KSR’s takeaways from Kentucky’s 63-53 loss to UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic

The place do you even start with a efficiency like that? Suppose it’s greatest to begin with the ultimate rating, 63-53 in favor of the UCLA Bruins within the CBS Sports activities Basic. Beneath the intense lights of Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis, the Kentucky Wildcats crumbled, failing to attain a single level within the ultimate 4:31 of the sport to safe a 3rd loss on the yr.

4 minutes. 31 seconds. Zero factors. In a real-life school basketball sport. 53 factors total, 37 mixed for the starters in 153 whole minutes performed. Are you able to inform me what Kentucky’s offensive identification is correct now, even loosely? Bear in mind all of the speak about execution this week and the way a lot enchancment the Wildcats have made in that space? Launching troublesome photographs down the stretch with no rhyme or cause proves in any other case — particularly with the sport inside attain.

0-11 FG to shut out the sport

Let’s begin there, the end. Following Sahvir Wheeler‘s pull-up jumper to chop the deficit to simply two factors with 4:31 to go, Kentucky didn’t put the ball within the hoop a single time to shut out the sport. Not a jumper, not a layup, not even a free throw. Six completely different gamers missed photographs in that stretch, with 9 of the 11 area objective makes an attempt being jumpers.

And it’s not like UCLA caught hearth offensively, both. The Bruins didn’t make a area objective between the 4:11 and :42 marks and missed 5 of eight makes an attempt on the free-throw line within the ultimate 5:37. Kentucky was down simply 4 with 2:26 to go, 5 with 1:52 to go and 6 with :42 to go. The possibilities have been there to win this sport, however execution couldn’t have been worse.

Hell, if you wish to take a step again even additional, UCLA hit simply 10 of its 25 field-goal makes an attempt and 7 of 14 makes an attempt on the line within the second half. Solely two made 3-pointers total, only one per half.

The Bruins weren’t any good offensively. 45.8% total (27-59), 25.0% from three (2-8) and 46.7% on the line (7-15) is definitely fairly unhealthy, particularly for a crew that entered the day with the third-most environment friendly offense in school basketball. Sadly, the Wildcats have been simply that a lot worse.

No offensive identification

Simply how a lot worse? Kentucky completed the day taking pictures 32.8% from the sector (21-64), 28.6% from three (6-21) and 38.5% on the line (5-13). John Calipari was fast to name this crew a top-15 offense in school basketball final week vs. Yale, disregarding the eight factors scored in 10 minutes to shut out the primary half (which included a 6:29 stretch of zero made area targets). In actuality, the Wildcats ranked No. 93 total in offense vs. top-50 opponents. That matched the attention check.

Following right now’s loss vs. UCLA, Kentucky’s offensive effectivity vs. high quality foes took yet one more hit, dropping all the way in which right down to No. 157 within the nation. That, too, matches the attention check.

What’s extra regarding is the panic the Wildcats performed with down the stretch. They fought arduous, secured offensive rebounds and received defensive stops, did all the pieces to place themselves in place to tug off the comeback. When it got here time to attain, although, ball motion stopped and premature jumpers have been launched.

Perhaps the worst a part of all of it? Zero known as timeouts throughout that scoring drought. Clearly in want of a reset and steering, the gamers by no means received it. As a substitute, the mind-boggling offensive struggles continued via the ultimate buzzer.

On the finish of the day, this crew has no offensive identification, and it doesn’t seem it’s any nearer to discovering one.

The 4 spot is holding this crew again

With Keion Brooks Jr. and Bryce Hopkins hitting the switch portal this previous offseason, Jacob Toppin was handed the keys on the 4 spot, given each alternative to emerge because the star his potential prompt. He’s gotten the minutes, touches and photographs, however via ten video games, he hasn’t capitalized. The most recent instance got here towards the Bruins, the place he was just about unplayable for a lot of the sport.

Ending with 5 factors on 2-10 taking pictures and 0-2 from three to go along with three turnovers, Toppin was a legal responsibility on each ends of the ground. UCLA standout Jaime Jaquez Jr. torched him defensively whereas the missed photographs and continued on offense, leaving Calipari no alternative however to look to the bench for assist. Chris Livingston performed 24 minutes splitting time on the three and 4, whereas Lance Ware performed 14 minutes splitting time on the 4 and 5. Certainly one of Kentucky’s greatest stretches got here with each Livingston and Ware teaming up alongside Oscar Tshiebwe on the three, 4 and 5. Nightmare in principle, however hey, they produced.

In reality, these two have been arguably the crew’s brightest standouts in an in any other case darkish and gloomy efficiency total. The +/- confirms that, too, with Ware ending as a +8 and Livingston a -1, the 2 greatest on the crew. The latter was the crew’s main scorer with 14 factors on 5-8 taking pictures and 2-3 from three to go along with 4 rebounds and a block, whereas the latter added two factors, 5 rebounds, three assists and one steal.

It’s telling that Toppin didn’t rating a single level till Livingston’s second-half explosion, one which noticed the freshman ahead drop 11 factors within the first seven minutes. From there, Toppin scored all 5 of his factors (2-6 FG, 0-2 3PT) and pull down 4 of his seven whole rebounds. The double-digit deficit didn’t set off his aggressive play, the interior competitors did.

The actual fact of the matter is Toppin merely hasn’t stepped up. Daimion Collins — seen as Toppin’s backup on the 4 going into the yr — simply isn’t prepared. Hell, he didn’t even play on Saturday. It’s previous time to take an extended, arduous have a look at that place and work out a brand new plan of assault shifting ahead. If tonight’s play is any indication, Livingston could must be the reply.

Capturing struggles proceed

The situational numbers are what they’re, however the person taking pictures struggles ought to be famous. Coming into the sport taking pictures 57.1% from the sector and 51.6% from three, Cason Wallace had his worst offensive efficiency of the season, flattening simply two of 13 makes an attempt total and one among seven on 3-pointers. It was additionally one other big-game letdown for Antonio Reeves, who added six factors on 2-13 taking pictures and 2-8 from three. Outdoors the Michigan win in London, the Illinois State switch has actually struggled within the highlight.

After which you could have CJ Fredrick, who continues to be a thriller to open his Kentucky profession. After scoring a minimum of 14 factors in three of his first 4 video games, he’s scored simply three whole in his final three video games, zero in back-to-back video games vs. Yale and UCLA. On Saturday, the senior guard performed simply six whole minutes with zero shot makes an attempt. Solely Ugonna Onyenso performed fewer minutes within the loss.

Within the frontcourt, Toppin was simply 2-10 and Oscar Tshiebwe was 4-12, together with 0-4 from the road. The latter’s struggles are much more irritating contemplating UCLA’s complete frontcourt struggled with foul hassle, one thing Kentucky merely couldn’t capitalize on. The Bruins additionally entered the day as a crew that struggled immensely with inside protection, particularly on post-ups. Quite than having a area day on this regard, Tshiebwe solely posted up twice in your complete sport, scoring as soon as. Inexcusable from a game-planning perspective, particularly with UCLA bigs Adem Bona and Kenneth Nwuba combining for 9 whole fouls and simply 25 minutes.

Free throws haven’t been free

To maintain it brief and candy, 5-13 isn’t adequate on the line. Kentucky drops to No. 304 within the nation in free-throw taking pictures with a 66.3% hit charge via 10 video games.

“We’re not a nasty free-throw taking pictures crew,” Calipari mentioned after the loss. “We have been right now.”

The season numbers immediately contradict that.

Kentucky now 4-13 vs top-25 foes

We’ll maintain this one brief, too. There’s not a lot explaining obligatory, the stat speaks for itself.

Kentucky is 4-13 vs. AP High 25 opponents since 2019-20, matching a stretch between Feb. 17, 2007 to Dec. 5, 2009 the place Billy Gillispie was this system’s head coach. It additionally brings this system’s dropping streak towards ranked opponents to 4 video games, second-longest of the Calipari period. Three losses previous to Christmas can be tied for second-worst in that span, behind solely 2020-21 with 5 — the 9-16 season.

Merely not adequate.