Connect with us

Kentucky Basketball

John Calipari’s defense could be key to Kentucky’s shot at title

John Calipari - photo by Walter Cornett | WildcatWorld.com

– photo by Walter Cornett | WildcatWorld.com

John Calipari did not spend a single one of 's 16, one-hour workouts this summer working with his players on defense. Since practices officially began in October, Calipari says he and his staff have instructed “all offense,” and that won't change until after the season begins.

For those who want to view Calipari as a coach who merely amasses great talent and rolls out the ball, those details are manna. Can you imagine Jim Boeheim not working on his 2-3 zone for 16 consecutive practices? Would Bo Ryan or Tom Izzo or another coach known for teaching great man-to-man defense not instruct on that until after games were played?

But there is no madness in Calipari's methods and more than a little genius. “First, I don't want [the players] to be miserable right away playing basketball. I want them to enjoy it,” he says. “They enjoy offense.” Second, by focusing almost entirely on teaching his Dribble-Drive Motion offense, Calipari is pulling something of a Mr. Miyagi, Wax-on, Wax-off trick on his players. “Having to guard the ball is the hardest thing you have to learn,” he says. “Guarding against screens, against the picker and rolls and all that, we have schemes for that stuff, but it starts with a guy with the ball coming at you. By working on the Dribble-Drive right away, we are working on guarding the dribbler from the start.”

Read full article here.

 

On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 27, 1951, UK wins its third NCAA title, defeating Kansas State, 68-58, in the finals in Minneapolis.

 

On March 27, 1978, Jack “Goose” Givens scores 41 points as UK wins its fifth NCAA Championship, 94-88, over Duke in St. Louis.  Givens scored the last 16 points of the first half for Kentucky, bringing his first-half total up to 23 points. Givens poured in another 18 points in the second half.  Givens' helped lead the Wildcats to their first title in over 20 years.  More than 10,000 fans greet the team at Blue Grass Airport and 15,000 more celebrate at Memorial Coliseum

 

On March 27, 1993, Kentucky beat Florida State to advance to the NCAA Final Four in New Orleans. The victory completed a string of four games in which the Wildcats blitzed their Southeast Region opponents by an average of 31.0 points - the largest margin of victory by a team through four games en route to the Final Four.

 

On March 27, 2009, Billy Gillispie is fired as the Kentucky head basketball coach.

 

On March 27, 2011, freshman Brandon Knight scored 22 points and fourth-seeded Kentucky advanced to the Final Four for the first time since the 1998 title with a 76-69 win over second-seeded North Carolina in the East Regional final of the NCAA Tournament.  The last minute of the game became the DeAndre Liggins show, as he blocked a shot on defense, hit a game-winning three-pointer on offense, then blocked another shot on defense to seal the victory. He finished with 12 points..

 

More in Kentucky Basketball