According to Scott Gleeson of USA Today, the Kentucky Wildcats have seven “glaring” weaknesses.
It’s true that Kentucky had two close calls during the first week of SEC play…but seven weaknesses for a 15-0 team?
Here is an excerpt:
1. There’s no edge. The best teams have zest and fire. Wichita State was that way last season, even if it was against inferior Missouri Valley opponents. The Fab 5 had that us-against-the-world swagger even when they were the favorites to win. And this is something this Kentucky team is still clearly searching for. The Wildcats beat teams in November and March because they were better than them. They’re still better than anyone they play, but this is the difference between talent and willpower. “We’re walking out of timeouts, and guys aren’t paying attention,” Calipari noted after the Texas A&M game. When teams with an edge get punched in the mouth, they punch back harder, not sulk on the bench or have their heads in the clouds. Adversity is a good thing. How Kentucky has responded to it, even in victory, is not.
2. Trouble with zones. We saw glimpses of Kentucky’s susceptibility against the zone in an early season game against Columbia. Ole Miss and Texas A&M packed it in the paint to take away UK’s interior muscle and encourage more outside shooting. Even when the Wildcats are shooting OK, like they did against Ole Miss (11-for-20 from three), the plan still is sound for the opponent because it takes Kentucky out of its rhythm. When the Wildcats are not shooting well (like vs. Texas A&M), there’s even greater a chance of winning. There’s no specific stat that will show how a zone can deflate an explosive team such as Kentucky, but it definitely can alter tempo and momentum. And Kentucky’s halfcourt offense looked atrocious, particularly on Saturday night against a simple 2-3 zone.
3. Cold shooting. Good teams find a way to win when they’re not shooting well, which is what Kentucky did against Texas A&M. But a bad shooting night pointed out how important outside shooting is to a seemingly post-oriented squad. The team’s best shooter, Aaron Harrison, was 2-for-13 from beyond the arc vs. Texas A&M. Devin Booker carried the load vs. the Aggies (18 points off four three-pointers) and Tyler Ullis hit a huge three-pointer in OT, but overall the Wildcats were 28.1% from the floor, the second-worst shooting game since Calipari arrived in Lexington in 2009. If that effort continues, Kentucky’s certainly beatable.
4. Lack of paint dominance. In 13 non-conference games this season Kentucky owned the paint, outscoring teams by more than 17 points a game. In two SEC contest, Kentucky is being outscored by 14 points a night in the paint.
I wonder how many weaknesses Duke, Wisconsin, Arizona, etc. etc. have?
