There is a laundry record of points which have started to plague Kentucky basketball. 

Accidents, on-court chemistry issues, reported off-court chemistry issues, lack of toughness, lack of power. You title it and it is come up when speaking in regards to the hellscape that at the moment surrounds coach John Calipari and his gamers. 

The bloated variety of obstacles within the street have seen the Cats stumble to a 10-6 document with no quantity subsequent to their title within the AP Ballot, in addition to no seed subsequent to their title in ESPN’s newest bracketology replace. The common season is now over 50-percent full, but Kentucky continues to be sputtering out of the beginning gate. 

Talks of turning the nook are far gone — particularly after the 71-68 loss at residence to South Carolina on Tuesday evening. Kentucky has dug a deep gap. The digging is now taking a fast pitstop for a sport in Rocky Prime, because the No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers will welcome the free-falling Cats to Thompson-Boling Area this Saturday. 

It is a problem that if efficiently conquered, might lastly flip the season trajectory on its head for UK. The primary subject for Kentucky might not even be stifling the hard-nosed Vols, denying 3-point taking pictures or profitable the rebound battle. The Wildcats must first get out of their very own heads and attempt to play because the form of group that was promised again in November. Affiliate to the top coach Bruiser Flint harped on consistency and the little issues when talking to reporters on Friday.

“For me, our particulars must be extra constant, I feel generally our particulars aren’t constant, and it exhibits within the sport and we undergo durations within the sport the place we battle. We gotta be higher in our particulars as a group,” Flint stated. “I assumed we had been making some progress, then we form of took steps again, we did. A few of it’s who you’ve got bought within the sport, who you do not have within the sport, issues like that, however our particulars must be higher and be extra constant inside the sport.”

Throw up no matter excuse you’ve got bought within the again pocket. Certain, accidents and lack of continuity have made for powerful occasions with attempting to determine correct rotations, however the finish end result continues to be the tip end result. Kentucky is not the primary group to take care of lacking an vital participant or two and it will not be the final. 

Lack of consideration to element had been doing injury to the Wildcats in most-all areas for the primary chunk of the season — besides defensively. UK was seen as a stout unit on that finish of the ground, till SEC play started. 

In its 4 convention matchups, Kentucky is permitting a median of 77.25 points-per-game. That variety of factors is a mark that the Wildcats themselves have been capable of attain simply as soon as in 9 video games towards Energy 5 competitors, which in fact was towards the bottom-feeding Louisville Cardinals. 

“Acquired to concentrate to the small print, backside line,” Flint stated. “It is all in regards to the particulars in what we’re doing. It has slipped, as a result of our protection has been one of many extra constant issues we have accomplished all season. However once more, it goes again to the small issues, and generally we do not do them effectively. Now we bought to get again to that.”

The foundation of a few of Kentucky’s defensive points comes within the paint, as opposing coaches have voiced over the course of the season that attacking star heart Oscar Tshiebwe is a large level of emphasis, most not too long ago Alabama’s Nate Oats and South Carolina’s new skipper Lamont Paris. 

The plan is relatively easy. Drag Tshiebwe right into a ball display screen and let the magic ensue. Placing the massive man in uncomfortable conditions out from beneath the paint has yielded constructive outcomes, getting open seems to be down low or resulting in beauty from the perimeter. 

Whereas the highlight is now evident on how groups are going proper on the reigning Nationwide Participant of the Yr, Flint says the technique is nothing new: 

“All people tries to place Oscar in ball screens. Like I stated, our protection has slipped just a little bit, so it is not simply Oscar, we bought to get ourselves collectively as a unit, however do not let anyone inform you that they got here up with a plan to assault Oscar, as a result of all of them assault Oscar that manner.” 

Flint’s reply for the newfound success on getting previous Tshiebwe was nothing greater than props for sure groups ball-screening higher than others, and naturally UK needing to play significantly better round him, not leaving Tshiebwe in no-man’s land. 

“They do it to try to get him out of the sport, as a result of they know in the event that they get him out of the sport, that is an enormous loss for us. Final 12 months, similar factor. They put Oscar in ball screens … our particulars must be higher … that is why we’ve not been pretty much as good on protection, our particulars must be higher. And never simply Oscar, the opposite guys too.”

Saturday afternoon may even present a monumental problem on the offensive finish of the courtroom for the Wildcats, as Tennessee at the moment boasts the No. 1 ranked protection within the nation, in accordance with a number of metrics. 

The Volunteers enable simply 53.4 points-per-game (2nd in DI), common 41 rebounds-per-game (fifth) and have the perfect 3-point protection within the nation, holding groups to twenty.9 % from behind the arc. They permit a median of 82.5 factors per 100 possessions, which can be the perfect mark within the nation, per KenPom. 

Flint attributes dimension and power to a lot of the success on protection for coach Rick Barnes’ group:

“One, they have nice dimension. They’re very bodily. They take up quite a lot of area on the courtroom … very bodily, in order that they make you earn — not solely each shot — however each catch. Simply catching the ball, they make you earn it. That is an enormous a part of their sport, should you get previous the physicality, then it turns into just a little bit totally different.” 

Matching depth has been a tricky ask for the Wildcats so far, so maintaining the nostril on the grindstone for 40 minutes will show difficult — particularly on the street. Kentucky is but to win a sport in a hostile setting this season. 

On a two-game shedding streak with the season seemingly hanging on by a thread? That is a scenario that may weigh on a group relatively closely. It additionally would not assist while you battle to place the ball within the basket exterior of Rupp Area. 

“I feel we have now an ideal mindset going into the sport, however once more — we miss quite a lot of photographs particularly on the street. Not essentially at residence,” Flint stated. “However on the street, we do miss. So we bought to do a greater job of simply being targeted.”

That mindset will likely be put to the check in an enormous manner on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff between the Cats and Vols is about for midday EST and can air on ESPN. 

Extra on the South Carolina defeat HERE.

Extra on Oscar Tshiebwe’s postgame phrases HERE.

Every part John Calipari stated after the loss HERE.

WATCH: Tshiebwe, Fredrick and Collins post-SC loss

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