Kentucky Basketball: Making or breaking their march to 2020 Final Four

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - FEBRUARY 22: Ashton Hagans #0, Immanuel Quickley #5 and Tyrese Maxey #3 of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrate defeating the Florida Gators 65-59 after the game at Rupp Arena on February 22, 2020 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images) /

3 of 3

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – DECEMBER 28: Jordan Nwora #33 of the Louisville Cardinals shoots the ball against the Kentucky Wildcats (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Second-chance points and foul trouble

In conference play, the Wildcats surrendered just the10th most points in the SEC (66ppg), but that total could balloon easily in the tournament thanks in part to the number of second scoring chances they surrender.

Kentucky gives up 8.9 offensive rebounds per game, there are a total of 226 schools that give up less than that. With only EJ Montgomery and Nick Richards standing 6 foot 10 or above, rebounding will continue to be a factor for the Wildcats.

Evansville and Tennesse grabbed nine offensive boards each in their wins, while Auburn, who are known for their aggressive play, tallied 16 offensive boards in their win over Kentucky. Granted, a team still needs to convert these extended possesions, but the opportunity will be there against Kentucky.

Many times getting extended possessions does not result in a made basket, but as the defense is scattering to recover and find their man, they are more prone to foul, and foul trouble is something the Wildcats need to avoid.

On the season, coach Calipari has played nine guys, and 7 have contributed in more ways than just eating 10 minutes per game. Nonetheless, the starters are the ones who are going to get Kentucky as far as they will go, and a couple “of specialty guys” have developed, particularly on the defensive end.

The importance of Quickley has been established, but the importance of Nick Richards and Ashton Hagans can not be overlooked. Hagans leads the team in assists and steals, while Richards leads the Wildcats in rebounds and blocks. The glaring downfall is that both these players average at least three personal fouls per game.

Next. Biggest takeaways of the week. dark

Not only does playing with fouls make players less aggressive on defense and on the board, but if either of these two key defenders sits on the bench for a substantial amount of time due to fouls, it will just compound the difficulty they have preventing second chance opportunities. A team can only give up so many extra shots before they break.

Teams that can potentially “break” Kentucky prior to the Final Four: Baylor. Florida State, West Virginia, Duke.

Home/Kentucky Wildcats