Strength Meets Strength on Saturday at Rupp Arena
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In terms of strength versus strength, it doesn’t get much stronger than South Carolina’s physical, gritty defense against Kentucky’s fast-paced, electric offense.
That makes Saturday’s game between the Southeastern Conference’s final two unbeaten teams that much more intriguing.
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| Kentucky vs. South Carolina | ||
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Sat., Jan. 21 – 6 p.m. ET |
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| Coverage | ||
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TV: ESPN |
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| UK | 2016-17 Team Stats | SC |
| 16-2 | Record | 15-3 |
| 6-0 | Conference Record | 5-0 |
| 93.3 | PPG | 70.9 |
| 72.2 | Opp PPG | 59.4 |
| .496 | FG% | .423 |
| .414 | Opp FG% | .363 |
| 41.4 | RPG | 37.6 |
| .357 | 3PT FG% | .343 |
| .307 | Opp 3PT FG% | .263 |
| .683 | FT% | .692 |
| 18.1 | APG | 13.4 |
| 6.5 | SPG | 8.3 |
| 6.2 | BPG | 4.9 |
“South Carolina is a physical team,” UK senior forward Derek Willis said. “I’ve watched them play and every year since I’ve been here they’ve really been a physical team, get after you, hit the boards hard and that’s something they do well. You just have to be prepared for it.”
After hearing a combined 195 fouls called over their last four games, every Wildcat should be well-versed in physical play. It’s a style that has been employed to try to slow down the nation’s eighth quickest offense and also perhaps get under the skin of the nation’s fifth most inexperienced team.
With No. 24/24 South Carolina (15-3, 5-0 SEC), that physicality is no gimmick. The Gamecocks will step onto the floor at Rupp Arena on Saturday (6 p.m. ET on ESPN) with the No. 1 ranked defensive efficiency in the nation, per KenPom.com. In addition to being No. 1 in defensive efficiency, South Carolina’s defense is No. 1 in 3-point field goal percentage, No. 2 in effective field goal percentage, No. 3 in turnover percentage, No. 5 in 2-point field goal percentage and No. 11 in percentage of possessions ending in steals.
“They just get after you,” Willis said. “They’re a physical team. They get up in you. When they make a shot they’re sending probably three or four guys it looks like to the glass every single time. So, they offensive rebound well too. Like I said, they know what they want to do, they’re good at what they do and it makes them a really solid team.”
Kentucky (16-2, 6-0 SEC) counters with the No. 2 ranked offensive efficiency in the nation that has seen a number of players take the starring role in various games throughout the season.
From De’Aaron Fox’s triple-double against Arizona State, to Malik Monk’s freshman program-record 47 points against North Carolina and Isaiah Briscoe’s triple-double at Ole Miss, the UK backcourt has forced opposing defenses to pick their poison.
In the frontcourt, freshman forward Bam Adebayo has been a consistent presence for the Wildcats, averaging 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. On Tuesday against Mississippi State, Wenyen Gabriel and Derek Willis joined the fold by combining to score 26 points on 10-of-11 shooting, including 6 for 7 from beyond the arc.
It was the second consecutive big game from Gabriel, but his first scoring more than six points since late November. For Willis, it was a reminder of his offensive potential and what he can bring to the table.
“I keep telling Derek,” Calipari said, “‘I know you’re working on defense. I know you’re trying. But understand you hang your hat on making shots. Not dribbling, spinning, throwing cross-court passes for baskets for them. Just shoot it. Make an easy play. That’s who you are. That’s the strength of your game.’”
With both teams possessing such dominant strengths, the difference in the game could perhaps boil down to how South Carolina’s 174th-ranked offense does against Kentucky’s 15th-ranked defense.
Both teams are coming off victories in which they won the game despite their team’s lesser half. Kentucky topped Mississippi State despite allowing the Bulldogs to shoot 54.2 percent from the field. The Gamecocks defeated No. 19/21 Florida despite their offense shooting just 29.4 percent from the field and going scoreless for the opening 7:33 of the game.
“We know that defense alone isn’t going to get us a win,” South Carolina senior guard Justin McKie told reporters Friday. “Gotta make shots, can’t shoot how we did against Florida, can’t get off to an offensive start like we did against Florida. Gotta execute, gotta take care of the ball, gotta make plays.”
The Gamecocks are led offensively by senior guard Sindarius Thornwell and sophomore guard PJ Dozier. The two Palmetto State natives have combined to average more than 32 points per game on a team that’s scoring 70.9 points per contest.
