A panel of ESPN writers try to answer the question of who has more work ahead of them between Kentucky and Kansas.
All 3 writers think John Calipari has more worries than Kansas’ Bill Self currently does.
Andy Katz: Kansas got beat at the buzzer by Colorado in one of the top venues in the West. I’ll hardly fault the Jayhawks. Kentucky’s defensive performance against Baylor is another issue. Kentucky must tighten up its D in order to become an elite team. The Wildcats will not have an issue scoring, but they won’t win the title if they cannot commit themselves to locking in and shutting teams down at crucial moments.
Dana O’Neil: I’d be more worried if I were Calipari because, while the Wildcats lost just one, they’ve looked lethargic for a while, slow to come around against Cleveland State, Eastern Michigan and Providence. This team seems to think it can turn on the jets whenever and win, and that’s simply not the case. Mix that in with shoddy defense and an upcoming schedule that includes Boise State, North Carolina and Louisville, and Kentucky needs to find itself quickly.
Myron Medcalf: I think Calipari just because he doesn’t have enough leaders. Self has Naadir Tharpe, Tarik Black and Perry Ellis. That trio will help Self’s youngsters in the locker room as the season advances, but it’s difficult to identify similar leaders on Kentucky’s roster.
You can read “Daily Word: Concerns for Kentucky, Kansas?” by clicking here.
Sounds like a host of problems Cal will have to figure out, but which one do you think will be the toughest: Defense, Leadership, or the team thinking they can just turn it on whenever they want to win?
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