Two columnists have come up with steps Notre Dame can take to defeat Kentucky on Saturday. I simplify the columnists’ comments into a reasonable strategy that can be employed by Kentucky’s future opponents.
Like last time, I’ll post the columnist’s thoughts and then simplify them afterwards. Let’s start with some ordered list items presented by Tim Warsinskey of Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer newspaper:
All five starters average at least 9.8 points per game. Four starters in double figures against Kentucky is a good place to start for this upset to happen.
Have Notre Dame’s starters score points that count before the game starts.
The key player against Wichita State was Demetrius Jackson. His surprising 4-of-5 night on 3-pointers caught the Shockers off guard. Notre Dame needs Connaughton, Grant and either Jackson, Steve Vasturia or V.J. Beachem to get hot.
Build a campfire next to the bench to keep Notre Dame’s shooters hot.
Find a way to make Kentucky uncomfortable on offense, force turnovers and score in transition. That’s asking a lot against Kentucky guards Andrew and Aarron Harrison and Tyler Ulis. The Wildcats have seen just about every defense imaginable and continue to break through all of them. That’s what drove West Virginia crazy.
Create a defense never seen before by Kentucky. Maybe Mike Brey should use a zone with imaginary numbers: The 2i-3.
Let’s move to Chris Chase with USA Today’s For The Win website. His tactics for Notre Dame beating Kentucky include the following:
Hit the threes. That’s like saying “score more points” — of course you need to hit threes to pull an upset — but it’s going to be especially key in beating Kentucky. Three-pointers are the way towards an upset and the way to keep Kentucky from pulling away. It’s easier said than done, as Kentucky’s long arms were third in defending three-pointers all year. And if Notre Dame forces Kentucky to go small, the ‘Cats can do that with ease. That’s what makes Kentucky Kentucky.
Make Kentucky not Kentucky by replacing all of Kentucky’s players with people from the stands.
Keep it close early. Again, another obvious one. But Kentucky hasn’t been tested in a long time. What happens when the Wildcats are finally challenged by a team that’s on their level (just not as high.)
Wear sneakers with a several-inch thick soles to get higher. Do NOT use marijuana or any other illegal drug instead.
Notre Dame is a team full of upperclassmen (both Grant and Connaughton are seniors and Auguste is a junior). Though Kentucky is far from the one-and-done team that Calipari last won a title with (Willie Cauley-Stein is a junior, the Harrison twins are sophomores), Notre Dame’s senior leadership could be crucial down the stretch.
Convince the referees to start awarding points based on the amount of years each player has competed in NCAA competitions. 4 points for seniors, 3 for juniors, etc.
Neither team plays particularly fast, but Notre Dame would be wise to let Grant dribble out possessions and start plays with 10 seconds left on the shot clock.
Put everybody to sleep by playing Big Ten basketball.
It’s going to take some Wildcat struggles for Notre Dame to hang around and maybe, just maybe, the refs play a part in that. If the officials take control of the game early and whistle Kentucky’s big men for fouls, it’d be a travesty on par with Greg Oden getting two quick touch-fouls and having to sit for much of the 2007 title game. But it’d be good for Notre Dame.
Make the refs give fouls to ALL 5 of Kentucky’s post players when one commits a foul.
Just relax. Kentucky isn’t unbeatable, despite what Vegas and its early 10.5-point spread might indicate. Don’t panic if UK gets out to an early lead, keep shooting if they don’t fall early and remember, you’re supposed to lose. Play hard with that house money.
Drink all the complementary drinks you can from the Big Blue Casino before your busted. And be sure to hedge your bets, like Chris Chase does with his FTW posts:
