Cat Fancy: Cal’s Felines make statements

As 40 minutes were exhausted on Kentucky’s 67-59 national championship victory over Kansas, the Wildcats’ 38-2 season all of a sudden took on several statements. First, a dominant player can emerge without so much as scoring but one basket from the floor; two, the one-and-done philosophy can work.  It just needs the right talent with the proper care-taking; and three, coach John Calipari is a masterful coach who should be a Hall of Fame nominee as soon as he is eligible.

Kentucky center Anthony Davis was more than stellar.  Sure he only went 1-of-10 from the floor with six points,  but it was the 16 rebounds, the six blocks, the six assists, and three steals that served to complement 36 combined points from the backcourt of Doron Lamb and Marques Teague and pace a holistic Kentucky effort.

“I like the one (stat) that Anthony Davis goes 1‑of-10 and you guys say he’s the biggest factor in the game,” commented Calipari, “When I asked these guys a month ago, ‘what do you do to help us win when you’re not making baskets,’ you have an idea when you do what he does.”

It was a certainty early that Davis might struggle from the field as he was 0-for-5 in the first half, but he had three block in the first 10 minutes of the game and owned the boards.  It became apparent to why Bob Knight, Larry Brown, and other have compared the sure top pick in the June draft to Hall of Famer Bill Russell.

“He rebounded and he had 16 rebounds,” noted Calipari, “At halftime, I knew he didn’t have a point.  Before he left the gym, the locker room, I said, ‘Listen to me, don’t you now go out there and try to score.  If you have opportunities, score the ball.  If you don’t, don’t worry about it.  You’re the best player in the building, so don’t worry.’”

Worry is the last thing this ultra-cool kid from Chicago’s Perspectives Charter School did.  He turned into a playmaker, a glass-eater, a fly-swater, and a pick-pocket with his three steals in his illuminating 36 minutes of hardwood terror which he reigned on the Jayhawks.

“It’s was just a joy to win a national championship, especially as a freshman with this team that we have,” noted Davis, “We have a great team.  We all go out there, play hard, defend.  When the buzzer went off and we have more points.  Kansas is a great ballclub, defend, play hard.  It was just a great moment.”

Unfortunately for college basketball, but undoubtedly, Davis will declare for the NBA Draft as have many of Calipari’s players in today’s one-and-done philosophy in the NBA.  Not only Davis, but Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marques Teague, and then Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones will most likely come out as sophomores.  Calipari doesn’t like the one-and-done philosophy, but it’s the path that has been chosen for college basketball and he embraces it and is successful with it to the highest degree.

The amazing part of the equation is how John Calipari can take this type of elite talent and mesh it together and then ultimately cross a threshold as he did last night.  In the end, his communication and psychology techniques are unparalleled.  Four years ago the Wildcats were in dire straits as the Billy Clyde Gillispie era had failed miserably. In just three years, the Wildcats are on top of the basketball world with the Calipari system which has netted an Elite Eight, two Final Fours, and now a National Championship.

“First of all, it starts with how you recruit them, I mean, you can’t tell them you’re going to shoot 30 times a game, the offense is going to run through you, you’re going to start,” explained Calipari, “None of these guys were promised they would start, how many minutes. Then you got to recruit them the right way so they know you’re trustworthy.  And then they got to trust that you’re doing it for them, it’s not about me.”

Finally, Calipari should have never been on the block as a second-tier coach just because he hadn’t tasted a national championship before last night.  His 2008 Memphis team outplayed Kansas for an entire game before missing crucial free throws and losing to Bill Self’s Jayhawks in overtime.

With that, there is the fact that he has had the first point guard chosen in the draft in each of the last five years.  So many variables fall into coaching at this level other than winning a national championship.  Now, with last night’s win, John Calipari doesn’t even have to pretend to have anything else to prove.

“Listen, this team deserves all the accolades that they’ve been getting and what I wanted them to show today is that we were not just a talented team, we were a defensive team, and we were a team that shared the ball,” said Calipari, refusing to reflect attention upon himself, “I wanted everybody to see it because it became, They’re more talented than everybody.  We were the best team this season.”

- Ken Cross

 

 

 

Kentucky’s experience, unselfishness put it one win away from greatness

We all know the 2011-12 Kentucky Wildcats are a great basketball team. They have ran to a 37-2 record and are now 40 minutes away from a victory over Kansas that will make the “greatness” factor academic.  It’s amazing in the current sports landscape how you have to win the “bling” to be put on a pedestal.

So, what if Kentucky does lose to Kansas. Does that affect everything this team has done and been? Does it mean there was something lacking somewhere that kept the Wildcats from carving their names in college basketball history? Does it put weight on the shoulders of John Calipari because this is his fourth Final Four and he would have come away empty on all occasions? No, no, and no.

“I’m going to tell you, we’re not thinking about that,” said Calipari, “We’re playing a basketball game.  When the game’s over, we’re going to all look at each other and say, ‘What just happened?’  ’What does this mean?’  Right now, we’re not.”

The Wildcats stare at a Kansas team that they beat by 10 in at MSG in November.  Both of these teams are totally different squads now than they were then.

“They’re a great team, capable of beating us,” said National Player of the Year Anthony Davis, “They have a great inside post presence.  Robinson and Withey, they try to do the two‑man game just like coach said, try to get easy buckets in side. They kick it out to great shooters.  It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”

However, Kentucky seems to be cresting with every win.  Saturday night, when Louisville erased a 45-32 lead and tied it at 49 with just over nine minutes remaining, it marked the perfect opportunity for the youthful Wildcats to burst.  That didn’t happen.  UK went on one of it’s patented runs while holding Louisville scoreless from the floor on the next 10 possessions.  With that, the Wildcats came out on top 69-61 and proved that they were experienced beyond their years as senior Darius Miller played a key role in the decisive run.

“Darius basically has started for me for two years and was the Player of the Year, the MVP of the conference tournament last year,” said Calipari, “He led us to a Final Four, and accepted coming off the bench.
Now, he’s had his best year by far.  His numbers, he’s a top‑50 player to ever put on a uniform at Kentucky.  But he’s accepted coming off the bench.”

Calipari points to the sacrifice of a senior coming off the bench as to why the overinflated whispers of the Wildcats being too youthful to win the title are just that – overinflated.

“We have six starters,” mused Calipari, “Someone had to come off the bench.  He said, ‘I’m good with it.’
The other side of it was, when we played in the tournament in Vandy, Michael Gilchrist said, ‘We need him to play better, so start him, I’ll come off the bench.’  He went in and did fine.”

That exchange defines the unselfishness on the floor of these Kentucky Wildcats.  They continually give themselves up for each other and have proven to be virtually unstoppable with this mindset that Calipari has so seemlessly drilled into them.

- Ken Cross

 

Kansas knows shot-blocking as well

Anthony Davis of Kentucky may the most celebrated shot blocker since Bill Russell as he totals 180 going to tomorrow night’s game, but Jeff Withey and Thomas Robinson have held serve in the center.

Withey blocked Ohio State center J.J. Sullinger three times in a row Saturday night in the Jayhawks’ 64-62 win over Ohio State in Saturday night’s national semifinal.  He also nailed Aaron Craft and William Buford in the lane as he served notice to the Buckeyes that KU does have a post presence inside.

“My teammates definitely look at me and see me as a protector,” said Withey, “They know if they get beat, I’m there.  I’m there to help them block shots.  When I blocked Jared, I was standing straight up.  I guess my length bothered him.”

Length and size bothered Craft and Buford as well as maybe Withey is more mobile than he gets credit.

“Against Aaron, he’s a great guard, but, yeah, he just jumped into my body and I kept my arms straight up and the ball hit that, too,” noted Withey, “So, yeah, I mean, I was just in the right place at the right time, I guess.”

Withey’s size seemed to surprise Buford on the block on him as he dribble-prenetrated off the three-point line.

“I went up and tried guarding him making it a five‑second call,” said Withey, “Buford was obviously on the post and sealed Tyshawn, was going to have an easy bucket. I turned around, jumped up, put my arm out and I hit the ball.”

