Kentucky basketball: Rebounding has been the difference
By Drew Koch
The Kentucky basketball team defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks 87-72 on Tuesday night. The Wildcats outrebounded the Razorbacks 46-29.
The Kentucky basketball team got a great win on the road against Arkansas on Tuesday night 87-72. The Cats dominated the Hogs on the boards. Kentucky grabbed 46 total rebounds, including 18 on the offensive glass. The Wildcats outrebounded the Razorbacks by 17.
The game against Arkansas didn’t start out too pretty. The Razorbacks scored 3 three-point shots off offensive rebounds and jetted out to an 11-0 lead. John Calipari inserted PJ Washington and Jarred Vanderbilt and turned the tide of the game.
The Wildcats had 5 players snag over 5 rebounds Tuesday night. PJ Washington had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Jarred Vanderbilt (9), Kevin Knox (7), Quade Green (6) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (5) out-hustled their opponents on the boards.
In Kentucky’s previous game against Alabama, the Wildcats outrebounded the Crimson Tide 44-27. Once again, the Cats were dominant on the offensive glass with 20. Crashing the offensive boards leads to second chance points, which has been an effective method of scoring for this Kentucky basketball team.
After the game, Calipari compared Vanderbilt’s game to that of NBA legend Dennis Rodman. Now, while I don’t fully agreed with Cal’s comparison, his point is well taken. Vanderbilt is getting the most out of his abilities without being a dominant offensive force. Over Rodman’s 14-year career, he averaged only 7.3 points, however, ‘The Worm’ also grabbed over 13 rebounds per game.
Rebounding is about desire, positioning and toughness. It’s no surprise that Washington is one of the leaders in that category. Vanderbilt, over the last 4 games, has averaged 8.8 rebounds in only about 20 minutes per game. That is flat out getting it done.
This Kentucky basketball team has lacked an identity all season long. Over the past 2 games, both wins, the Wildcats have been great on defense and dominant on the boards. For the Wildcats to be successful going forward, it would behoove them to stick to that formula. Because for this team, right now, it’s working.