted up. Jeff Withey channels his inner-Kevin McHale and starts swatting shots like Godzilla batting away biplanes. Thomas Robinson starts making easy baskets, and Tyshawn Taylor knows just where to find the open man. Opponents can’t seem to find that open shot anymore, and they hold the opponents to less than 15% shooting in the second half. Then the big lead starts to disappear and before you know it, they’ve pulled ahead. It’s been the script so far. Just ask NC State or Purdue or Ohio State fans, they’ll tell you the same thing.
To win this game, they have to play their very best fundamental basketball. While Anthony Davis had another big game against Loserville, Kentucky struggled at times with their rebounding. In stretches it seemed like Kentucky was content to let the Cards have their way on the offensive glass, allowing them to put up as many second chance shots as they wanted, and eventually it caught up to them. I know this is the hallmark of a shot-blocking team, that a team that contests every shot is going to get beat on a lot of rebounds, but their performance in the semifinals was off-putting. This needs to improve against Kansas, who won’t have as many problems scoring on the putback as Louisville did.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist will need to step up his game too. He’s got just as much talent as anyone on either side and has more will than anyone on the floor, but he’s struggled as of late. He’s committed a few too many cheap fouls, and he’s paid the price for it. Against Louisville, had he not went on a hot streak at the end he would have finished the game with a big goose egg in the points column. They need MKG’s best tonight. He needs to stay away from picking up those cheap fouls and play hard-nosed defense. And when that second half defense starts tightening up, they need his slashing and playmaking ability to bust their schemes.
PREDICTION: This is it, this is what we’ve all been waiting for. We’ve waited for this moment not just from the beginning of the season, but since the beginning of the 1999 season. This game is fourteen years in the making, and an entire state’s expectations rest in the balance. There’s not a reason in the world that Kentucky can’t win this game. They have more talent on the floor with six or seven future NBA players on the roster, and have momentum and a huge fanbase. But these Jayhawks aren’t slouches, and they’re not the same team we beat by ten points back in November. To win, they need to find ways to break Kansas’ defense, which is no easy task. NC State wasn’t able to do it, and neither could Purdue, North Carolina or Ohio State. Those teams didn’t have the talent we do either. It’s going to be close, and the score could fluctuate all night, but look for Kentucky to bring the championship back to its rightful place.
Kentucky 72, Kansas 66
