Rebooting ‘The Tweak’: Calipari teams grow during regular season
Kentucky Basketball fans would like to forget the tough games recently. But John Calipari and the Wildcats can reboot their season, if they are willing to grow.
It often takes adversity for John Calipari to tease out the best from his Kentucky teams. In 2014, the Wildcats were handed their eighth loss and second in a row at South Carolina. It was a demoralizing result considering preseason expectations, following their first year without visiting the NCAA Tournament in four seasons.
Despite the ugly loss, Aaron Harrison assured fans this would become a great story.
Soon after, Calipari famously introduced ‘the tweak‘ before entering the SEC Tournament. They consistently played their best basketball of the season, penning their own story all the way until the season’s final chapter.
This year, Kentucky has faced similar tests. The team started strong, but was quickly brought back down to Earth by losses to UCLA and Louisville. By the time the Wildcats were ran out of Florida by 22 points, doubts were setting in.
There is no Harrison around to tell us, but with a strong performance against Tennessee, this team may be starting the sequel to its 2014 March Madness run.
One of Calipari’s underrated qualities is his patience with young players. They are given time to develop, even when it costs Kentucky a few games. In the end, it can pay off with a championship. But to finish the year strong, Kentucky needs to continue rebooting these areas.
Shot selection is key
Kentucky has one of the nation’s quickest transition offenses, but the game often slows down in the NCAA Tournament. In half-court situations, it will be crucial to take time finding high quality shots.
This high-flying offense hits turbulence when asked to score during off-shooting nights. Malik Monk may be shooting 41.9% from beyond the arc, but he often fires at-will, missing opportunities on possessions with bad shots. Improved shot selection will benefit these Wildcats, and that starts with being willing passers.
In 2014, Calipari taught Andrew Harrison to tweak his shot selection. They reviewed tape of Deron Williams, closely watching his choices as a point guard. As Harrison learned to seek out his open teammates, Kentucky gelled offensively.
If Kentucky continues to move the ball like they did against Tennessee, their offense will be more dependable in win-or-go-home situations.
Crashing the boards
Edrice ‘Bam’ Adebayo has made strides, but still isn’t dominating the paint. If Bam takes advantage of his size to grab offensive rebounds, Kentucky can flourish with second chance opportunities.
This will play a big role in tournament success. Like shot selection, grabbing offensive rebounds will lead to a more efficient Kentucky offense. When shots aren’t falling for the Wildcats, it will be important that Bam racks up more time of possession.
In fact, Bam may want to watch film from Julius Randle’s 2014 season.
You’re welcome, Bam. I’m sure you are reading this.
Next: The Top 10 Three Point Shots in Kentucky History
Does John Calipari have the right cast for this story?
There is no question this team is talented enough to reboot.
Kentucky has the fire power to control its own destiny, and Calipari has faced this kind of adversity. As Aaron Harrison told us before, there is still time to tell a great story, and it’s up to this team to write an ending it can be proud of.