Kentucky basketball is heading into a make-or-break situation when they take on the Auburn Tigers tonight on the road. Assistant coach Cody Fueger said the team has to play "fearless" basketball and always be looking to "make plays for teammates." But what does that really mean?
We looked at the assist numbers, and they are not great. Denzel Aberdeen is doing a serviceable enough job filling in for the injured Jaland Lowe, but 3.2 assists a game from your point guard is not sustainable for an offense. It means he is looking for his own shot much more often than looking to get his teammates' shots. That's a real problem.
After Alabama throttled the Cats in Tuscaloosa, Nate Oats took his shot at Kentucky's offense.
“When I watched them play, I didn’t feel like they moved the ball great...You look, and their assist rate is pretty high. Do a deeper dive — 27 assists, 27 assists — against bye games that play a lot of zone. When they played high major teams that were really good, their assist rates were very low.”
Against Georgia they had 13 assists and 13 turnovers. Nate wasn't lying.
What Kentucky basketball must do if they want to make the 2nd weekend of March Madness
How do you fix that? Well, Kentucky is doing its best to get its players to understand how important it is to pass the ball. If you watch soccer, teams play possession. They hold the ball, and they do a lot of little passes that really don't amount to a lot until they are ready to strike. That's kind of what Kentucky's offense has been.
They move the ball, but there is no real intent to get a good shot out of it. Most possessions end with an Otega Oweh or Denzel Aberdeen shot or turnover. 33 possessions against Georgia ended in either an Oweh/Aberdeen shot or turnover.
So, to fix it, the Cats need every player to drive with the intent of getting a better shot for someone else. If it opens up and you can make an easy layup, take it. If not, know where your teammates are and go make a play for them.
When Kentucky has looked its best this season, it is when the team is driving to pass. But far too often, it is a drive to score. Cody Fueger said:
"At the end of the day, at all times, we want to play fearless. We want these guys to play free and just play basketball, and making plays for teammates, it's everything for us offensively. And it can be screening, making a play for a teammate, it can be our pace of play, passing obviously, bringing two [defenders] to the ball."
That better start tonight in Auburn; if it doesn't, the Cats will be limping to Columbia looking to save the season.