The stage was set for a traditional inside Rupp Area. College students have been lined up on the first light, followers wrapped across the constructing for hours upon hours main as much as the largest residence sport of the season. It was a battle of the blue bloods, the first- and second-winningest applications within the historical past of school basketball. Kentucky was lastly discovering its footing after a gradual begin to the season whereas Kansas was determined coming off a three-game shedding streak. It was put up or shut up time for each groups, an opportunity to show if both have been official contenders this season. Quite a bit on the road, and the gang knew it.

Each seat was stuffed contained in the historic venue, power rising with each minute inching nearer to the opening tip. And when the sport bought rolling, the followers delivered, exploding on each make and defensive cease. You noticed Large Blue Nation at its greatest on faculty basketball’s largest stage — video games like tonight are why home-and-homes are so rattling superior.

Kansas hits the massive photographs, Kentucky doesn’t

However in a make-or-miss sport, Kansas had the makes and Kentucky had the misses. With the lights at their brightest, the Jayhawks hit each large shot essential to earn the assertion win whereas the Wildcats went ice chilly, ending an abysmal 2-13 from three. The possibilities have been there, with the house workforce flirting with a lead for almost all of the second half — the deficit was reduce to 1 with 11:55 to go, two with 5:15 remaining, three with 4:13, 4 with 3:37 and even 5 with 2:11 left within the sport. With the sport inside one possession, although, UK shot simply 1-7 to shut issues out whereas KU completed 3-5 — two being 3-pointers.

The primary half was what it was — advantageous, we’ll name it a catastrophe. Kentucky bought out to an 11-6 lead with 15:19 to go, then scored 20 by the 11:28 mark. The rest of the half, although, the Wildcats would rating simply 14 extra factors whereas crumbling defensively, permitting 25 in that very same stretch. They’d enter intermission capturing 55.6% from the sector general, however an abysmal 0-6 from three and 4-11 from the road (36.4%) to go down seven. One other disappointing first-half end resulting in a determined comeback effort within the second. UK clawed again and put itself in place to tug off the high-profile win, however the capturing merely wasn’t there, amongst different considerations — rebounding and pick-and-roll protection being the largest.

Individually, CJ Fredrick shot simply 1-8 general and 0-5 from three, whereas Antonio Reeves was 3-9 from the sector and 0-3 from deep. The one two makes got here from Cason Wallace (2-3).

That’s simply not gonna reduce it.

Jayhawks outrebound Wildcats 34-29

Let’s begin with the primary of these points past capturing: What the hell occurred on the glass? Kansas got here in at a transparent drawback inside, missing physicality and depth within the submit. The Jayhawks have been athletic and versatile, however they merely didn’t have a one-on-one matchup for Oscar Tshiebwe. A video-game-number night was the expectation for faculty basketball’s reigning nationwide participant of the 12 months.

And he did have a strong evening simply trying on the field rating — most gamers take an environment friendly 18-point, 9-rebound, 4-assist evening and name it a season spotlight. The problem? Kentucky’s inabiilty to make photographs meant Tshiebwe wanted a famous person outing, not only a strong sport. And the largest hit got here on the glass, with the workforce shedding the rebounding battle 34-29 in opposition to an opponent that entered the day ranked No. 90 general within the nation in that space. You have got essentially the most bodily dominant participant in faculty basketball going in opposition to a workforce identified for its lack of toughness inside, and they are those to convey the battle. That’s disheartening.

Particular struggles on the offensive glass, zero second-chance factors

Kentucky had zero offensive rebounds within the first half and simply 4 on the last buzzer. Zero second-chance factors in 40 minutes of regulation basketball, 11 for the opposition. That simply can’t occur.

“They’re a top-10 workforce and we’re attempting to re-establish who we’re, and I hoped we may get this,” John Calipari stated after the loss. “However you realize what? The children fought and tried — no second factors. No second-chance factors. None. You’ve bought to be kidding me. I’ve bought to observe the tape and say, why did that occur?”

