Kentucky Basketball: More Rebounding, Post Presence Needed
By Chad Adams
Kentucky Basketball Needs More Rebounding, Post Production Tonight Versus Duquesne, as Young Team Looks to Improve
Kentucky’s basketball teams enters tonight’s game versus Duquesne with a 3-0 record, and a win will likely send the Cats to the top of the polls as the No. 1 team in the nation. Thus far, the backcourt play of De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Isaiah Briscoe has been brilliant. The trio’s unrelenting on ball pressure, pushing of the ball in transition and breaking down defenses off the dribble in the half court have lead the Cats.
And though the Cats have looked good in this young season, there’s much more work and improvement to be done. Look for Kentucky to have a renewed interest on the bigs tonight against Duquesne, specifically rebounding intensity and establishing low post presence, and scoring, in the half court.
The Wildcats enter tonight’s game getting out rebounded by nine on the season, including coming up short in two out of three games. According to UK Athletics, stat guru Ken Pomeroy charted the Cats’ defensive rebounding production with a ranking of 272nd in the country. Ouch.
“I think we just gotta be more aggressive,” Sacha Killeya-Jones said. “(Coach Kenny Payne) talks to us about that a lot is creating contact first, going after rebounds and everything like that. Just be more aggressive with it.”
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That aggressiveness needed on the boards needs to translate into points in the paint as well. The guards poured in 55 of Kentucky’s 69 points versus Sparty, as Fox, Monk, and Briscoe are accounting for more than 60-percent of the team’s scoring on the season. And while stellar guard play is paramount to a deep run in March, the Cats must nevertheless establish more low post presence. More rebounding and offensive put backs are a piece of the puzzle, but the guards need to look to feed the post more to develop Kentucky’s young front court.
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“I think what happens to us is similar to last year when you have such great guards, it’s hard to understand that you’ve gotta get your post guys involved,” said Payne, UK’s associate head coach, in a press conference on Friday. “… I think that’s the key to being a championship team, it’s being versatile enough to where you’ve got an inside game and a perimeter game.”
With Thanksgiving break approaching, many students headed home, and the players potentially further distracted after the big win over Michigan State, it will be critical for Kentucky’s young team to block out the noise and focus on effort and improving. And if this team can continue that approach, and keep getting better, then the sky’s the limit.
“The way that we coach, the way that we prepare – those kids know that after that game is over, we celebrate. It’s over. On to the next,” Payne said.