Can Kentucky turn five into six? We won’t have to wait long to find out, with the Wildcats getting off to a 5-0 start against top-15 contenders in another ranked battle, this time with the arrival of No. 4 Alabama – the opponent the highest ranked on the calendar. so far. It is also the highest scoring offense in college basketball and one of the top three rebounding teams in college basketball and a top ten team in free throws and three-point attempts in basketball. college ball.
You get the idea. A tough opponent in a championship schedule filled with nothing but tough opponents, this one is just one little better than some of the other tough opponents. Oh, and they’re led by a tough coach who just made the program’s first Final Four appearance in history.
“What Nate (Oats) What I did in Alabama was amazing, wasn’t it? » said Mark Pope on Thursday. “They had an all-time great season last year, their program is in a great position and they play a fun style of basketball. They play excellent basketball.
It was another impressive start for the Crimson Tide, starting the season 14-3 with nine wins combined between Quad 1 and 2 competitions, five of which were ranked opponents. They are, however, coming off a ten-point loss at home to No. 21 Ole Miss – their first black eye in SEC play.
It’s the 17-game sample that Pope is focusing on, however, and not the recent mistake. On the contrary, this loss will only have Alabama more excited entering Rupp Arena.
The Wildcats are preparing accordingly.
“It’s really hard to prepare for that. Look, it’s impossible to prepare for every team in this league, everyone is so good,” Pope said. “This is basically our third straight top-10 team at home for the first time ever. Everyone is really good and poses different challenges. Alabama currently is – of course, they’ve always been so powerful in demanding that you guard the space. Their pace is elite. The stats change almost daily, but this is one of the fastest teams in the country.
Spend too much time celebrating in the heat of battle against this team and they’ll score on you before you blink. The Tide has the nation’s No. 2 adjusted tempo and No. 7 offense ready to make you pay if you’re not engaged every second for 40 minutes.
“When you break down their use of possession, in the first six seconds and the next six seconds of the shot clock after shots, that’s when they punish you,” Pope continued. “It’s one of those games where if you’re not careful you’re going to make a big play and all your guys will be celebrating and the cameras will be focused on your guy and then they’ll come back to your guys and they’ve got it again the ball because Alabama has already gone and scored, right?
Oh, and they have the reigning SEC Player of the Year leading the way, Mark Sears currently averaging 18.6 points, 4.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 32.6 minutes per game in his last eligibility season. Combine that with the fact that the Tide is the best offensive rebounding team in the country so far this year, while also being ranked in the top 15 in every category on the glass overall – #2 in defensive rebounding, n °3 in rebound margin. and No. 14 in offensive rebounding — and Kentucky undoubtedly had its hands full on Saturday.
“Their transition attack is unbelievable, their spacing is unbelievable, they have the presumptive player of the year in the league (in Mark Sears),” Pope said. “Over the last five games, they’ve been the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the country, which is pretty awesome, right? We just went to Mississippi State and they were the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the country for a reason, and now we have the No. 1 offensive rebounding team over the last five games.
“They’re a great team, obviously, they’re incredibly well coached and they’re veterans, veterans. It’ll be fun.
Is it easier to prepare knowing the Wildcats are no slouches offensively — they’re actually ranked ahead of the Tide in offensive efficiency at second overall — or is it harder? Pope sees both sides of the coin, understanding that there are obvious overlaps in terms of overall philosophies such as shot volume and pace, but also differences in terms of team identity.
Simply put, it won’t be easy, regardless of the surface-level similarities.
“A bit of both.” Certainly, their use of the three-point line is very cumbersome. I think they’re No. 3 in the country, actually, with a two-point, two-three, three-point winning percentage. They’re really, really efficient at the rim, and their volume from the three-point line is intense,” Pope said. “They didn’t turn out very well, but their volume is still scary. The night they shoot, it’s certainly a long night for their opponent. But really, for me, it’s their pace, and (the effort) on the offensive glass right now, it’s just remarkable. Their concerted effort on the offensive glass was truly special.
They answered the bell at Mississippi State and against Texas A&M. Can they hold up against their highest-ranked opponent so far?
