After experiencing the second loss of the season to an unranked opponent, there are some serious questions about Kentucky basketball. The Wildcats are both seemingly really good and really frustrating. What is going on, and how can it be solved before SEC play? When the season started, it seemed like depth was going to be the biggest asset for this thrown-together team. Tons of veteran experience with a little bit of high-potential freshmen.
However, after this start to the season, is depth actually the problem and not the solution? Is Kentucky struggling mainly because there is a big drop-off after their starting 5? According to basketball analytics guru Evan Miyakawa, this may be the case. Look at his chart below:
Here's a breakdown of how Kentucky's players are impacting team performance while on the floor, from https://t.co/cegyfz96ax.
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) December 20, 2024
Upper right is good (high team offensive and defensive efficiency). Williams, Butler, and Carr have been awesome, but Garrison has really struggled. pic.twitter.com/sBxhmbx3dA
Look who is up in that right-hand corner, the starting 5. Those are the players that have the biggest impact on the Kentucky Wildcats when they are on the court. The only five players on the positive side of the spectrum are the starters; everyone else is on the negative side. Garrison is struggling the most defensively, while Kriisa has struggled the most offensively.
"Considering how much depth this team has, it's a bit disappointing that the players outside the starting 5 are not at the same level. Kentucky needs to get more out of these players, especially Garrison."Evan Miyakawa
Before the Ohio State game, analytics ranked Kentucky's starting five as one of the best starting five in college basketball. Miyakawa had them at 5th in the nation in terms of on-court productivity. That has since dropped after the loss to the Buckeyes, but a concerning trend is developing. If the starting five aren't amazing, where are the other players? Where is the other impact? Here's the chart of the best starting five in college basketball (before the Ohio State game):
Final: Florida 90, North Carolina 84.
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) December 18, 2024
Florida gets its biggest marquee win of the year so far, surviving a great 2nd half comeback from UNC to wrestle the lead back late.
The Gators' starting lineup is the 2nd highest rated lineup in the country behind only Auburn's. pic.twitter.com/QY0gOOYLGR
If Kentucky is going to go deep and win games in the SEC, they will need more from their 6-8 players, especially, if not all the way down to 10. The depth can be a strength, but it is currently a weakness, and that needs to change.