Well, it was fun. As a Kentucky fan, few things can match the feeling you get when you beat the Tennessee Volunteers.It’s even better to do it at the Thompson-Boling Arena. that has been dealt with. Kentucky won 63-56 against rival Vols. Despite entering the game as a double-digit underdog,The Cats earned their first win of the season against a ranked opponent A very important Quad 1 victory. Kentucky is now 11-6 overall and 2-3 in the Southeastern Conference. Meanwhile, fifth-placed Tennessee fell to 14-3 overall and 4-1 in the SEC.
Saturday’s upset was a story of effort. Kentucky didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, with him 35.3% from the field and 31.3% over the arc. However, they dominated the glass on both ends of the floor and delivered their best team defensive performance to date. It certainly didn’t hurt either that the Wildcats eventually found a groove at the free-throw line and made 22 of 25 attempts. Despite playing shorthanded without starting point guards Sahvir Wheeler and Daimion Collins, Calipari got valuable contributions from eight different wildcats. In a season that was in many ways a failure of all systems, Saturday in Knoxville was a success of all systems.
I certainly enjoyed the KSR film room tearing down this game more. It was a difficult season, but I really enjoyed this year. Kentucky performed at a very high level for his 40 minutes on both ends of the floor Saturday afternoon. The Cats set the tone for their defense early on and carried them through to the final buzzer. Also offensively, there were some very promising points despite playing without Sahvir Wheeler and gaining limited minutes from Cason Wallace. We’ll talk about it all while pointing out some instructive moments from the much-needed victory.Dive in and watch a tape of Kentucky’s 63-56 victory over the Tennessee Volunteers. prize.
Kentucky solidifies defense in the first half
In a troubled season for the Kentucky Wildcats, it was the floor defense that caused the biggest problem. It’s too early to say that these issues have been resolved in just one game of his, but he certainly went in the right direction on Saturday. More than anything, The Cats played with the effort and urgency needed to win road games against very good opponents. Let’s see how Kentucky set the tone defensively against the Tennessee Volunteers.
These are the types of effort plays that have been too little for the Wildcats this season. We also saw a very impressive urgency in CJ Fredrick, which we hope will infect his future teammates. Fredrik got too far away from his #25 Vescobi and had to go under the handoff. This is usually not good and results in Vescovi flying his 3 behind the handoff. However, Fredric recovered so urgently that he was still able to take it off. He then fought hard over the ball screen and dived into a loose ball, ultimately leading to a Kentucky steal. It was an effort to win this defensive possession.
The Tennessee Volunteers are the best defensive team in college basketball. but, He was the best defender on the floor for at least two hours Saturday in Knoxville, Kentucky. I never thought it was possible after really sloppy performances in back-to-back games against Alabama and South Carolina. However, credit to Coach Calipari and company for getting this group ready to play in Tennessee.
This possession included a little bit of everything “cat”. The switching on and off of the ball was communicated well. All five guys were actively stunting and jumping on the ball. Oscar Tshiebwe then rushed the possession out to counter the #4 Key’s 3-point attempt. Add all of this up and you have a shot clock violation. Good defensive effort, focus and execution.
There were some really smart personnel-specific decisions Kentucky made on the defensive side of the floor regarding this possession. We also see active help his defense by Oscar Tshiebwe, but he guards who is little more than a threat to Lim. Tshiebwe and Fredrick managed to corral #25 Vescovi in the first baseline drive. Jacob Toppin then makes the calculated decision to leave #13 Nkamhoua, who is essentially a non-shooter, to assist #5 Zeigler in driving, resulting in CJ Fredrick scoring his 3 Missed the shot and long scored his rebound.