Withey has nailed 134 blocks in 24.4 mpg.  He came up with a season-high of 10 two games agao in the Sweet 16 vs. North Carolina State.

“They were four‑point swings,” Kansas coach Bill Self said of two of Withey’s key blocks, which triggered fastbreaks that kept Ohio State from extending double-digit leads, “We’re down 11 and we’re supposed to switch, dribble handoff, he fakes it, we don’t make it, Craft is naked to the goal.  We got two points off of them naked driving to the basket.  That’s a big play.  The block on Buford was unbelievable.”

Withey’s matchup in the middle with Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Terrence Jones should be interesting.  Self is certain Withey can matchup and a lack of athleticism will not be exposed.

“Anthony Davis is the best shot‑blocker in the country,” noted Self, “But I think Jeff is probably second best.  I don’t know anybody out there that blocks shots or alters better than Jeff does.  So you’re going to have two great shot‑blockers going against each other.”

- Ken Cross

 

 

 

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Cardinals went down swinging

The Louisville Cardinals lost 136-man games to injury this season.  They treaded water even when they had lost five out of seven at mid-season. When players started to get healthy, the ‘Ville started to bourgeon.  The Cardinals never were a great offensive team, but played impeccably great defense in holding opponents to 38% and forcing 15.6 turnovers per game.

The squad hit it’s peak in typical Rick Pitino fashion in March as it won four consecutive games to win the Big East title and then won four more to place itself in the Final Four with last night’s date with arch-rival Kentucky. The Cardinals battled with all the grit, guts and determination that they had shown all season, but in the end, the unwavering talent of the Wildcats won out in a thrilling 69-61 win in the Louisiana Superdome.

“Anytime you don’t win a national championship and you’re playing for one, it’s disappointing,” said Pitino,  ”When you go home with a bronze medal around your neck, it’s not disappointing. I told the guys, ‘Look, I’m going to Miami tomorrow and I’m celebrating a season where we worked around the clock, around injuries and everything else.’”

Louisville found itself down 45-32 early in the second half and then in typical Cardinals’ fashion, went on a 17-4 run to tie the game at 49-49 with 9:12 remaining.  Payton Siva sliced the defense and then hit a three as the Cardinals all of a sudden had once again proven that they could go toe-to-toe, even with the best.

At that point, Louisville fell into it’s old offensive self for 10 possessions as it went 0-for-8 from the floor with a turnover and two free throws.  Meanwhile, Kentucky was Kentucky, hitting one of those stellar Wildcats’ runs in outscoring Louisville, 11-2, to take a 60-51 lead and hold off the determined Cardinals, 69-61.

“When I compared them a few weeks ago to the ’87 Providence team, it was in terms of effort and attitude,” said Pitino, “They made me really, really proud.  They battled a great team tonight.  We just needed lot of things to go right down the stretch.”

The Cardinals’ scheme worked against most everyone who took the floor against them as they became healthier and as Rick Pitino once again worked his March magic, but in the end, the lone team that could clip the Cards’ wings was that old Bluegrass nemesis.

“We just screwed up a little bit on our offensive execution in the beginning because we were running pick‑and‑rolls with the four and we were supposed to seal Anthony Davis and we did at the end of the game, and that’s when we made our run,” commented Pitino, “We had a little bit of a mishap with Chane not coming up to screen Peyton Siva and he shot the air ball.”

- Ken Cross

 

Outstanding Defense leads Stanford to NIT title

Victorious Stanford celebrates.

NEW YORK CITY -  Stanford defeated Minnesota 75-51 to win the championship of the NIT on Thursday. A look back on the evening at Madison Square Garden….

           The NIT title game featured two former champions squaring off for the top prize in the tournament’s 75^th    

edition. A little added background…

          Stanford, led by Adam Keefe, won the 1991 championship. Minnesota captured the 1993 and 1998 NITs. The latter was vacated.

          Minnesota coach Tubby Smith enjoyed a huge win over Stanford a little over a decade ago. When he was on the sidelines at Kentucky, Smith’s Wildcats defeated Stanford 86-85 in the NCAA semifinals to advance to the championship game. Kentucky went on to defeat Utah for the national title.

 The courtside notes:

          Stanford wanted no part of transition against UMASS. Early, they give the indication uptempo would be fine against Minnesota. The Cardinal wins the tip, pushed the ball and Anthony Brown buries a three before ten seconds elapsed. The first four minutes saw the respective teams with 7 possessions each, translating to a fast 70 possession tempo. At 16 minutes the score was 10-6 Minnesota with the Golden Gophers showing a 143-86 edge in offensive efficiency.

          The first half was one of short spurts. One such run late in the half saw Stanford build an eight point lead. The separation was fueled by strong work on the defensive and an offensive spark by 5-11 guard Aaron Bright. The Cardinal sophomore buried two perimeter shots (one from three) and generally kept the offensive pressure on the opposition. At the half:

Stanford 31

Minnesota 25

          The first four minutes after intermission were damaging for Minnesota. Stanford scored on each of their first six possessions. Minnesota managed just a two point field goal for their five trips. At the 16 minute mark the lead was 15 for Stanford (42-27). The Cardinal inside play and continued aggressiveness on the defensive end were significant factors.

          The Gophers struggled to get easy baskets. In fact, any baskets Minnesota scored the final half were few in number. The first ten minutes saw only three made field goals for the Big Ten representatives. The fifteen point deficit they faced with just over 10 minutes left was not impossible to come back from. But in this contest, that 15 felt like a 25 point deficit facing Smith and company.

          Minnesota was never able to make a sustained run. Credit the Stanford defense that allowed them to build a lead that reached 30 points in the waning moments. The Cardinal held Minnesota to 37% shooting and forced 22 turnovers (a 31% TO rate). Those miscues forced by Stanford were huge as they enjoyed a 28-7 advantage in points scored off turnovers. The final:

Stanford                 75

Minnesota              51

          Aaron Bright and Chasson Randle of Stanford shared game scoring honors with 15 points each.  Bright, the NIT Most Outstanding Player, added 6 assists. Rodney Williams paced Minnesota with 12 points before fouling out late. Stanford finished at 26-11 while a young Minnesota club wrapped up the campaign at 23-15.

          The pace and efficiency:

	Possessions	Offensive Efficiency
Minnesota	72	71
Stanford	70	107

     Coach Johnny Dawkins of Stanford said he was hoping to get more of a half court tempo. Specifically, you have to believe that was in reference to the defense. The efficiency shows how Stanford shut down Minnesota in the half court setting. Offensively, Stanford was not opposed to pushing the ball, especially after forcing a turnover. The Cardinal enjoyed a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint. Some of them from half court offense, others the end result of forced turnovers.

“We talked specifically how strong we finished the first half and how we wanted to get out the first few minutes of the second half and do just the same. I think our guys bought into that.” – Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins

- Ray Floriani

 

The Battle for the Bluegrass at the Final Four

When No. 1 Kentucky and Louisville matchup at 6:09 Saturday evening in the Louisiana Superdome, the game will take on the mantra of the irresistible force in Louisville’s defense vs. the immovable object in Kentucky’s fastbreaking high-octane offense that has been virtually unstoppable once it kicks into gear.

The Cardinals have had trouble scoring the ball all season – not a perfect scenario when you face the Wildcats. However, this may be one of Rick Pitino’s top coaching jobs when you look at how he has been able to manipulate teams with better athleticism into half-court, grind-it-out games that translate to his impeccably tough defense which has allowed 60 or fewer points in 23 of the Cardinals’ 39 games.  The Cardinals allow only 60.8 ppg., and opponents shoot at only 38%, third nationally.

Now flip over to coach John Calipari’s fortress from Lexington which averages 77.9 ppg. and shoots it at a 48.8% clip.  The Wildcats place six people in double figures, led by 14.3 ppg. from freshman phenom Anthony Davis.  The interesting thing about Kentucky is that it’s offense is pretty much the calling card; however, the Wildcats only allow 37.5% from the floor, a shade better than Louisville’s calling card which is the defense.

And now the matchups…

Kentucky - Louisville

G- Doron Lamb (UK) vs. Chris Smith (UL) – Lamb is a magnificent three-point shooter off the baselines, which is the hardest spot on the floor to shoot the three from.  He has nailed 47.1% of his triples this season as almost half of his shot attempts were from behind the line.  Smith goes unheralded as a playmaker at times, but is still second on the squad in assists with 75 and only 43 turnovers in 27.6 mpg.

G – Marques Teague (UK) vs. Peyton Siva (UL) – Teague is athletic and fleet afoot and can turn a defender out of position on a dime.  He knows when to turn up his game as Calipari wants him to be his floor leader first, including a scorer if need be.  Ask Iowa State. If the Cardinals have an advantage, man-up, it might be here with Peyton Siva, who is Pitino’s assist-man, floor leader, floor burn leader, and general all-out hustler.  He has dished five or more assists in 30 of his last 40 contests, dating back to last season.

G/F – Terrence Jones (UK) vs. Kyle Kuric (UL) – Jones has seemed to attack the basket better in the last 10 games as he has gone 53-of-102 over that stretch.  He has four double figures efforts on the boards and two games with nine in that stretch as well.  It’s been a tough year for Kuric as a three-point shooter.  He was a feared marksman a year ago, shooting 44.9% from three, but this season, he attempted 73 more and has shot only 32.8% from the field.

C - Anthony Davis (UK) vs. Gorgui Deng (UL) – Davis may be the easiest unanimous pick for national player of the year recently.  His length and shot-blcoking prowess are celebrated as he averages 4.6 bpg. in addition to shooting 63.3% from the floor. One eye-catching stat that is under the radar is that he has accumulated only 35 turnovers this season in 31.7 mpg. A magnificent ratio, even for a big man. Deng led the Big East and was eighth in the nation in blocked shots per game at 3.1.  His length has to come into play against the length and athleticism of the Wildcats. He has averaged 8.0 rpg. and collected 13 blocked shots in his four NCAA Tournament games.

F – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (UK) vs. Chane Behanan (UL) – When Kidd-Gilchrist dominates the paint and gets the angle on dribble penetration, he cannot be stopped as he showed last week with his 24/10 against Indiana and 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting against Baylor.  He was the South regional MVP.  Behanan is a big body inside that cannot get into foul trouble. In addition to shooting 51.3% from the floor, he had six or more rebounds in 29 of Louisville’s 39 games.

First three off the bench –  Darius Miller, Kyle Wiltjer, and Eloy Vargas (UK) vs. Russ Smith, Jared Swopshire, and Wayne Blackshear (UL) – Darius Miller sometimes goes over looked, but his senior leadership and plays in the clutch are a must for Calipari.  Miller is as tough as anybody off the dribble in getting to the rim.  Russ Smith is sometimes the bell cow for Pitino as he comes off the bench and averages the second most points per game at 11.7.  He has caught fire for the ‘Ville in his last three games, averaging 15.7 ppg., nailing six-of-nine threes.

John Calipari vs. Rick Pitino – This is as good of a coaching matchup as there can be.  Calipari has six 30-win seasons in his last seven and is an unbelievable 100-14 in three years at Kentucky. Kentucky’s 36 wins tie a school record as Calipari has the uncanny knack for taking five or six elite players and getting them to play within themselves and up to their potential, as evidenced by this season’s team. Pitino is still the master of the consummate game plan.  That is one intangible in the Cardinals’ favor.  Pitino has the Cards on an eight-game winning streak, including the Big East Tournament championship. Amazingly, he has the Cardinals in the Final Four despite losing 136 man-games due to injury.

- Ken Cross

 

Stanford stops UMASS in NIT semis

College Chalktalk's Ray Floriani with a few of those UMASS followers, the NY Giants' Victor Cruz, a UMASS alum and two members of the cheer squad.

NEW YORK CITY – It ended in the NIT semifinal. Stanford pulled away the last eight minutes of the game to post a 74-64 decision over UMASS at Madison Square Garden.

          The Minutemen attempted to get Stanford into an uptempo affair. They were successful but the result was not exactly what coach Derek Kellogg hoped for.

