John Calipari and this year’s Kentucky Wildcats on the hardwood are struggling to start the season. For starters, the defense has been underwhelming and establishing an identity on offense has not happened quite yet. However, if the cats piece this puzzle together, they’ll be a strong choice for your bracket in March. Calipari has his work cut out for him, but he’s done more with less.
What Should The Offense Rely On?
I can’t believe this is a question that has to be answered as it should’ve been the game plan from the first day. Playing from the inside, then out is what will make this team very good. Having toys like Reid Travis, E.J. Montgomery, Nick Richards, and one of the best players in the nation in P.J. Washington. There isn’t a single team in the nation that can compete with that front court and teams will be forced to crash down and double in the post. This will open up the game for guys like Quade Green and Tyler Herro, who have been struggling to get it going this year on offense.
Defense
What could be wrong with Kentucky’s defense this year? The answer is actually quite simple and it’s that the young guys simply don’t know how to defend at the college level yet, or know how to defend as a team. Let’s be honest here, not many players coming out of high school know how to play solid defense, so it’s a work in progress for Calipari to teach them. Calipari teams are usually very solid defensively at the end of the year, and this team will be the very same once March comes around.
Who is THE man?
Many people say P.J. and Reid Travis, but I’m here to tell you that it’s Tyler Herro. Tyler Herro by the end of the year will be the guy UK goes to, to get them a big basket or break a cold stretch. He’s the purest scorer on the team, but he’s had a tough learning curve. He has improved greatly since the first game but he still has a long way to go. However, if Herro starts getting hot and getting his confidence back, watch out college basketball.
The Biggest Problem
A lot of people say Kentucky’s biggest problem this year is that they have good players, but not great players. This is true to an extent, but it’s definitely not the biggest problem. UK doesn’t have a guy like Zion or Barrett, but have a lot of threats on the floor at all times if they can utilize them correctly. This team has it all this year unlike teams of the past. The cats have shooting, we have defensive potential, fast break, athletes, and amazing rebounding. The biggest problem is chemistry and simple defensive errors. As the season goes on, there will be low points and high points, but the main goal is getting this group of guys to play for each other, and from top to bottom, I think this is the most talented team in the nation. It hasn’t shown yet, but look for it come March.
