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Kentucky basketball: 5 Rushed reactions vs Kansas St.

By Matt Upchurch

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 22: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts in the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats during the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at Philips Arena on March 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 22: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts in the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats during the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at Philips Arena on March 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 22: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts in the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at Philips Arena on March 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 22: Head coach John Calipari of the Kentucky Wildcats reacts in the first half against the Kansas State Wildcats during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament South Regional at Philips Arena on March 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

2. Too easy to scout

My biggest fear about the Sweet 16 game was the amount of time KSU had to prepare and scout. I’ve repeatedly written throughout the season that UK’s offense was stagnant, predictable, and easy to scout.

Calipari’s offense lacked creativity and motion. The Cats relied on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to breakdown his defender, or Kevin Knox to hit tough shots. KSU took away SGA’s drives to the basket. They took away most of what Knox liked to do. They didn’t respect Sacha Killeya-Jones’ or Nick Richard’s ability to score. KSU challenged Quade Green to finish at the rim.  

K-State had the Kentucky basketball team scouted, and their defensive game plan was executed to perfection. I don’t check statistics for these rushed reactions, but 58 points has to be close to a season low for UK.

The KSU defenders bumped, pushed, and checked Knox off every screen during the game. In the last 4 minutes, Knox could hardly get open enough to even catch the ball on the perimeter. Gilgeous-Alexander was bumped, shoved, and hand-checked all throughout the game. In the final minutes, SGA just seemed to lack energy, turning the ball over in a couple brutal plays.

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