	Possessions	Offensive Efficiency
UMASS	79	81
Stanford	77	96

          UMASS was able to force a pace Stanford did not want but failed to capitalize. As Kellogg noted, “we got them to take tough shots when we were able to speed them up but their offensive rebounding killed us. We gave up 19 offensive rebounds, that allows too many extra chances.” The Cardinal led in offensive rebounding percentage by a 40-31% margin.

          Anthony Brown had a strong 18 point , 5 rebound outing with a succession of big shots in the final half , to lead Stanford. Josh Owens did the damage in the paint with a 15 point, 12 rebound, 2 block effort.

          Chaz Williams led all scorers with 19 points. The outstanding UMASS sophomore guard was ‘forced’ into a 7 of 18 shooting night with 3 assists and four turnovers. “He (Williams) didn’t get as many transition opportunities as he usually will get,” Kellogg said. “And they (Stanford) really packed it in on him.’ Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins agreed. “We tried to keep him (Williams) out of the paint. That kid is terrific.”

          UMASS shot 33.8% from the floor. Stanford was just slightly better at 36.9%. Overall, not a bad effort on the defensive end for the Minutemen, as the efficiency attests. But those offensive boards, alluded to by the respective coaches, proved to be the difference.

          Stanford advances to the championship game on Thursday. UMASS ends the season at 25-12. An especially rewarding and gratifying year for Kellogg and the entire program. ‘I thought we could be very good,” Kellogg said. “The kids put the hard work in over the summer. And I was actually happy where we were picked (12^th in the Atlantic Ten). Wasn’t really sure we would be 25-12 but we have some great people behind us. This has just been a great ride for me.”

          And for the legions of UMASS faithful that made the trip to Madison Square Garden.

- Ray Floriani

 

Calipari has NIT roots

The Garden. Home of the NIT 'Final Four'.

NEW YORK CITY – The Final Four in New Orleans is where he expected to be and where he will be. John Calipari has been a regular at the Final Four of the NCAA in recent seasons. Not as a spectator in a spacious dome but as a coach preparing a team prior to pacing the sidelines. Coach Cal will face Louisville in the national semifinals this Saturday. The attention and lofty heights he has attainted though, will not let him forget a tournament that gave him an initial opportunity, the NIT.

          At a basketball camp a few years ago Calipari remarked how he was ever grateful that, “the NIT gave us a chance when we were trying to get things turned around at UMASS.” Early in the rebuilding process in Amherst, the NIT extended an invitation following the 1989-90 season. The Minutemen went on the road losing 91-81 at Maryland. UMASS ended the season 17-14 in Cal’s second year at the Atlantic Ten school. The next season saw continued improvement and another invitation. UMASS took the opportunity, building on the prior year’s experience, to reach the NIT Final Four. The Minutemen lost to Stanford in the semifinals and Colorado in the consolation (they played the third place game back then). Regardless, UMASS was back in the mainstream and based on the success, ready to ascend to even greater heights.

          Calipari continues preparation for his Kentucky Wildcats this week. One wouldn’t be surprised if he took some time to watch his former player and assistant Derek Kellogg directing UMASS in the NIT. The Minutemen ironically were to face Stanford in the semifinal. The same opponent back in March of 1991 when UMASS ’crashed’ the Garden. And watching the Minutemen would  undoubtedly provide a moment of sentiment toward the nation’s oldest post season tournament. The one that first recognized the reversal of basketball fortunes that were transpiring in New England.

 - Ray Floriani

 

Wildcats ‘KO’ Bears in the first

Kentucky coach John Calipari immediately asked for a timeout some 3:45 into Sunday’s South Region Final vs. the Baylor Bears as BU had jumped on the Wildcats, 10-5, right out of the shoot.  Calipari just wanted to reassure the troops that nothing was wrong and he wanted to make sure that the Bears didn’t gain any quick confidence.  He was just rebooting the Big Blue computer.

“I told them to just get out there and guard people and make easy plays; I told them ‘we’re fine,’” Calipari said.

