By PAUL GOTHAM
Entering Saturday’s Elite 8 game against Notre Dame, Kentucky’s Wildcats boasted the numbers of the top-rated defense in the country. UK led the nation in field goal percentage defense (.351), ranked second in blocks (6.9), third in 3-point field goal defense (.270) and third in points allowed (53.9) per game.
Facing one of the nation’s top-rated offenses it was what UK’s defense gave up to win which punched their ticket to the Final Four.
Notre Dame ranked second in the country making 51.1 percent of its shots including 58.4 percent inside the arc. ND’s 8.1 three-pointers per game and 39 percent accuracy from long range ranked in the top 25. The Irish forced a decision.
Kentucky’s choice and execution of a plan showed an ability to adapt that could make the difference when the Wildcats tip off against Wisconsin in the national semi-final.
Notre Dame hit 46.4 percent (26-of-56) of its shots Saturday night en route to scoring 66 points – both above UK’s season average. But the Wildcats compensated behind the arc where they not only limited the Irish to half as many makes (4) as their season average but also their takes to 14 (six under the season average).
Kentucky traded threes for twos. In the process they disrupted rhythm. The Irish who rely upon ball movement on the perimeter to create space found tough sledding and in the end Kentucky won a battle of attrition.
“We were a little tired at the end,” Notre Dame’s Mike Brey noted. “I used a couple timeouts just to rest us. We were fatigued a little bit because our guys play a lot. Their length at times shrinks the court and it just makes it a little difficult, and it did there a couple possessions at the end of the game.”
A timeout was what Notre Dame needed on the last play of the game when trailing by two Jerian Grant went the length of the floor off the dribble without a designed play.
“They did such a great job kind of doubling him,” Brey stated. “He went for the win, I don’t fault him for that. He tried to get something off but I don’t think he could turn the corner. Even some of the shots he took in those possessions that were a little empty, you can say get to the basket, it’s a little harder to get to the basket against these guys, there’s not a lot of room in there. And I thought they doubled him out of bounds and they did a great job kind of riding him all the way to the end.”
Notre Dame did get their points. They hit better than 52 percent of their shots inside the arc. Using ball screen action, the Irish were able to catch the Wildcats overplaying behind the arc. Zach Auguste took advantage of one-on-one situations (and sometimes not even that) in the paint for a team-high 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting (equaling the effort from the field of UK’s Karl-Anthony Towns).
“The thing on the side pick and roll and the empty side pick and roll, that’s on me as a coach,” Kentucky’s John Calipari said. “We never figured it out, we tried doing some different things and they just kept scoring on that, and Mike did what he should have, just kept going back at it.”
Kentucky, though, took Notre Dame out its comfort zone, and it showed in the game’s final moments when the Irish failed to score on their last three possessions. With the season on the line, Kentucky took away just enough ( four 3-pointers or 12 points).
“Give Notre Dame credit, they came right after us, they were not afraid, they were confident,” Calipari said. “We made some plays down the stretch. We don’t make them, they’re going to Indy, and we’re going home.”
In Wisconsin, UK faces another team known for its offensive efficiency. According to Ken Pomeroy’s ratings, UW leads the nation in points per 100 possession at 127.5. The Badgers’ 7.2 turnovers and 12. 4 fouls per game are the least in the nation. UW hits 55.2 percent (7th) of their shots inside the arc and 36.4 percent outside. Wisconsin makes 7.2 3-pointers per game. The Badgers also counter with more size in Frank Kaminsky (7-0), Sam Dekker (6-9) and Nigel Hayes (6-8).
“That’s a great match-up,” Brey noted. “Wisconsin’s a little bit like us, they’re skilled and they can spread people out a little bit. They have a little more bulk and frontline size, but they’re really skilled offensive guys.”
Can Kentucky disrupt Wisconsin’s rhythm?
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