UK Looking for Edge in Rebounding Battle with Wofford
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With all the talk about Fletcher Magee and Wofford’s scoring on the perimeter, you might think Kentucky’s second-round NCAA Tournament game will be a 3-point contest.
Until you hear John Calipari talk to his team.
“That’s the main thing Coach was talking about: We have to beat them on the glass and that’s how we’re going to get the win,” EJ Montgomery said.
The seventh-seeded Terriers, winners of 21 straight, are undoubtedly an elite 3-point shooting team. Here’s the thing though: Wofford’s rebounding, at least on paper, isn’t far behind. The Terriers are 16th nationally in average rebounding margin (plus-6.5) and are one of just 13 teams to rank in the top 70 nationally in both offensive- and defensive-rebounding rate according to kenpom.com.
“They got guys that definitely are putting their bodies on guys and really just working hard,” Reid Travis said. “They’re not just a 3-point shooting team in that sense, but they do have paint presences and guys who can definitely get physical down there. For us, it’s definitely going to be a challenge across the board.”
A challenge, yes, but not an insurmountable one.
UK, statistically speaking, is an even better rebounding team than Wofford. The second-seeded Wildcats (28-6) entered the NCAA Tournament as the nation’s third-best squad in terms of rebounding margin (plus-9.1), with a physical, athletic frontcourt and eager rebounders on the perimeter.
The wrench in all that is the potential absence of the Cats’ leading rebounder, PJ Washington. The sophomore forward missed UK’s first-round win over Abilene Christian with a sprained foot.
“You guys that know me know that I’m overly cautious because it’s these kids’ careers, and I get it,” Coach Cal said. “I know this, he really wants to play, but I also want to feel comfortable that if he gets on the court that there’s nothing he can do to himself, and the doctors have pretty much said that. So it’s just, UK, when is it healed enough that he can go.”
Until that time comes, UK will have to adjust. Part of that adjustment means more playing time for Montgomery and Nick Richards, but it doesn’t end there. Keldon Johnson has also spent time at the four, first during Travis’s absence and now with Washington sidelined.
“I’m pretty comfortable,” Johnson said. “I’ve played it a couple times now with Reid being hurt and PJ being hurt. I’ve picked it up a little bit.”
Particularly against a Wofford team that likes to stretch the floor, having that as an option is a major plus.
“I think it’s a nice to have as far going a little smaller and having him be as versatile as he is and being able to go against bigger guys and his defense getting a lot better in the post,” Travis said. “It’s been great for us. We’ve been throwing it out there and really just going to different sets and different lineups definitely helps us have a lot more success.”
A potential challenge in that lineup, however, is protecting the glass. As athletic as Johnson is, he’s still only 6-foot-6. All of Wofford’s 3-point tries also mean more long rebounds, which suggests UK’s perimeter players will need to be active on the boards. The good news is they have been. Tyler Herro is averaging 5.6 rebounds over his last 10 games and Johnson 6.9 over the same stretch, while Ashton Hagans has also shown himself to be a willing rebounder.
With an all-hands-on-deck mentality, UK will be looking to become the eighth team to outrebound the Terriers.
“They’re definitely not one-dimensional,” Herro said. “They’re a great team so it’ll be fun to go out there and compete against them. Obviously the bigs are going to have to do work inside and the guards are going to have to help them rebound.”
