Knox Hopes to be on the Offensive Against K-State
For all his versatility as a player, there’s one move from Kentucky’s win over Buffalo that Kevin Knox would prefer not to repeat.
“I was cheering throughout the whole game,” Knox said after the win. “Cheering from the bench.”
Saddled with foul trouble, Knox scored eight points in Kentucky’s 95-75 win. It was the first time he failed to reach double figure points since the Feb. 3 loss at Missouri.
Seasons often have abrupt and unhappy endings when a team’s leading scorer has an off night in the NCAA Tournament. But Kentucky rolled to Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup with Kansas State despite Knox – who averages a team-leading 15.6 ppg – struggling to find his offensive rhythm.
“I live to fight another day,” he said after the game, while crediting his teammates with picking up the offense in his place.
“That’s what is so great about this team: Anyone can really step up at any given time.”
While Kentucky relies on balanced scoring and has five players who average at least nine points per game, Knox may be the team’s most gifted shot-maker. His deep repertoire was on display against
Davidson in Kentucky’s first round win. Knox poured in 25 points, using a variety of jumpers, floaters and drives.
“When he’s going, the other team’s gotta pay a lot of attention, a lot of focus on him. I feel like it opens up a lot of things for the rest of us,” Wenyen Gabriel said. “When he’s going, he’s really hard to guard.”
Knox has a simple strategy for getting back in the groove offensively against Kansas State. It starts with staying on the floor by avoiding foul trouble. Past that, the plan is to be aggressive by looking first to drive the ball to the basket.
Knox says John Calipari has been on him most of the season to take the ball to the hoop and to shoot “my little floater that nobody has been able to stop.”
“I’m 6-(foot)-9 so to be able to do a floater over people, that should be pretty easy,” Knox said.
Easy is the operative word for Knox. Calipari wants him to read the defense and make the easiest play on his way to the basket. With the size and skill to score a variety of ways, Knox has options.
As he puts it, the idea is to “lessen my game to do more.”
“One dribble pullups, knocking down the open shots, just getting easy buckets; that’s what he’s kind of been in my ear about this last couple months.” Knox said. “It’s been working.”
