Vicky Graff Photo
Kentucky is averaging 90.8 points per game, shooting 49.3 percent overall from the field and making 39.8 percent of its 3-point shots.
The flip side is that UK is allowing 76 points per game and opponents are shooting 41.4 percent overall and 31.3 percent from 3.
Opponents have also been to the foul line more than UK. The Cats have attempted 301 free throws in 15 games while opponents have attempted 306. The good news is that UK has made more — 222 to 210 — free throws than the opponents have.
Kentucky coach John Calipari knows there are things defensively “we can do and get better” and need to do soon.
“When you get guys back, Adou (Thiero) is still out. Physical toughness and some different things. I think we’ll get better,” Calipari said after Saturday’s loss at Texas A&M.
Of course, the coach then veered off on his team’s offense.
“I’ll tell you one thing: It’s hard to get your offense going. At halftime, I walked in and said, ‘They’re doing three things that are hurting us.’ And we went after those three things. But getting beat to balls, that’s what they do. They throw it and go get it, and you either grab it or they do,” Calipari said.
“There was a play we had a guy standing there, bang, and there was another one standing there next to the guy and he goes and-1. At that moment, young guys may freeze a little bit.
“But, again, we’re out there with a bunch of young kids, hanging in, doing some good stuff but they played well. That’s as well as I’ve seen them play in all the tapes I’ve watched. But I say that about after every game.”
He says a lot about every game but eventually, he did address the defense again.
“I think our defense, we’re in the top 50 defensively, it’s not like we’re that bad,” Calipari said. “They offensive rebound on everybody.”
18 Responses
We let a team that was averaging 73 ppg score 97 and Calipari says our defense isn’t that bad? Typical Calipari snake oil.
If he indeed said this, and was serious, then he is totally exposed as the fraud I have seen for several years. Rick Pitino’s last team ended the season with an adjusted defensive efficiency (ADE) of 0.828 points per possession. The ADE rose during the Tubby Smith Era to an average of 0.910 ppp, and the two year experiment with Gillispie was an embarrassing average ADE of 0.955 ppp.
Along comes Calipari. From 2010 through 2015, Calipari’s teams posted an average ADE of 0.914 ppp which was consistent with Tubby Ball. However, after 2015, Calipari’s ADE has risen to 0.948 ppp, more akin to Billy G ball, and this year, the ADE through 1/2 of the season is 0.986, the highest (poorest) it has been for any UK team since at least 1997 (the oldest season with sufficient data).
This is the weakest defense by any UK team since at least 1997, and given Pitino’s record from 1992 through 1996, that record probably extends several seasons beyond 1997.
Anyone who buys this fraud’s bs deserves the mediocre basketball we have witnessed for too many seasons. Furthermore, most of this fraud’s bs includes a litany of excuses.
1997 Pitino 0.828
1998-2007 Smith 0.9098
2008-09 Gillispie 0.955
2010-2024 Calipari 0.9344 0.948222222 0.913666667
Those layups A&M had is not Kentucky Defense. That would absolutely drive coach Hall bonkers. Everybody looks at the 3 ball. Guys can shoot & hit perimeter shots all day long. It’s the NBA game.
This tells us exactly how clueless the fraud really is.
They will put anyone into the HOF.
It’s like the participation trophies given out nowadays!
WARNING—Our Standards and expectations better get much higher RIGHT NOW because it’s not going to get any better with players ! We got 7 projected NBA players on this team! Excuses are out the window now !ITS NOW or NEVER TIME with number nine and with this team! The pond is stocked and we got to catch the big one , or keep dreaming! Love my Team and Coaches! GOBIGBLUE
It’s funny when we lose the negatives shows up. People get a life this loss won’t be the last. Old school days are over folks and I’m one of them that has live through it as well. The game has changed and it just shows this pass week.
I like this team too Markus
This team reminds me of Loyola Marymount from the 90s
I like a team that can score
I really like this team and enjoy watching them play. There may be several players on here that end up in the pros, but that doesn’t mean they will win it all. There have been a lot of really good teams from many schools that didn’t win it all. It takes good players, playing great team ball, and several good breaks along the way to win it all.
Also, have to remember most of these players are still kids. Kids don’t always react like adults do, and that is where their learning comes in.
Amazing that you call him a "fraud" and yet he is making millions more than you are. List your accomplishments for us to read so we can both laugh and criticize you. Winning national championships isn’t easy and a little luck can go a long way. You need to get a life.
Stress, while he banks over 227k per game. Yea, he’s got some pretty thick skin. And wants to wear a pullover shirt. Not anymore.
We lose games because our bigs play soft instead of attacking the
basket. We have lost three games because of balls rolling off
the rim. That’s lack of heart. Please, please, please, somebody please tell these kids to dunk the ball.
Yes, dunk every ball when you’re close enough.
Reading some of these posts it’s clear just how easy it is …. from the cheap seats. The days of UK lording over a football league are long over. Parity rules the day and most very game is competitive as witnessed by anyone that has one good eye and something of a brain. Last week demonstrated that rather conclusively last weekend. And yet we are ranked high in all the polls and are damned fun to watch play. There are clearly folks that wish to destroy the team from within … create disharmony on a team that shows wonderful chemistry. As a 5′ 9" wannabe (in my youth) I too, wish the 6′ 8" guys would dunk more often and more emphatically around the rim. But I’m not sure that isn’t more envy than anything else. Bottom line … I’m loving this team. They are fun to watch, share the ball (22 assists @ TAMU) and work hard on both ends. Go Cats!!!
All of these cal haters probably haven’t played one day of team sport but yet they comments as if they were all-world Hall of famers they know it all what needs to be done haven’t coach anyone in their lifetime and trying to tell a Hall of fame coach what he needs to do please shut up
Squeal Calipari lover Squeal!
Do the analytics of teams that go deep into the tournament with players that are jr. & sr. or even with 5 year guys. It’s called letting the cake bake with chemistry. The announcers are all paid off for NBA speak. Everybody needs to express their dislike to Dick Vital on twit. We can atleast watch ball without listening to so much rambling.
It ruins the college brand. Coach=responsibility for this. If he would tie UCLA in banners, he can spew his NBA brains out. Maybe "young" teams need to stay together and build something. And last, the G league players are skipping college to focus on the combine & draft & are doing it bigly. Watch the draft again. A lot of his players will end up in 2 years combo deals with the G & NBA bc they either need to bulk up or work on their game. The coaching staff of the Portland Trailblazers main concern was coaching
As in reference to the player Shaden Sharpe. Does that tell anyone anything. Kentucky has a good team but can you imagine a team with a little bit more experience. Probably why he never runs a press defense bc he can’t teach it. His excuse will be that the players are too young or the NBA never uses it.