Thornwell, a 6-foot-5, physical, athletic wing leads South Carolina in both scoring (18.2 points per game) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) and is shooting 40.9 percent from 3-point range. All three of the Gamecocks’ losses this season occurred during the Lancaster, South Carolina, native’s six-game suspension. With him in the lineup they are a perfect 12-0.
“He’s like one of those guys that score baskets, he can rebound, they play him at the four at times when they go small,” Calipari said of Thornwell. “Now they’ve got four guards and he’s a pick-and-pop guy or they just run their action and give him the ball and just say ‘drive it.’ He’s going against fours, he’s like a two (or) three with size. He’s really good, he’s tough, he’s physical.”
Playing alongside Thornwell is Dozier, a long, athletic 6-6 guard who is second on the team in scoring (14.6 ppg), third in rebounding (4.7 rpg) and first in assists (2.9 apg).
In last year’s meeting – an impressive 89-62 road victory for UK at Colonial Life Arena in which Calipari was ejected less than two-and-a-half minutes into the game – the Wildcats defended Thornwell and Dozier masterfully, limiting the backcourt duo to a combined nine points on 4-of-17 shooting, five rebounds, three assists and 10 turnovers.
How the UK defense does against those two will play a large role in determining the winner of the game, but it certainly won’t be the only factor.
“I mean, this is another team that’s gonna be scrappy,” Calipari said. “Auburn played that way, Mississippi State played that way. They’re gonna play – they’re not backing down. They’re coming in with an expectation. It’s gonna be a hard game for us.”
Keith Bogans Named 2017 SEC Legend
Former Kentucky men’s basketball All-American Keith Bogans will represent the Wildcats as a member of the 2017 Southeastern Conference Legends at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee. Former greats from all 14 SEC member institutions will be honored at the league tournament, March 8-12 in Bridgestone Arena. Bogans will be honored at halftime of UK’s first game of the tournament.
Bogans, a four-year letterwinner from 2000-03, ended his career as one of the program’s most prolific scorers. He finished fourth all-time among UK’s all-time scorers with 1,923 career points. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 11.6 points or more in all four seasons at Kentucky, including 17.0 in his sophomore season and 15.7 during his senior campaign.
During the 2002-03 season in which Bogans led the Cats to an SEC regular-season and tournament title, he was named an All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Associated Press, the Sporting News and the Basketball Times. He was also the SEC Tournament MVP as a senior.
Bogans was a three-time All-SEC selection, earning first-team honors in 2003, second-team accolades in 2001 and as a member of the All-Freshman Team in 2000. He was also the league’s MVP of the tournament in 2003.
Drafted 43rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2003, Bogans went on to have a successful 11-year NBA career.
Fox, Cats Outlast Pesky Mississippi State
Freshman De’Aaron Fox scored nine consecutive points late in the second half to will the No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats (16-2, 6-0) past a pesky Mississippi State squad on the road in Starkville, Mississippi, on Tuesday. Fox had two clutch baskets on drives in the final minutes to thwart a late rally by the Bulldogs to remain spotless in Southeastern Conference play.
Fox finished with 21 points, including nine straight points for Kentucky late in the game, to lead five total Wildcats in double figures. UK got big performances from their No. 4 men in Wenyen Gabriel and Derek Wills. Willis scored 13 first-half points, while Gabriel provided 13 and a team-high eight rebounds. Malik Monk scored 14 and Isaiah Briscoe added 12.
UK led by as many as 18 points in the second half, but the Bulldogs put together a 13-0 run to pull to within four at 66-62. Out of a timeout, senior Dominique Hawkins drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing off an assist from Fox to put the Cats back up seven. The Bulldogs would not go away and evenutally pulled to within three at 69-66, but Gabriel swished his career-high third 3-pointer of the night and Kentucky eventually stretched the lead back to 10. The Bulldogs would never cut the deficit to less than three, thanks to Fox’s late-game heroics.
The Wildcats topped 50 percent shooting for the sixth consecutive game for the first time since 1983-84 to overcome an uncharacteristic 16 turnovers.
Additional notes:
• It’s the third time in Calipari’s eight seasons at UK the Wilidcats have been spotless through their first six league games
• Kentucky has not lost to Mississippi State under Calipari and own a 10-game winning streak in the series. It is the longest such streak since UK won 17 straight from 1967-75
• The Cats have had a player score 20 or more points in nine straight games. For Fox, it was his seventh game with 20 or more
• Gabriel’s numbers over the last two games (9.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.5 3-pointers, 2.5 steals per game)
• Redshirt freshman Tai Wynyard logged a career-high five minutes and scored his first points since Nov. 28
