Vicky Graff Photo
John Calipari might not have given the answer a fan — or all Kentucky fans —wanted on his weekly radio show but he also did not duck the obvious question about why UK does not try a 2-3 zone considering how poor it has played defensively most of the season.
“We have a 2-3 zone that we can use. When you’re playing teams that really shoot it well, I’m like, ‘I’d rather have someone near them.’ And the second thing, rebounding out of the zone is a little harder,” Calipari said.
Kentucky has had huge issues rebounding, one reason opponents are scoring so well against UK. Odds are UK will not be in a zone tonight against Ole Miss, the nation’s 10th-ranked 3-point shooting team at almost 39 percent per game.
“So the question would be, would (Ole Miss) move it around until they can shoot an open 3?” Calipari said. “And would that be an issue?”
It would be. UK’s overall defense has been an issue because it has not been able to contain opposing guards, a situation that the UK coach admitted might lead him to use the zone.
Calipari was also asked about Gonzaga destroying Kentucky’s pick-and-roll defense.
“We’re still not trusting each other,” Calipari said. “I started saying (to UK’s bigs), ‘Just drop.’ Give them something other than a dunk. Make them shoot a layup. The team (UK) is still learning to be there for each other, trust each other, other ways you can trap, other ways you can twirl or switch. … You give up something, at some point, when you’re playing pick-and-roll.”
13 Responses
We’ve been playing man to man and they’re shooting wide open 3s. We’re playing man to man and the other team is outrebounding us so why not try something different?
Could it be Cal is not a Coach like Gonzaga, Kansas, North Carolina or teams that try something different if circumsatances such as you have described happen?
Calipari is feeling the heat. He will feel it even more with all of the empty seats in Rupp tonight.
I’ve listened to him so long that I know what he’s going to blame it on. 9pm start
Should be interesting to see
Media reporting that attendance will be down due to mid week game and late start. I knew it!!
Crowd seems pretty good
Cal can talk it all he wants but has no creds that he can walk it.
How many times has he said this already? I’ve heard him say this at least 20 times since he’s been here at Kentucky and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them run 1 play of a 2-3 zone I could be wrong but I can’t remember a time we’re we played a 2-3 zone. If Kentucky runs a 2-3 zone watch us win by 20.
1 time. We played Arkansas down there and he got thrown out of the game. The assistant coach had them play a zone and we won the game.
I’m not sure if Calipari could get this team to play acceptable defense even if the season was as long as the NBA’s. Between NIL and the transfer portal college basketball is becoming farm teams for the NBA. Ky and Duke have the best two recruiting classes every year and still have several losses in their conference. At this point Calipari would be a better politician than a coach.
He is a politician!!!!!!!!!!!!
My feelings for a long time, like 8 years.