Kentucky Basketball: Another prime opportunity slips by in closing minutes

Kentucky basketball battled for 36 minutes, but it’s a 40-minute game and a loss

Most coaches will tell you they don’t believe in moral victories and while Kentucky basketball fans may find encouragement in the way it took Alabama to the brink of an upset they still came up short.

However, with the Crimson Tide on the ropes and Kentucky swinging they lost focus and John Calipari made another odd lineup decision and it was Alabama that delivered the knockout blow from the foul line for a 70-59 victory.

It marked the first time since the 1988-89 season that the No. 9 Crimson Tide (14-3, 9-0) has swept Kentucky (5-10, 4-4) in the regular season and cemented their claim of the top spot in the Southeastern Conference. In the two games combined Kentucky has led for just 3:06 total.

Also alarming is the fact that since the start of the 2015-16 season Kentucky’s record against ranked opponents is now just 22-21.

Alabama blew Kentucky out 85-65 two weeks ago in Lexington, but on this night the Wildcats took away their best weapon of outside shooting and driving the lane but instead sent them to the foul line.

The Tide was a frigid 6 for 19 shooting in the second half but a sizzling 22 of 26 from the foul line to go with their perfect two foul shots in the opening half to seal the win.

What is more puzzling was Calipari’s lineup in the closing minutes that just floundered like a fish out of water and didn’t know what to do.

The lineup that had them in contention much of the game was Davion Mintz, Dontaie Allen, Brandon Boston, Keion Brooks,  and Isaiah Jackson and Olivier Sarr splitting time down low.

Instead, it was Devin Askew still running the point and contributing absolutely nothing.

In 24 minutes on the floor, he totaled just 2 points, both at the foul line and 0 for 2 from the field with one shot coming with seven seconds left to go along with two assists and a steal.

While he is learning he is an offensive liability highlighted by the fact in the last 88 minutes he has played on the court he is 0-13 shooting from the field.

He is second in minutes played with 447, just 12 behind Boston. But he has netted just 99 points for the season on 31 of 91 (34.1%) shooting and 9 of 35 threes (25.7%) and a team-high 34 turnovers.

Yet in the final six minutes of the game, it was Askew in the game while Kentucky tried to stay close.

Jacob Toppin tried but was lost for much of the game taking just one shot in 21 minutes.

Passing up open shots draws the frustration from Calipari which he singled Toppin out after the game. 

"“How about the shot that Jacob (Toppin) had in the first half, a two-pointer, he went in, drove it, spun, and threw it. You had a 15-footer with no one on you. Why wouldn’t you shoot that? That’s where we’ve got to get through, to where guys trust themselves enough and know I’m not taking you out for missed shots. We’re missing a lot of shots. No one would play. I’m taking guys out because we’re passing up on open shots or you’re not fighting. And again, for 37 minutes, we fought like crazy. Had the ball up two. Got the shot we wanted, missed it. Again, that’s mental toughness.”"

Mintz seems to know where to move the ball at the point and at the least can pull up and knock down a jumper with confidence. Brooks and Allen on the wings give you firepower and Boston gives you a lot of bad shots and turnovers but has moments he can get hot.

Down low there is no physical post presence but Jackson literally plays till he can’t stand up despite missing shots and a case of foul trouble in games. Against Alabama, it was six points, five rebounds, and two blocks in 15 minutes.

Sarr, who tied Mintz and Allen for scoring honors with 12 each, included four baskets and four foul shots, and four rebounds. Without a lot of beef he can’t back big, physical players like Alabama has down in the paint.

Kentucky defense strong much of the night

The defensive play for almost all of the game was some of the best this Kentucky team has shown all year, but for every big stop and play on defense, they struggled offensively.

Both teams were nearly identical on the boards with each pulling down 34 rebounds, most at the defensive end with Kentucky grabbing 27 and Alabama 28.

Kentucky frustrated Alabama all night getting hands in their faces as they tried to pull up for threes and ultimately shut down its playmaker in John Petty Jr. holding him to just 10 points.

But as before other players proved too difficult to handle.

Herb Jones nearly pulled off a triple-double and led in almost every category with 13 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, two blocks, and two steals.

Then there was Jayden Shackleford with 21 points on 5 of 10 shooting and 10 for 10 at the foul line.

Kentucky so misses that lockdown player that can shut opponents down as Ashton Hagens did.

One other Achilles heel that has grabbed this team all year was also in Tuscaloosa and that was the knack of not being able to finish around the rim. Easy misses, simple put-backs, and runners just don’t drop through the net.

Whether it’s simply bad luck, poor shooting, or just a lack of IQ and awareness it bites this team every game.

Sarr addressed the final minutes of games and how they continue to slip away.

"“I think for us it’s just staying locked in all the way. All the way through the 40 minutes. We see what we can do for a good part of the game. We did some great things defensively. We just can’t break down at the end. We can’t let go. We’ve got three more minutes to go or four or whatever it is.”"

Rocky start and ending hard to overcome

It was definitely not the start Kentucky was looking for with Terrence Clarke still out of an injury and then not even two minutes into the game Boston rolled his ankle forcing him to the sidelines. Kentucky valiantly tried to hold their own until Boston returned with 13:55 left and Alabama up 13-7.

Meanwhile, the Tide started off hitting their first five shots including three from behind the arch by Joshua Primo, Alex Reese, and Petty.

With the Tide dropping in 13 points in the first three minutes Calipari went to a rate 2-3 zone defense.

That seemed to be just what they needed despite Calipari’s normal stubbornness to use it. It allowed them to put more hands in the Alabama faces.

But then it was back to the man defense and hold habits crept back in.

If ever there was a game to make a statement in this was it and ultimately mistakes, poor decisions, and 17 turnovers proved too much to overcome in the closing minutes. They even held a 54-53 lead with just 3:31 to play.

It was there for the taking just as so many this season that just slipped away.

The road to the NCAA Tournament gets tougher now, and winning the SEC Tournament maybe Kentucky’s only hope. But Calipari believes his team has life.

"“Yeah, it is, because we’ve got all kind of games left. We’re going to have six or seven ranked teams. I mean, what happens to us, Terrence (Clarke) comes back and all the sudden we’re a different team. My belief is let’s just put ourselves in a better position. This was one of them, right here, right here. Beating LSU, winning this game. Now, all of the sudden, all right, let’s go. And life changes. But we’re just not ready to finish a game off."

Kentucky hosts No. 5 Texas on Saturday at 8 pm as part of the SEC/Big12 Challenge.