Kentucky's 77-51 season-opening win over Nicholls State was a perfect encapsulation of this team's identity: a dominant, physical force on defense and on the glass, paired with a bafflingly poor shooting performance that kept the game sluggish for long stretches.
Sophomore Collin Chandler, who led the Cats with 15 points and a massive dunk which you can see here, had the perfect analogy for Kentucky's style of play. He described it as a game of "Jenga."
How Kentucky plays 'Jenga' with opponents and an alarming red flag
Speaking with the ESPN crew after the game, Chandler explained the team's mindset, especially when shots aren't falling. "You keep pulling blocks and at some point a team is going to fold," Chandler said. "We are just patient waiting for that Jenga moment and it came tonight."
That "Jenga moment" is Kentucky's relentless assault on the other team. They are not going to stop coming or stop shooting. It's the core of their identity. Chandler acknowledged the team's streaky shooting – "I mean we're a shooting team. There are going to be nights when we don't shoot it well..." – but explained the counter-punch: "we're coming 4 guys to the offense rebound."
He's not wrong. Kentucky absolutely dominated Nicholls State on the boards, outrebounding them 51-30. That massive +21 margin, including 15 offensive rebounds, is how a team that shoots poorly can still win by 26 points. After scoring just 9 points in the first 10 minutes, the Cats wore down the Colonels, scoring 68 in the final 30 minutes as the "Jenga" tower finally crumbled.
That Jenga strategy is great, but it hides a glaring, potentially fatal flaw: Kentucky cannot make the easy free shots. The poor shooting from deep is one thing, but the free throw shooting is a five-alarm fire.
- Blue-White Game: 8-for-15 (53.3%)
- Purdue (Win): 9-for-13 (69.2%)
- Georgetown (Loss): 23-for-35 (65.7%)
- Nicholls St (Win): 12-for-22 (54.5%)
That is abysmal. It's not a small sample size anymore; it's a trend. This team is shooting 61% from the foul line through all of its live-action games. Compounding the problem, the 3-point shooting hasn't been much better, as the Cats hit just 7-of-27 (25.9%) from deep against Nicholls.
Relying on offensive rebounds to win games is a great plan B, but it's not a sustainable path to Banner Nine. Good teams make free throws at a good clip, great teams make 75 percent or better. Right now, Kentucky doesn't. That has to change, and fast, if they want to compete with the elite teams on their schedule.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion