Kentucky Basketball: 3 Keys to victory vs Louisville

MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 26: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - MARCH 26: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at FedExForum on March 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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LEXINGTON, KY – NOVEMBER 22: Wenyen Gabriel
LEXINGTON, KY – NOVEMBER 22: Wenyen Gabriel

Kentucky team defense

Calipari will more than likely come out and play man-to-man defense to start the game. It is what it is, but this young UK game is not a very good man-to-man defensive team. I’m sure that Louisville prefers the Cats play man, that way Snider, VJ King and Deng Adel can create off the dribble and look to attack the open driving lanes. But Cal has in fact played more zone defense this year than previous years. As a team, Louisville shoots about 35% from the 3-point line. So the Cards can knock down the deep ball, but that’s not their preference. If Cal decides to play man, I expect to see the Kentucky basketball team struggle to guard ball-screens again. If Cal plays zone, I expect to see Louisville struggle to score consistently.

Schedule

Schedule