Once again, I thought this was a solid performance by the Cats. According to Pomeroy's methods -- which count all of the games where Jones was playing -- the Cats should have won by 24 points, 82-58. In fact, even without Jones, the Cats won by . . . 24 points, 87-63.
This is the third time in 12 games where the Cats have scored exactly 87 points. It's also the second time they've won 87-63; they beat Portland by the same score.
As those facts indicate, Kentucky has just been amazingly consistent so far this year. Almost every game they've played has tracked very closely with Pomeroy's formula, showing that the Cats are basically playing the same type of game over and over.
So there's not a lot to say about this game that hasn't already been said about prior games. Just a few points come to mind. First, I liked Loyola's team. They were quick, they were aggressive, they really came out and challenged Kentucky. I thought they were the most entertaining mid-major type program we've played all year, and I hope they do well.
Second, there were a few moments in the first half when UK seemed a little rattled by Loyola's intensity and aggressiveness. After the gentlemanly basketball played by Chattanooga and Samford, the Cats took awhile to adjust to Loyola's Mid-Atlantic attitude. But of course, Kidd-Gilchrist was right at home in this environment. Calipari has described him as a bigger version of DeAndre Liggins, and you could really see that today. He has Liggins's intensity and general overall type of game, but he's bigger and more athletic than Liggins. Today he really mixed it up with the Greyhounds, finishing with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists -- and five fouls. The TV guys named him the player of the game, and he deserved it.
The other hero in today's game was a bit of a surprise. A lot of fans have worried that Wiltjer was too soft to play for UK, but he handled today's scrum with real aplomb. In the modern game, it is often impossible to get off a clean shot anywhere within five feet of the basket. Under those circumstances, teams can really use kids who know how to shoot, and Wiltjer can shoot. Furthermore, since he's 6' 9", he can also get close to the rim and draw fouls. Today he really showed his potential. He was 7-11 from the field, 3-6 from three-point range, and 7-8 from the line. He finished with 24 points and 4 rebounds in only 25 minutes. If he can play good enough defense to stay on the floor, he could prove to be a key offensive weapon down the stretch.
Finally, I think Kentucky should be relatively cautious about taking three-point shots. They made a great comeback in the second half at Indiana without hitting a single three-pointer, and today they scored 45 points in the first half without making a three-pointer. I really believe that in the vast majority of possessions, they are better off taking shorter shots and battling for the rebounds. (The one exception here is Doron Lamb. I trust Lamb to do the right thing, and if he chooses to shoot a three, I won't complain.)
So now we break for Christmas. I think the Cats have looked really good so far. They are 11-1, and they are outscoring their opponents by 23.6 points per game. I would also note that Indiana is looking better and better, and UK's performance in Bloomington looks more impressive now than it did the day of the game. Let's just hope that Jones is back and healthy next week.
The only thing I would add after watching this game is if Loyola doesn't get called for something like 17 fouls in the first half this could have been a completely different game. They quickly had two starters on the bench in the second and that's when UK started to open up the lead. Honestly if you're a Loyola fan you had to be going nuts with all the foul calls. UK took around 21 free throw attempts in the first half.
ReplyDeleteI don't think you can put enough emphasis on just how bad Wiltjer is on defense. The minute he steps on the floor teams attack him, and so far he has had no response. He has got to get better if UK can trust him to be out there in tight games.
I didn't realize this was an afternoon tip, and so I didn't know about the game until I went out on the front porch to say hello to my father-in-law who had walked the dog down the street. He said UK looked pretty good in the second half.
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