Cats have to be more physical against Michigan State

Jacob Toppin had eight points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block against Duquesne but knows he has to do more against Michigan State.(Vicky Graff Photo)

Kentucky coach John Calipari was glad that Duquesne used a zone defense against his Wildcats in Friday’s game.

He was glad that Duquesne also applied some full-court pressure against his team.

However, he was even happier that it was a “roughhouse” game with a lot of physical play because he knew that’s what his team needed going into Tuesday’s game against Michigan State in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis.

The Spartans had a 12-point first-half lead against Gonzaga Friday before falling 64-63 in the Armed Forces Classic on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. Junior forward Mady Sissoko scored 14 points and had nine rebounds to lead the Spartans. Junior guard A.J. Hoggard had 12 points and six assists, senior guard Tyson Walker added 12 points and senior forward Malik Hall finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

“The next game we play is going to be a roughhouse game. Now either you can play in a roughhouse game or you can’t. If you can’t, don’t worry about it, go on to the next game. You just won’t play much because this game will be, it’s going to be a roughhouse,” Calipari said after the Duquesne win.

“Offensive rebounds, you’re going to have to work like crazy because they’re going to hold block outs. You’re going to have to fight. They’re going to fight through screens. They’re going to be up in you. They’re going to collapse defensively. They’re as well-coached a team as we’ll play all year.

“And they had Gonzaga beat, I guess, tonight. They lost by one? Gonzaga, are they No. 1 in the country? What’s Michigan State, then? Was the boat moving or something? I don’t know.”

What he does know is that Michigan State coach Tom Izzo likes using a zone defense even less than Calipari — who never uses a zone. This will be a physical game that will test UK’s toughness and resolve.

That’s one reason Calipari stuck with Jacob Toppin against Duquesne even though he was having trouble with the physical play.

“We’re giving up too many offensive rebounds and we’re not getting enough offensive rebounds,” Toppin said after Friday’s win. “We’ve got to play more physical.”

Give him credit for knowing he was as guilty as anyone of not being physical.

“I’ve got to be more physical. I’ve got to be better,” Toppin said. “Going into the next game against Michigan State, it’s going to be a rough one.”

“They are a physical team so we need to punch first. That’s what we’re going to work on, just being physical, grabbing rebounds and just doing all the dirty work.”