Chris Livingston's offense could give Kentucky's scoring a needed boost if he was in the starting lineup. (Vicky Graff Photo)
No way did I expect to be talking Kentucky basketball here in Cancun but that’s exactly what happened Monday.
I was walking on the beach when I spotted a couple wearing UK gear walking toward me. I asked them if they were Kentucky fans and they said yes but then quickly both let me know how frustrated they were with the basketball team and it’s 53-point outing in a loss to UCLA Saturday.
“I just don’t get what is wrong with this team,” the man said before explaining he had been a die-hard UK fan for over 40 years.
That feeling is one a lot of UK fans apparently have based on my Twitter timeline and messages/calls I have received since Saturday.
Kentucky dropped six spots to No. 19 in the Associated Press rankings when the new poll was released Monday and actually is lucky to be that high. The Cats have lost to Michigan State, Gonzaga and UCLA, the three best teams they have played. They beat Michigan, a team that is not ranked. If UK had not started the season ranked so high, it would not even be in the top 25 right now.
Here are some of the reasons fans are so concerned:
— The ESPN ticker noted many times over the weekend that Kentucky is now 4-13 vs. Top 25 teams over the last three years .
— Kentucky’s 53 points against UCLA were the fifth-lowest in John Calipari’s tenure at UK. Three of the other four times came in the 2012-13 season when UK did not make the NCAA Tournament.
— Eleven voters did not even include UK on their AP top 25 ballot this week.
— In the last 100 games, UK is 67-33, 8-15 against ranked teams and 7-11 against non-conference Power 5 teams.
“I know we’re not OK offensively right now. I know we’ve got to tweak some things,” Calipari said on his weekly radio show Monday night. “Tweaking a little bit. I’m hoping you (UK fans) will see this next game a couple of things that hopefully you will see a smoothness to us playing.”
What could the tweak be? Well maybe it will be freshman Chris Livingston starting at power forward instead of Jacob Toppin. Calipari predicted Toppin would be a 2023 NBA Draft first-round pick when last season ended but Toppin is not a consistent scorer/outside threat and Calipari continues to talk about playing Livingston more.
Livingston had 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting, including 2-for-3 from 3, with four rebounds against UCLA. Toppin went 2-for-10 (0-for-2 from 3) with seven rebounds against UCLA. He’s shot 20 threes this season and has hit just three. Livingston is shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range.
9 Responses
Tweaks.
More Calipari BS.
Well, there are changes and there are changes that work. Change for change sake is not what is required.
Through 10 games, UK has scored 778 points on 711 possessions and UK’s opponents have scored 640 points on 709 possessions. This is an offensive efficiency of 1.096 points per possession and a defensive efficiency of 0.901 points per possession and a net efficiency of 0.194 points per possession.
The strength of the first 10 opponents has been 0.033 points per possession per Pomeroy, which makes the adjusted efficiencies 1.112 ppp and 0.885 ppp for offense and defense with a net adjusted efficiency of 0.227 ppp.
What is needed is better efficiency. The data has been clear over the last 20+ seasons that NCAA championship contenders have adjusted net efficiencies over 0.3 ppp, and champions even higher than the average for contenders. Therefore, to move this team into position to contend for championships, which should be the program goal, the adjusted net efficiency must increase by at least 0.073 ppp, and if that increase occurs completely at the offensive end, the adjusted offensive efficiency for the next 10 games should reflect this improvement and increase to 1.185 ppp or higher.
Just so everyone has the proper frame of reference, there are currently 6 teams with adjusted offensive efficiency of 1.182 ppp or higher, and they are:
Arizona, 1.213
Baylor, 1.194
Connecticut, 1.187
UCLA, 1.186
Ohio St., 1.185
Gonzaga, 1.182
I think this list includes the teams that currently look like contenders. UK is not in this list primarily because its current offensive efficiency ranks 39th in the nation.
So, what will the UK offensive efficiency be for games 11-20? Check back, and we will find out in a few weeks.
I support Cal, and don’t into publicly bashing him or the players. Still, Chris needs to start and get big minutes. Oscar, Wheeler and Toppin, that is 60% of your team you don’t need to guard on the perimeter, that is suicide! Livingston, can shoot from multiple ranges, he is one of the strongest, and physical on the team, highly versatile. He will grow much more over the course of the season than Toppin or Wheeler. IMO, Cal knows it but wants to stick with Toppin and Wheeler, but he has to know it is time for at least one to come in off the bench.
Here’s an idea. Wallace at point, Livingston at 2, Reeves at 3, Onyenso at 4, and Tshiebwe at 5. Give Ware minutes at the 4 and 5. Have Toppin get PT at the 3, Theiro at the 2, and let Frederick back up Wallace. Wheeler is a one trick pony. Dribble out front for 20 seconds, make a mad drive to the basket, then force a shot or wild pass. He is too little to play in the NBA, so he might as well accept a role coming off the bench that could possibly be a Final 4 team if Calipari will put his pet on the bench. Calipari sure didn’t give Frederick much of a chance with Wheeler at point. Wheeler’s play throws everyone’s game off…he is only looking for his own shot this year. Wheeler graduates or transfers as a 5th year senior and Collins transfers too. Toppin is not NBA material, so hopefully he is not relying on that next year.
Barry – COULD’NT HURT !!!!!!!!
What needs to be changed is Cal style of coaching. But that’s not gonna happen unless someone has the nerve to say enough is enough
I was thinking Cal would start Bryce Hopkins at the 4 after going for 29 pts and 23 rebounds against a ranked Marquette team last night.
Oh I forgot! Cow didn’t think Hopkins was good enough to play here.
BTW he went for 24 and 10 the game before.
Was always a Bryce fan but Cal just would not play him
The weakest effort of this miserable season tonight. Fla A&M is really really really weak.
I think we see already that the Calipari Tweak is all squeak and no roar.
It was very disappointing overall Professor