Kentucky didn’t miss PJ Washington too much on Thursday, as they beat up on the Abilene Christian Wildcats and won 79-44, and will take on the Wofford Terriers in the Round of 32 after the Terriers went on 17-0 in the final four minutes to close out Seton Hall.
The Terriers are riding the longest active winning streak in the country at 21 wins and are in the middle of the best season in their 24 season history and will give Kentucky their best shot on Saturday.
Lets take a look at the sharpshooting Terriers and what Kentucky needs to do be successful.
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Defend the Three and Fletcher Magee (I am aware it rhymes)
If you have watched the slightest bit of college basketball this season, this should be a given.
Wofford is the second best three-point shooting team in the country, ranking second in three-pointers made (377) and three-point percentage (41.8% 3P). The three-point shot is the only
The star of the Terriers, Fletcher Magee will come into Saturday as the NCAA Division 1 all time leader in three pointers made with (505). This season, 74% of Magee’s shots have come from the perimeter and he is shooting more accurate than Steph Curry’s senior season with more attempts.
Steph Curry 2008-09: 38.7% 3P, 130-336
Fletcher Magee 2018-19: 43.3% 3P, 158-365
Kentucky will have to guard the perimeter more than any other game this season and that is something they have struggled with at times this season, especially early. However, the Cat’s have improve their perimeter defense from the start of SEC play.
The Cats will have to go against Cal’s philosophy to double team on the drive in order to prevent open outside looks. It’s simple math, giving up a layup is better than a wide open three.
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Take Advantage of Offensive Opportunities
Kentucky is bigger, stronger, faster, and overall more superior at absolutely every position on the court. While Wofford is an elite shooting, they are not so hot on the defensive end.
The Terriers have played five games against NCAA tournament teams this season, and have allowed 70 or more points in all of them.
With Kentucky’s superiority, we should see the frontcourt have one of their biggest games of the season. With that mindset, it would be a big help if the Cats are able to draw fouls on the Wofford starters. Simply, there should be no excuse to settle for outside shots.
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However, if Wofford shoots 40% or higher from three Kentucky will have to answer. With only three players shooting over 35% from three (Herro, Johnson, Quickley), that could be an issue.
John Calipari has told us all that this is the best shooting team he has had at Kentucky. While that may appear to be true on paper, it hasn’t been proven to be true on the court. Saturday would be a great day to show it, and a big opportunity for Jemarl Baker.
Stay out of Foul Trouble
There are usually two main factors in an NCAA tournament upset, great shooting and opponent foul trouble.
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The Terriers are going to pump fake and drive it inside to draw fouls any chance they get, in an effort to try to put Kentucky’s starters on the bench and try to “level out” the playing field. Kentucky has broken the “don’t foul a jumpshooter” amendment so many times this season, and they will have to show discipline on Saturday.
Scott Padgett on if Kentucky should be Worried
Scott Padgett, a key player of the 1998 Kentucky championship
team, is now the head coach of Samford. As a member of the Southern Conference,
Samford has faced off against Wofford Twice this season, giving Padgett some firsthand
insight.
Rick Bozich of WDRB, asked Padgett if the Cats should be worried
of the Terriers and had this to say:
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“Yes”
“Now, let me say that if Kentucky comes out and respects Wofford as a team, takes it seriously and doesn’t look at their name and think they’re some mid-major they’re just going to roll, Kentucky should win the game. If they treat it the way the way coach (John) Calipari will tell them to treat it, they’ll be fine.
“But if they just show up, this isn’t some team they’re just going to roll. They’ve prepared and scheduled for this opportunity for several years. Wofford is a damn good team.”
Prediction
The Terriers only hope this weekend is to catch fire from three, but they are more than capable of doing that and showed it in the first round hitting 46.4% of their 28 attempts against Seton Hall. All four of the Terriers’ losses are considered be quadrant 1 losses, three of them coming against teams Kentucky has beaten: North Carolina, Mississippi St., and Kansas.
Even without PJ Washington, the Wildcats have the talent and tools necessary to win. It will be harder but but I expect that Cats to win with their talent and athleticism.
Once a projected top-10 pick, former Kentucky Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw is now away from the Ohio State basketball program for unclear reasons.
On Friday, the program released a statement that Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities, but that they could not comment further due to federal privacy laws.
“Aaron Bradshaw is not currently participating in team activities,” the statement read. “The university is following its established process. Due to federal privacy laws, we cannot share further information at this time.”
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Ohio State coach Jake Diebler held a press conference Friday night after the Buckeyes’ win over Campbell, where he said could not provide further comment and referred to the University’s public statement.
“Regarding Aaron, I understand you may have some questions,” Diebler said to open his postgame press conference. “As stated, have to refer to the statement that was released and can’t have any comment on that. Respect the job you have to do. Just know I cannot comment on that any further.”
This comes shortly after news of a federal investigation into sports wagering activities broke earlier this week. Former Temple and Virginia Tech guard Hysier Miller was dismissed from the Hokies last month due to the investigation which first started after the Owls were flagged in March by a watchdog group for suspicious gambling activity.
With more names expected to be released in the coming weeks, the investigation has begun to narrow its search to players with ties to Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. Of course, Bradshaw is from Camden, New Jersey, just across the Deleware River from Philadelphia, and those with knowledge of the situation are suggesting he could be involved.
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Court documents do show that Bradshaw recently failed to appear in court following a speeding violation, where he was clocked at 102 mph in a 65 mph zone. However, similar situations of student-athletes speeding have not been handled in this fashion.
The wording of the statement does not make it seem like a minor incident that will soon blow over. This is certainly something to keep an eye on, with some believing it could lead to a nationwide ban on college sports betting.
The Kentucky Wildcats are back in action Friday to face the Jackson State Tigers in the second game of the BBN Invitational.
To put it simply, Jackson State is bad, very bad. Sitting at 0-5 and ranked 321st in KenPom, the Tigers will likely be the worst opponent Kentucky will play all season.
Coached by Mo Williams, one of LeBron James’ old teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Tigers have only finished above .500 twice in the last decade. This season, Jackson State is predicted to finish fourth in the SWAC.
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Mark Pope recently said he wanted to build a standard, regardless of opponent and, and that will be tested on Friday.
Let’s take a look at the matchup.
More 3-Point Attempts
Admittedly nitpicking, one of the things that Mark Pope was not happy with in Kentucky’s win over Lipscomb was the amount of three-point attempts. While they shot nearly 50 percent from deep, going 12-25, Pope wants to see the number of attempts closer to 35.
The Tigers have allowed their opponents to shoot 47.8 percent from deep, the second-worst mark in the country. Pope and the staff will certainly generate a game plan to take advantage of this. Expect to see 30+ attempts.
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Ball Movement
Despite beating Lipscomb by 29 points, the Wildcats had a season-low in assists with just ten. For context, Kentucky had averaged more than 23 assists per game entering the matchup.
“That’s not us. That’s not who we are,” Pope said after the game.
While there wasn’t a lot of selfishness, the ball just wasn’t ‘flying’ as it has been early this season. This is a priority for the staff and this mature group, and they will aim for 25+ assists.
Keep JSU off the Free-Throw Line
Jackson State ranks in the top 100 nationally in one area: Free throws made per game. So, Kentucky, defend without fouling.
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Kentucky’s offense makes headlines, but the defense has played very well to start the season, holding all four opponents to under 73 points. Let’s see if they can get down in a stance and defend well for 40 minutes vs. a team that stresses contact and drawing fouls.
Time: 7 PM ET on November 22nd Location: Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY TV Channel: This game will not be on TV and is streaming only, Online Stream: SEC Network+, ESPN+, and the ESPN app. Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens have the radio call on the UK Sports Radio Network. Replay:WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings). Rosters:UK | JSU Stats to Know:UK | JSU KenPom: UK | JSU Team Sheet: UK | JSU
Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has yet to release the odds for the game, so check Thursday afternoon for an official spread. Multiple projections give Kentucky a 99% chance of winning: Bart Torvik (99%), EvanMiya (99.9%), and ESPN (99.0%). The exception is KenPom (92%).
The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.
Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.
Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.
It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .