Kentucky basketball: 5 rushed reactions vs Mizzou

2. Where are the assists?

This Kentucky basketball team has the potential to have the lowest number of assists of the Calipari era. Is it because these players are poor passers? Is it because this team just really struggles to hit perimeter shots? Or is it because this team is much more selfish than previous Calipari teams?

It is very clear during each and every game this season that Kevin Knox and Hamidou Diallo have very little interest in passing the ball. The two players that continuously take bad, forced selfish shots are Diallo and Knox. It should go without saying at this point in the season that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the most consistent scorer for Kentucky. When Gilgeous-Alexander is on the floor at the same time as both Knox and Diallo, there simply aren’t enough basketballs on the floor to satisfy Wildcat players.

There is a great likelihood that this Kentucky team will have the fewest assists of any Calipari team at Kentucky thus far. There are just too many bad, selfish shots being taken by the Kentucky players right now. Too many Kentucky possessions end in a Wildcat trying to take his man one-on-one and taking highly contested shots.

Coaches typically use the bench as a coaching tool in which they can reinforce to their players’ mindsets that this is a team sport. Calipari has mentioned time and time again that Anthony Davis, the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, took the 5th most shots on his Kentucky team. Where is that mindset with these players? Has Calipari lost his ability to convince his players to buy into “servant leadership” and a team-first mentality? Only time will tell.