Aggressive executions helped defeat Tennessee
Saturday was far from Kentucky’s best offensive performance of the season. But they did enough to beat the Tennessee Volunteers. His two best 3-pointers for the Wildcats. His shooters combined made him five, but only from the deep he made 33.3%. Kayson Wallace went scoreless in just 22 minutes while battling back cramps. Both Oscar Tshiebwe and Jacob Toppin failed to finish several bunnies at the rim. The shotmaking wasn’t necessarily in Knoxville, but the overall execution carried the Cats to victory. Let’s watch some clips.
After the Tennessee Volunteers started 8-0 in the first televised time-out, it would have been human nature to think, “Let’s do it again.” It was also a bad start for the Wildcats as the 5th ranked Vols missed the race. but, CJ Fredrick answered the bell with 10 straight points to help Kentucky come back and take the lead. This zoom action is very effective as Fredrik is a good cutter. He does a great job of changing the pace and has exceptional footwork going into the shot. Once Fredrick sees #25 Vescovi and #4 Key mistaking the switch, he just stands up and fires.
Chris Livingston continues to show more and more why he became a five-star prospect out of high school. He’s a really strong right-handed driver when he can go down the hill to the rim. Kentucky has started using him in his actions more handoffs and it’s been effective for him. Livingston does a great job of playing with both feet at the end of the drive, making him a very strong finisher. The sky is the limit of what this freshman can do this season.
Kentucky’s overall offensive structure and half-court enforcement were far superior to what we’ve seen from the Cats lately against Saturday’s very good Tennessee Volunteers defense. Having to rely on Antonio Reeves and CJ Fredrick for playmaking may have finally unlocked the best versions of their respective games. On this possession, Coach Calipari dialed Reeves’ staggered double up into the handoff and scored an open elbow jumper. It’s a very simple offense, but a very good one for Reeves and the Wildcats.
When you have a few elite shooters on the floor, you don’t need to perform complex attacks—one simple downscreen is enough to free a guy like CJ Fredrick. Everything about this play is perfectly executed. Fredrik does a great job of bringing the defender all the way to Oskar Zibwe’s screen. He then changes pace and sprints and flares to his three while reading the screen correctly. So does a perfectly timed and delivered pass by Kayson Wallace.
Learning from winning is always more fun
Kentucky’s big win over top five opponents doesn’t mean everything was perfect. The film room still has a lot to learn from Saturday’s matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers. but, It’s always much more fun to have those teaching moments after winning as opposed to after losing. Let’s take a look at some areas the Wildcats still need to improve on both offense and defense.
The Wildcats were far superior in terms of ball movement and player movement on Saturday. Offensively they were more fluid against the Tennessee Volunteers. There was Here’s an example of what happens if the ball doesn’t change sides of the floor. With the ball in Adou There’s hands with 20 seconds on the shot clock, he should have immediately taken it to CJ Fredrick on the left to shift defense. Instead, he dribbles to the middle of the floor and sends it back to the right side. The ball has never been played on the left side of the floor. Volunteers are too defensive and can only use half the court.
Oscar Tshiebwe struggled to defend #33 Plavsic in the post but was very active overall and did a solid job in ball screen situations and when pulled out on the perimeter. However, on this possession, he made the bad decision of trying to switch to Jacob his toppin to improve his matchup against #25 Vescobi. Tshiebwe did a great job cutting drive on his left-hand drive when he first switched to his Vescovi. If there is only one path away, you will not be able to switch. This is especially true when guarding dangerous shooters like Vescobi. Anyone can protect someone for their property. Tshiebwe should stick with the man with the switch on, at least until the risk of switching back is lessened.
Throughout the game, Kentucky made some really good decisions on defense. However, on several occasions he was caught for overdoing it. It’s understandable why Oskar Zibwe wanted to play, especially in such a high-pressure situation. You need to focus on your game plan to avoid making this mistake. He’s not really a scoring threat when the #4 key drives left. Kayson Wallace is controlling him on the drive. I didn’t need Tshiebwe’s help on that drive at all. Stepping up like he’s trying to block a shot allows #33 Plavsic to circle under the rim for an easy layup.
