Fast-Paced Battle of Bluebloods in Store Saturday

In every media interview since he arrived on campus, Malik Monk has cited Kentucky’s speed as a primary weapon.

So, what does the uber-athletic freshman think about the idea of a matchup with a UCLA team that figures to try to run with the Wildcats?

“We love that,” Monk said. “Any team that tries to run with us, we love that because that’s what we play. We’re fast. We’re a fast team. If they do that, we’ll like that.”

Ahead of Saturday’s 12:30 p.m. game between No. 11/9 UCLA (8-0) and top-ranked UK (7-0) – the third- and fourth-highest scoring teams in the country, respectively – Dominique Hawkins feels the same way.

“We’re definitely looking forward to it,” Hawkins said. “We know it’s going to be an up-tempo game. They have great guards that can score in and out and so do we.”

Fun as it may be for the Cats, that’s no guarantee. John Calipari is quick to remind his team of that, including making repeated in-practice references to the 87-77 defeat UK suffered at the hands of UCLA last season. The Cats also happened to be undefeated and at the top of the polls then too.

“You don’t know if you’re going to win or lose until you win or lose,” Calipari said. “You might as well worry about preparation and being the best version of yourself, having a good game plan and a little bit of a backup, and then have a great night’s sleep and let’s go play the game and see what happens.”

The one thing that is almost assured of happening, as has been established, is that the game will be fast-paced.

Kentucky and UCLA rank eighth and 11th in raw tempo, playing 78.6 and 77.6 possessions per game, respectively. No Calipari team has ever played so fast and no UK team has scored 100 points in three straight games as this team has since 1977-78. The Bruins, meanwhile, have topped the century mark three times and scored 98 or more twice more themselves. 

“I think this is a shot-maker’s game, and if either team is not making shots, you’ll be in trouble,” Coach Cal said. “Because probably, I doubt both teams are not making shots. So you just hope it’s them and not you. Both are good-shooting teams, both have players that are able to go on runs.”

UK has a team full of such players, as four Cats are averaging double figures and four more have scored in double figures at least once this season. They come in all shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common. In fact, that very characteristic is what allows UK to play at its current pace more than physical speed.

“Their minds think quick,” Calipari said, adding a snap of his fingers for effect. “So they can see stuff and recognize quickly. If you have to process: ‘OK, I think the ball’s coming to me and this guy over here is gonna be open let me try to…’ You can’t play the way we’re playing (unless you think quickly).”

Calipari says UCLA is the same way, starting with Lonzo Ball.

The star freshman topped recruiting rankings at the point-guard position along with De’Aaron Fox and, also like Fox, has done nothing but live up to that billing early in his college career. Ball is averaging 14.6 points, 9.6 assists (which leads the nation) and 4.9 rebounds.

“He’s really good,” Calipari said of the 6-foot-6 Ball. “Like, he’s big. He sees the court. He’s OK to take no shots – he doesn’t care – or if he needs to score 25 he will. He’s good. He’s good. He’s smart. You can see on the court – he’s like our guys – he’s got a nimble mind. He’ll see something happening before it happens. He’s good.”

Surrounding Ball is a team full of scorers. UCLA relies on its bench less than any team in the country, but features six double-digit scorers. All but 7-footer Thomas Welsh have made at least eight 3s and are shooting 41.7 percent or better from beyond the arc.

“This is a great game in early December for us,” Calipari said. “Hard. They could bash us. They beat us last year. They beat us bigger than the score. The score said nine or 10, whatever, it was 20. It was not even a game. We never had a chance. They got the same team back with Ball. We lost everybody and have a brand-new team. It’ll be interesting.”