Saturday’s sport vs. UCLA within the CBS Sports activities Basic is Kentucky’s last “large check” earlier than convention play. Up to now, the Cats are 1-2 vs. marquee opponents, shedding to Michigan State and Gonzaga early within the season and beating Michigan in London on Dec. 4. The No. 16 Bruins are 9-2 in Mick Cronin’s fourth season, shedding back-to-back video games vs. then-No. 19 Illinois and No. 5 Baylor within the Continental Tire Foremost Occasion in November. Since then, they’ve received six straight, most lately blowing out No. 20 Maryland in Faculty Park 87-60 final evening. Kentucky has received 4 straight, but it surely definitely looks like UCLA is coming into Saturday’s sport with extra momentum.

John Calipari made an look at right now’s media alternative to debate the matchup. Whereas he feels good in regards to the progress his workforce has made in observe this week, he is aware of they’ll face a tall process in a UCLA workforce starring a possible first-round NBA draft choose in Jaime Jaquez Jr. The 6’7″ senior leads the Bruins in scoring with 17.1 factors per sport on 56.3% taking pictures.

“I’ve watched a bunch of tape of them they usually’re actually good,” Calipari stated. “The most important factor is that they’re actually bodily. Defensively, they’re actually bodily. They’re preventing screens, they’re preventing the submit, they’re preventing pick-and-rolls. If you happen to don’t battle, you don’t have any probability on this sport so that you’ve acquired to negate that a part of it. Actually onerous to do. Not many individuals have been capable of do it.

“After which, once they shoot the ball like they shot yesterday, they grow to be oof. They’re actually good. They’re in all probability like us, there was a sport they may have received they usually’d be within the high 5 however proper now they’re a type of groups that I watch and say, they’ve a bit little bit of every thing. Jaquez is a first-round draft choose. He can go get baskets and is de facto good.”

How Kentucky limits Jaquez is a submit all its personal coming quickly to this right here web site, however the Bruins produce other weapons. The backcourt of senior level guard Tyger Campbell and junior Jaylen Clark will present fairly a problem for Sahvir Wheeler and Cason Wallace. The Bruins pressured 11 Maryland turnovers in simply the primary half final evening, resulting in 17 factors.

“Defensively, they get their fingers on quite a lot of balls too, so in the event you drive, in the event you simply assume you’re throwing, you’ve acquired to remember and the man that you simply’re throwing it to has acquired to maneuver to a extra open space,” Calipari stated. “If you happen to keep the place you might be, they’re going to get their fingers on balls. They’re actually good. This will probably be a very onerous sport for us. Like, will probably be.”

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Antigua: “We’ve had 4 nice days of observe”

Calipari gave his gamers just a few days off following the win over Yale to concentrate on finals and get their legs again below them after the journey to London. As soon as again on the court docket, they’ve been focusing extra on scrimmaging. Up to now, Calipari is happy with the outcomes.

“Good. It’s going advantageous. I made it a bit rougher however we’ve acquired to play video games and see what occurs.”

Affiliate coach Orlando Antigua, who additionally spoke to the media right now, agreed.

“We’ve had 4 nice days of observe,” Antigua stated. “Guys have been locked in, been bodily. As we get settled in with our rotation and everybody understands our defensive ideas and what’s anticipated of every of them, I believe when you get into an excellent rhythm like that, it interprets to the video games and we’re beginning to see quite a lot of that in our video games.”

Kentucky has confronted bodily groups earlier than the season, most notably Michigan State within the opener. When requested how UCLA is totally different than the Spartans, Calipari once more talked about the backcourt.

“They’re in all probability — you’re speaking the identical form of stuff however the toughness for UCLA additionally comes from their guards. Their guards will play bodily and bump and grind. They’re after it. They’re good.

“I’m anxious to see how we carry out. I believe we’re higher than we had been three weeks in the past. I believe we execute higher. We’re taking part in extra collectively as an alternative of, okay, all we are able to do is throw to you and also you attempt to get a basket. We’re doing issues collectively higher. I believe there’s much less confusion on what we’re doing and that’s as a result of we’re collectively practising. We’re collectively doing quite a lot of scrimmaging extra so than I’ve performed prior to now.”

Antigua agreed that having the complete workforce collectively, nearly in full well being, has helped. Everybody talks about Oscar getting again to 100%, however Antigua stated Sahvir Wheeler’s restoration from an early-season knee harm is simply as necessary.

“I believe our greatest basketball remains to be forward of us. I believe it’s taken a bit little bit of time for everybody to get in sync. Clearly, with the Oscar [Tshiebwe] piece, the CJ [Fredrick] piece. The opposite piece is Sahvir [Wheeler]. He’s the purpose of our spear on protection and he units the desk for us when it comes to conserving us organized, ensuring everyone is aware of what they’re doing, the place they’re at. Placing excessive stress on and stressing the opposite workforce’s protection together with his velocity and setting the desk for all our guys. He’s traditionally been an unbelievable layup-maker and he’s now beginning to get his rhythm again and get going and end a few of the layups we’re accustomed to seeing him end. After which, these little 15-20 foot pull-ups. He’s beginning to get his legs below him.”

Kentucky failed its first two exams of the season and confirmed progress in its third. To beat a surging UCLA workforce, the Cats will want an A+ effort throughout the board. In some way, Saturday’s sport ought to inform us so much as we strategy convention play.