Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jay Bilas of ESPN has scouted both teams and presents his keys for the Kentucky Wildcats.
"Kentucky keys 1. Kentucky must take care of the ball against Louisville’s full-court and half-court pressure, and not allow the Cardinals to get extra possessions and play ahead of Kentucky’s defense in advantage situations. 2. Kentucky must get back in transition and make Louisville play 5-on-5 against the Wildcat defense. 3. Louisville will play Kentucky in mostly zone defense, and one that can morph into man-to-man and confuse an opponent. Open shots will be hard to find in the halfcourt, so Kentucky must get all over the offensive glass and get second shot opportunities. Kentucky is second in the nation in offensive rebounding, getting 45.5 percent of its misses, which are usually high-percentage second opportunities."
Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
It’s important to remember that because of John Calipari, this game has an added twist die the Calipari/Pitino rivalry which has gone on for years when Cal was at UMass and Memphis. The fact that this guys have been rivals in three different scenarios is kind of special. One thing for sure is that Calipari has always been consistent in describing that biting Rick Pitino defense.
"Like getting an early start on Christmas shopping, Kentucky Coach John Calipari began last week to call attention to Louisville’s pressing/trapping defensive style. He said the Cardinals will grab, hold, claw, bite, scratch, fold, spindle and mutilate. Of course, Calipari did not mention Louisville by name. But it sounded oh-so-familiar. “Let me tell you,” he said last week as if talking to a UK player. “You’re going to be playing in games they grab, they hold, they kick, they push, they bite.” Bite? “Can you play in that kind of game?” Calipari asked. “If you can’t play in that kind of game, you can’t win that game.” That sure wasn’t a reference to UCLA, which surrendered without a shot being fired (into the basket) in losing 83-44 against Kentucky Saturday. Or as UCLA guard Bryce Alford said of the Bruins’ early 24-0 deficit, “We can’t come out scared. We can’t come out tentative or passive.” Calipari talked the same hack-sack-and-smack about Louisville prior to the 2012 Final Four. Before that national semifinal, Rick Pitino was asked about how accurately biting, scratching, clawing and gouging described his signature defensive strategy. “He’s done that since the UMass days when he spoke about us in ’96 in Kentucky,” the U of L coach said with a smile. “He thinks the referees read the newspapers. He thinks the referees stay up at night and listen to Coach Cal’s comments. They really don’t."
Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Even if the Kentucky Wildcats beat Louisville (and I think they will), I still don’t think 40-0 is going to happen. Too many other things will come into play and in the end, you can still say that Kentucky may be their own biggest competition to 40-0.
"“Clutter” was a word that Calipari often threw around during Saturday’s press conference. If the Wildcats can continue to avoid the pitfalls from pressure and hype generated by those that watch them, they are less likely to come out flat and avoid a letdown. So far this season, it seems like the only team that might be able to beat Kentucky is themselves. “Jay Bilas gave a great talk about the clutter. That the media will try to break you down, how they’ll evaluate one against the other,” Calipari said. “They’ll really promote one guy to try to separate the team and make the other guy out to be a schmo. I’ve got no schmos on this team.” This week could be the biggest test of all for Kentucky before the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Not only will the Wildcats face their biggest rival in No. 4 Louisville, but their players will go home for Christmas and hear the outside influences within their own circles. Family and friends will question each player on why their individual numbers are so small, or how they can give up minutes and shots when NBA millions are so close. Going back to Tyson, he didn’t get upset by Buster Douglas in 1990 because he was the inferior fighter — Iron Mike was 37-0 and the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world entering the fight while Douglas was a 42-to-1 underdog. Tyson lost the fight because he let outside distractions seep in and gave a ‘C’ effort while his opponent fought the fight of his life."