The odds are ever in our favor but we are not infallible. Coaches for our opponents have come up with well-planned schemes but could not finish the Cats off. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reached out to 8 coaches and assistant coaches who have studied and/or played Kentucky and offered their advice on how to end UK’s season on a sour note. Then given my incredible basketball expertise, I simplify the coaches’ comments to a reasonable strategy that can be employed by Kentucky’s future opponents.
The quotes are from the anonymous coaches in Norlander’s article; my summary follows.
…If they get some easy baskets just off a blocked shot or a steal, they do a good job of pressuring you in the backcourt the whole game. That can break the game. It’s not a Picasso on offense, but it’s smart. Just dump the puck in the zone, throw it at the goalie, and go get it off the rebound.
Play Kentucky in another sport like ice hockey, or try to defeat them in an art contest.
Where they ended up beating us, we played them well for 33, 34 minutes. We had tired bodies, they had fresh ones. They had guys only playing 20 minutes.
Have local officials change the rules where the game ends after 30 minutes.
With a lot of lineups out there they’re not a great shooting team. To me, if you have to pick their poison, you want those guys taking jump shots.
Hire Tonya Harding as a special assistant coach. Get a manager to take a lead pipe to Devin Booker’s and Trey Lyles’ knees before the game.
You have to make 3s. Towns won’t go out and guard you on the floor. Obviously it takes a unique team that can draw a guy out like that, who can make a 3 or get penetration off that stuff.
Pay whoever you have to pay at the NCAA to allow Dirk Nowitzki to get his eligibility back. Pay Dirk enough money to make not not join Kentucky like he wanted to back in the day.
Spread them out and make them defend in space. It’s not necessarily the first drive, it’s got to be the second to third drive.
Break all the shot clocks in the building.
POWERTHIRST COULD BEAT KENTUCKY
They’re going to have to make a decision. Are they going to send four to the boards? You have to negate their length with strength. You have to get under them and move them. You can’t allow them to play vertically.
Order fast-acting steroids for your smaller team.
They were putting pressure up on our guards early, trying to turn us over, but our guards handled them well and our best shooter had a great game. We scored when we broke their pressure. Defensively we hung in on the backboards even though they were considerably bigger and more athletic. Our guys weren’t intimidated.
Have your guys be intimidated.
Injury, foul trouble. What is their biggest concern? They’re so damn good I’m not sure there’s anything you worry about except for them getting on the bus.
Block all roads leading to the arena prior to the game starting.
Of course, perhaps the best strategy when playing Kentucky was computed by the supercomputer WOPR back in 1983:
