Kansas a Test for UK’s Developing Perimeter D
A thesaurus would have been handy at John Calipari’s press conference on Monday morning.
Trying to come up with a way to describe Kentucky’s subpar perimeter defense, “bad” just wasn’t a strong enough word. So he asked for synonyms.
“Terrible” wasn’t quite enough. “Putrid” wasn’t either, but “atrocious” seemed to come close.
All of that’s to say the Wildcats have some improving to do when it comes to defending on the ball.
“We’re just getting beat on the dribble by everybody,” Coach Cal said. “And you can’t – defense starts on the ball. It always has. And if you can’t guard the ball it’s hard to keep you in.”
After struggling with penetration in two wins over Utah Valley and Vermont to open the season, No. 5/4 UK (2-0) will be subjected to quite the test playing its third game in five days. No. 4/3 Kansas (1-0) will come a-calling Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. in the annual State Farm Champions Classic.
That challenge begins with senior guard and preseason All-American Devonte’ Graham, the “one that stirs their coffee.”
“What he’ll do is shoot a 3 at any point, which means then you start playing him and he can get by you,” Calipari said. “It’s going to be a hard game for us. It’s not just him. I mean, they all can shoot. (Lagerald) Vick can get it to the basket.”
That means Quade Green, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Hamidou Diallo and whoever else is assigned to check the Jayhawk guards will have their work cut out. That’s coming on the heels of a tight 73-69 win over Vermont in which Trae Bell-Haynes was effective driving to the basket.
The first step to improvement, it would seem, is self-awareness. On that front, the Cats are off to a good start. Green was quick to admit he has work to do, though he is also confident he’s more than capable.
“I’m still learning on defense,” Green said. “I’m pretty slow on defense, as y’all can see. I’m still learning though. It’s a learning process.”
On that Green and Coach Cal agree.
“It’s going to be a process,” Calipari said. “We have to be able to stay in front of people. We have enough shot blocking unless they’re shooting straight layups. Ain’t no one blocking that. If you make them go wide of you we can help.”
What Calipari is trying to teach is by no means easy for a group of freshmen to quickly grasp. He’s asking them to focus more on defense than they ever have, but within a system. Getting a stop every time down is not the goal. Rather, it’s all about forcing opponents to take difficult shots advantageous to the defense.
“If you’re going to get beat, then get beat letting them shoot a tough two,” Calipari said. “You can’t give them layups or wide-open 3s. Those two things kill your team. In the second half, what’d we give Vermont? Layups and open 3s – then you’re gonna lose. This is a young team that, you know, we’re learning.”
Layups and open 3s, considering Kansas’s status as a perennial power, is how the Jayhawks operate. A season after Kansas was fifth nationally in 3-point percentage at .405, the Jayhawks buried 12 of 28 from beyond the arc in a season-opening win over Tennessee State. And when they ventured inside the arc, the missed even more rarely, shooting 24 of 32.
“Kansas is flying,” Calipari said. “They’re shooting 25 to 30 3s. They’re going to shoot them whether we’re zone, man, triangle-and-two, box-and-one. They’re taking 25 to 30 3s. They’ll still run some of their weave into pick-and-roll. They do a lot of pick-and-roll to try throw skip passes to shoot. I mean, they’re who they always are.”
Fly as Kansas might, Calipari – per usual – is more concerned about his team. Xs and Os, of course, are part of that, but there is one lesson above all other he is trying to impart.
“You build your confidence through playing harder than the other guy,” Calipari said. “By doing it together so you don’t feel the weight of the world on you. You don’t want to feel the weight of the world on you. What does the team need you to do? I’m gonna go do that. What we’re trying to have everybody do is play in a way that they can have success.”