From there the earth shattered underneath the Georgia Dome as the Wildcats’ known volcanic eruption took place.  Kentucky slapped Baylor with a 16-0 run as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who led UK in scoring with 19, scored six of his points to lead Kentucky to scorers on eight of the next nine possessions.  Meanwhile, Baylor was 0-for-4 from the floor with three turnvoers in that stretch before Quincy Acy broke the run with a layup and free throw.

“I’d say we were just aggressive,” noted Terrence Jones, who totaled 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and two steals in 35 minutes, “I just think we got real aggressive on offense and defense and just mentally locked down on defense and just led to fast breaks on offense.”

Scoring on 13 of 15 possessions in the first half allowed the Wildcats to build a 32-17 lead en route to their 42-22 lead at the break.

“I think a huge part of that was our execution,” said senior Darius Miller, “After we got going a little bit, they threw a zone out there.  We knew exactly what we wanted to do, and we executed and got easy buckets.”

Michael Kidd-Gilcrist, who was the MVP of the South Regional lead the Wildcats with 19 points while Anthony Davis topped out at 18 and 11 boards with six blocked shots.

Kentucky’s aggressiveness in the first half took Baylor totally out of any scheme or game plan that coach Scott Drew might have tried to fashion as the tentative Bears had no answers for a transition game that racked up 17 points and 15 off 13 Baylor turnovers.

“We were getting out in transition,” noted Miller, ” I think it’s kind of a mixture of us executing the way that we wanted to and the way our game plan was set up and just how hard we were playing – especially on defense.  I think we did a great job defensively in the first half.”

Calipari noted that his defense that gave up only 22 points and 32% from the floor in the first half paced the Kentucky transition and Drew concurred.

This team’s actually better than I thought,” Drew noted of Calipari’s squad which won it’s 36th game of the season Sunday afternoon, “I don’t think we played our best game.  I’m going to give them credit for causing some of that. Definitely, we haven’t played a better team than them all year, and I don’t know in the last couple years.  When we lost to Duke, Duke was a very good team, but this Kentucky team is better in my opinion.”

-Ken Cross

 

Cats-Bears offer the ultimate in athletic matchup

Kentucky and Baylor square off at 2:20 EST today in the Georgia Dome in what might be the best battle of total athleticism on the hardwood this basketball season.

Kentucky center Anthony Davis who was in foul trouble early Friday night in the Wildcats’ win over Indiana knows that Baylor is probably bringing in the most athletic team that Kentucky has faced since it’s early December win over North Carolina.

“This team is very talented and very athletic, very long,” said Davis, “It’s a great matchup for us.  It’s about who is going to want it more.”

Kentucky coach John Calipari is concerned about the Baylor length which features five players with wingspans over 7-feet.  This factor inside a zone like this could possibly alter Kentucky’s shooting in a half court.

“I think that’s one of the reasons they’ll play zone is that they’re looking at, okay, you’re not going to get to the rim.  If you do get to the rim, there’s going to be length there,” said Calipari, “One of the things we do in our zone offense is we’re throwing a lot of lobs.  So that length has to be back, but that length is on the wings too now.”

With all of it’s athletes, leading scorer and senior Quincy Acy is probably Baylor’s most athletic player.  He had 20 points and 15 boards, including two monster one-handed dunks on inbounds passes that wowed the Georgia Dome crowd.  He is probably the most interesting matchup for the WIldcats.

“I pride myself on my work ethic,” said Acy, ” Everyday after practice I life weights.  I started that a while back and guys have started following.  I do pride myself on my physicality and to a certaine extent you can’t be too physical.”

Acy’s antithesis could be Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who had an awakening of sorts on Friday night with 24 points and 10 rebounds after struggling so mightily in the three previous games.  When Kidd-Gilchrist wills himself to play, no one in the country can matchup him in the open floor and with his athleticism around the basket.

“He does about 10 things and he worked his butt off all week,” said Calipari, “He spent extra time.  He’s in the office at night and he’s int he gym. We’re winding it down and he is stepping it up.”

For Kentucky, a duplication of the effort from Friday night will almost assure the Wildcats a date with rival Louisville next Saturday in the Final Four in New Orleans.  For the Baylor Bears, they have to bring 40 minutes of their most intense basketball of the year.  If they do not, Kentucky marches on.