Deep Blue
03-17-2007, 02:37 PM
I was browsing a KU board to get their perspective and came upon the following analysis, presumably from a KU fan. What do you guys think? Thought it mightspark a good discussion of the matchup:
Author:NWGreybeard(dsl-209-151-55-146.fiberpipe.net)
Date:03-16-2007 22:27
Kentucky's a better matchup than Villanova would have been, simply because VU is one of those one-dimensional, guard-oriented teams that wins by outshooting its opponent--when they're on, they can be lethal. Fortunately for Kentucky, this wasn't one of those nights.
Kentucky, on the other hand, wins (on the recently rare occasions when they do) by playing the kind of disciplined, balanced execution Tubby Smith is known for. When they have the talent and the leadership, that makes them formidable; when they don't, it just makes them predictable. If you have better talent and a similar commitment to execution, you can beat them even on a bad day because UK doesn't have any ringers to upset the equation.
Randolph Morris is an elite talent in the post, but his motivation and attitude are strangely inconsistent. He has size and strength, grace, and a full repertoire of post moves, but Kentucky has a hard time getting him the ball, partly because the guards are not of the same elite quality but also because Morris doesn't consistently work hard enough to make himself available for the inlet pass. Plus, when he does make the effort to fight through screens and the usual low-post mud wrestling to get open, if he doesn't get the ball he gets discouraged and tends to quit for the next few possessions. If you can pressure him with a solid post defender on his back and deny him the ball with perimeter help, he'll disappear, and without his presence Kentucky isn't even an average team. His backup, Obrzut, is a lumbering stiff who will make Sasha look like a ballet dancer.
Joe Crawford is a decent 6'5" combo guard who averages about 14 points and 4 rebounds a game, but he's not a particularly good long-range shooter nor even an average ball-handler. He does better work inside getting garbage points, but like everyone else on the team seems to lack the kind of fire that would enable him to overcome his talent deficit with spirit and hard work. His backcourt partner, Ramel Bradley, is a shorter version of the same composite, averaging a similar 13-and-3+. They're not good penetrators and both are vulnerable to pressure from quick, athletic defenders.
In short, Kentucky plays basic, straight-forward basketball without the freakish talent to impose that style on better teams nor the gimmicks that let them pull off upsets. They run good offense, but the guards are only average ballhandlers and their primary post player won't outwork anybody to maximize his talent. No shifty point guard and no deadeye shooters means that Kentucky only beats the teams that have similar or less talent. Even during the late-season swoon that saw Florida lose to LSU (without Davis), Vanderbilt, and Tennessee, the Gators still handled Kentucky twice. Unlike the Dynasty Defender, I still have a lot of respect for Tubby Smith as a coach, and I'm sure his team will play to their ability; nevertheless, if the Jayhawks play to their ability, this game won't be close past the first 15 minutes. Tubby's starters don't match up in talent, and he has no respectable bench. Too bad, really. Beating KU to make a Sweet 16 might have secured Tubby's job; getting drubbed in the second round will only add fuel to the funeral pyre the fanaticals are building for him.
Author:NWGreybeard(dsl-209-151-55-146.fiberpipe.net)
Date:03-16-2007 22:27
Kentucky's a better matchup than Villanova would have been, simply because VU is one of those one-dimensional, guard-oriented teams that wins by outshooting its opponent--when they're on, they can be lethal. Fortunately for Kentucky, this wasn't one of those nights.
Kentucky, on the other hand, wins (on the recently rare occasions when they do) by playing the kind of disciplined, balanced execution Tubby Smith is known for. When they have the talent and the leadership, that makes them formidable; when they don't, it just makes them predictable. If you have better talent and a similar commitment to execution, you can beat them even on a bad day because UK doesn't have any ringers to upset the equation.
Randolph Morris is an elite talent in the post, but his motivation and attitude are strangely inconsistent. He has size and strength, grace, and a full repertoire of post moves, but Kentucky has a hard time getting him the ball, partly because the guards are not of the same elite quality but also because Morris doesn't consistently work hard enough to make himself available for the inlet pass. Plus, when he does make the effort to fight through screens and the usual low-post mud wrestling to get open, if he doesn't get the ball he gets discouraged and tends to quit for the next few possessions. If you can pressure him with a solid post defender on his back and deny him the ball with perimeter help, he'll disappear, and without his presence Kentucky isn't even an average team. His backup, Obrzut, is a lumbering stiff who will make Sasha look like a ballet dancer.
Joe Crawford is a decent 6'5" combo guard who averages about 14 points and 4 rebounds a game, but he's not a particularly good long-range shooter nor even an average ball-handler. He does better work inside getting garbage points, but like everyone else on the team seems to lack the kind of fire that would enable him to overcome his talent deficit with spirit and hard work. His backcourt partner, Ramel Bradley, is a shorter version of the same composite, averaging a similar 13-and-3+. They're not good penetrators and both are vulnerable to pressure from quick, athletic defenders.
In short, Kentucky plays basic, straight-forward basketball without the freakish talent to impose that style on better teams nor the gimmicks that let them pull off upsets. They run good offense, but the guards are only average ballhandlers and their primary post player won't outwork anybody to maximize his talent. No shifty point guard and no deadeye shooters means that Kentucky only beats the teams that have similar or less talent. Even during the late-season swoon that saw Florida lose to LSU (without Davis), Vanderbilt, and Tennessee, the Gators still handled Kentucky twice. Unlike the Dynasty Defender, I still have a lot of respect for Tubby Smith as a coach, and I'm sure his team will play to their ability; nevertheless, if the Jayhawks play to their ability, this game won't be close past the first 15 minutes. Tubby's starters don't match up in talent, and he has no respectable bench. Too bad, really. Beating KU to make a Sweet 16 might have secured Tubby's job; getting drubbed in the second round will only add fuel to the funeral pyre the fanaticals are building for him.