Invoice Self would be the first to confess he was anticipating to lose on the glass — that’s simply not who this Kansas workforce is. The bodily imposing facilities we’re used to seeing anchor the center for the Jayhawks aren’t on this roster. As a substitute, it’s a workforce that depends on its athleticism and quickness to search out success, giving up some measurement to take action.

Exposing the Wildcats’ struggles within the pick-and-roll? Positive, that’s a degree of emphasis, one thing Self needed to assault. However win on the glass, with this workforce? In opposition to Kentucky, who entered the day ranked first in offensive rebounding amongst Energy 5 colleges, No. 21 general? Greatest the Jayhawks may do was pray.

“We have been simply praying on their rebounding stuff, so we did a fantastic job defensive rebounding,” Self stated. “We haven’t rebounded the ball like that shortly, you realize, he’s [Oscar] so good and large and lively that in the event you double or in the event you pressure assist it creates rotation rebounding. I believe we have been most likely lucky tonight – the ball bounced our approach slightly bit, however we did do a fantastic job on the glass.”

Prayers answered.

A pick-and-roll nightmare

Again to the pick-and-roll points, an space Kentucky has struggled in all season lengthy, however particularly because the begin of convention play. Individually, Tshiebwe has been a major goal for opposing groups, however he’s not the lone responsible get together.

Like others have performed and everybody else will proceed to do, Kansas appeared to reap the benefits of these miscues. Off the highest of his head, Self figured his workforce scored upward of 20 factors solely within the pick-and-roll.

“I don’t know what number of factors we scored off ball screens – but it surely needed to be shut to twenty tonight,” he stated. “In order that was actually good for us.”

And it was. When you’re in search of the three largest keys to the loss, it’s arduous to look any additional than missed photographs, rebounding woes — particularly on the offensive glass — and pick-and-roll protection.

“The pick-and-roll, most groups are doing it to us. They’re coming at us,” Calipari stated. “We’re making changes and doing stuff. We’re not the place we have to be, however we’re not actually the place we have been. They’re good, they’re workforce. They’re top-10 for a motive.”

The place did Chris Livingston go?

To open the primary half, it appeared {that a} breakthrough efficiency was coming for Kentucky freshman Chris Livingston. He exploded for a fast eight factors, scoring powerful buckets across the basket and thriving in transition. Enjoying each the three and the 4, it was precisely what we’ve been ready to see out of the 6-foot-7 athlete out of Akron.

After which the second half got here, one which noticed Livingston play one single minute. He began on the ground to get issues rolling, bought subbed out after 62 seconds and didn’t return to the sport.

Calipari’s rationalization?

“Chris Livingston ought to have performed extra within the second half and the reason being, he may offensive rebound. He’d go get balls. The issue was they weren’t taking part in him, and it was crowding the courtroom for Oscar. That’s why I instructed him once I took him out, ‘I’m solely taking you out as a result of they don’t seem to be taking part in you and they’re crowding the courtroom and we want Oscar to get the ball.’”

Livingston completed the day with eight factors on 4-5 capturing to go along with two rebounds and a block in 17 minutes. We noticed arguably his most good stretch of play as a Wildcat — and perhaps even the imaginative and prescient of what he may very well be splitting time on the three and 4 — however nothing past that. As a result of Tshiebwe was getting double-teamed down low.

A part of that reply is for the freshman ahead to make photographs — he’s capturing 37.9% from deep on the season, but it surely’s clear groups nonetheless don’t respect his jumper. However the different half is capitalizing on that open house with alternatives elsewhere. What occurs if Livingston catches and assaults? He’s greatest ending with a full head of steam, and at worst, he attracts a foul and goes to the road the place he’s capturing 87.5% on the 12 months. Or they collapse and you discover one other open shooter on the surface. That’s one thing to reap the benefits of, not draw back from.

And it seems like Calipari would do the identical if he had a do-over.