Kentucky Wildcat Basketball: Keys to a Road Win over Arkansas
By Paul Jordan
It’s been said enough to become a full-blown college basketball cliché, but the Kentucky Wildcats face a problem that only a tiny handful of other teams around the country ever have to deal with. That is, they get their opponent’s absolute best shot every time out.
Expect that to be the case again Wednesday night in Fayetteville, when UK arrives to take on an erratic Arkansas club that, if history holds form, will give Kentucky one of its best performances of the year.
Aside from the raucous crowd behind them, the Razorbacks pose some interesting challenges to Kentucky. Arkansas has two imposing forces on the low block in Marshawn Powell (a solid around the rim scorer) and Delvon Johnson (a ferocious shot blocker). The Hogs also rank in the top three in the SEC in three-point shooting, and won’t be shy about launching from deep.
If the Hogs can get their inside-outside game working, expect another battle to the finish. But truth be told, we think the Cats will buck their recent conference road woes in this one, and here are three reasons why:
Perimeter D
Arkansas is led by Rotnei Clarke, a 14-points-per-game scorer who can catch fire from beyond the arc at any minute. Clarke struggles, however, when faced with bigger, athletic wing players, which Kentucky will throw at him in spades.
Expect DeAndre Liggins to hound Clarke relentlessly and force him into bad shots. Unfortunately for Arkansas, its other starting guard, Julysses Nobles, has only five three pointers in SEC play, and is pretty much a non-factor when it comes to perimeter scoring.
Battle on the Boards
Arkansas is not a good rebounding team. While both are tall and good leapers, neither Powell (6-7) nor Johnson (6-9) have rounded into glass eaters. Together they manage only 11 rebounds per game, compared with the 18 per game pulled down by the opposing frontcourt of Terrence Jones and Josh Harrellson.
Expect UK to own the offensive glass and get multiple second chance points, while limiting Arkansas’ opportunities. The Razorbacks will need a hot shooting night to win this one.
Law of Averages
Kentucky is now 1-5 in SEC road games, with an average margin of defeat of about 3 points. In all but one of those losses, the Cats had a chance to win or tie on the game’s final possession. In this commentator’s eyes, these close losses make good lessons for a young team like UK. And the tough luck won’t last forever.
This Kentucky team is hitting its stride at the right time. Despite the thinness of the 6-man rotation, UK has more overall talent and scoring punch than Arkansas. Expect to see the Cats get out and run a little
bit off of missed shots and Arkansas turnovers in the backcourt. Coach Calipari might use some fullcourt pressure, too.
As long as they keep Clarke from going off, Kentucky will make Arkansas a one dimensional, offensively challenged team. If the Cats keep up their recent hot shooting (53% in past two games), a double digit road win is not out of the question.
Then again, UK will have to do it against a national championship effort from Arkansas.
"Joey Campbell is a guest contributor to the Wildcat Blue Nation. He can be found normally writing on his site www.bigbluelowdown.com. Please take the time to visit."
Keep following www.http://wildcatbluenation.com for the best in Kentucky basketball and football news, rumors, and opinions. By Kentucky fans for Kentucky fans