2015 NCAA Tournament: Clark Kellogg talks Kentucky Wildcats
By Danielle
CBS Sports studio analyst Clark Kellogg joined Wildcat Blue Nation in a phone interview this afternoon to discuss the Kentucky Wildcats and how a championship win will impact the school in the Capital One Cup standings.
After our phone interview, I was informed by a Capital One publicist that the standings were just updated this afternoon and the Kentucky Wildcats are currently ranked in 52nd. A first place finish will give the Wildcats 60 points towards the Cup.
Capital One Cup Advisory Board Member Shoot, July 12, 2011, in Los Angeles. (Photo Credit: Rene Macura)
Daniel Solzman: Clark, thanks for joining Wildcat Blue Nation today. How are things treating you?
Clark Kellogg: Good, good. Things are good. How are things on your end?
Daniel Solzman: I’m doing good. Headed to the open practice tomorrow.
Clark Kellogg: (Laughs) That will be fun.
Daniel Solzman: Now the Wildcats are the overall #1 seed in this year’s tournament. Which teams are standing in the way of the Wildcats bringing their ninth championship back to Lexington?
Clark Kellogg: Well, you know, I think the Kentucky Wildcats are primed and positioned to win the national championship. When you look at the bracket they come out of, I think the greatest challenge could perhaps come from Notre Dame if they were to advance. I think Wichita State is a bit of a sleeper in that bracket. Looking outside of the bracket for the Wildcats, I think Wisconsin certainly is capable. Duke is another team that could possibly be problematic. Villanova, despite not having a lot of size, is another as well. Arizona is another team. I’m leaving somebody else— Gonzaga! They have the personal and experience that perhaps could keep Kentucky from winning it all.
Daniel Solzman: You look at a potential Kentucky-Wisconsin match-up in the Final Four. What differences do you see between last year and this year?
Clark Kellogg: That’s a great question. I think one—Kentucky has a ton more experience, which is a benefit to them. Wisconsin will be without one of its perimeter players in Traevon Jackson. I don’t know what his status is after suffering a broken foot earlier in the season. I think Wisconsin is maybe a little bit better offensively because they added Bronson Koenig, who is a shot maker and creator. Traevon Jackson was not quite as prolific a three-point shooter as Koenig is.
Defensively, Wisconsin is about where it was a year ago.
The other thing about Kentucky though is the added post presence of Karl-Anthony Towns. He gives them a big time low post scorer that can get baskets for you late in games and the depth of the Kentucky front line, because of his addition, I think has been improved and enhanced. I think that will be the biggest difference.
Daniel Solzman: How is this Kentucky team different from that of the 2012 championship squad?
Clark Kellogg: You know, I think deeper. That championship squad was basically a 6 to 6 ½ man team. This is a 9 ½ man squad in terms of the depth that John Calipari has. The length of this team is NBA like. As a matter of fact, there would only be one or two teams taller than the Wildcats when you look at NBA rosters currently. So I think that’s the probably the biggest difference is that length and depth. The personal and what they do is similar. Anthony Davis was brilliant as a first-year player but he had good complementary experienced guys around him. I think this team is a little deeper and we’ll see if they can get to the promised land like the 2012 team did.
Daniel Solzman: What upsets should basketball fans look for this week as they fill in the brackets?
Clark Kellogg: You know what? I’ve got a couple of double-digit seeds that are worth keeping an eye on.
I’ll start with Dayton. Dayton is an 11 seed playing in an Opening Round game on Wednesday night. I think that team could actually get to the Sweet 16. It got to the Elite Eight last year with primarily the same team.
You look at Buffalo against a West Virginia team that may be without its better player in Juwan Staten. If he does play, he’s missed the last few games with a knee injury so you wonder how effective he could be. Gary Brown is also coming off an injury as well. He’s a primary player so I think Buffalo is in good position to take advantage of a less-than-100% West Virginia squad.
Stephen F. Austin, a team that won a tournament game a year ago against VCU, pretty much the same group. They face a Utah team that I like a lot but that’s a 12 seed that I think people should keep an eye on.
Looking at Wichita State, not a double digit seed but seeded 7 and taking on Indiana in the second round. I think that team could be primed to make a deeper run than people might think.
Those are four teams that I think people should keep an eye on as you feel out your bracket.
Daniel Solzman: You serve on the advisory board for the Capital One Cup. Where is Kentucky ranked right now?
Clark Kellogg: Well they aren’t ranked right now but they have an opportunity to get right into the thick of things if the run all the way to Indianapolis and the national championship. You know, the Capital One Cup is based on Division I programs competing all year for points to earn the Capital One Cup based on top ten finishes across the fall, winter, and spring sport seasons and the winning men’s and women’s athletic programs earn the Capital One Cup but $400,000 in student-athlete scholarship dollars at the end of the spring sports season. Kentucky would have an opportunity, as I said, to jump into the heart of the race if they do what I think they are going to do, which is win the national championship.
Daniel Solzman: Thanks again for joining us.
Clark Kellogg: My pleasure, thank you.