Kentucky Basketball: 10 Bold Changes the Wildcats Need to Make Right Now

The Kentucky Wildcats are 21-1 and ranked No. 1 in the country. The team is trying to become the first Kentucky squad ever with six players averaging more than 10 points per game.

But the Wildcats are far from perfect. Many of their recent wins have been by the slimmest of margins against teams they should be pulverizing. 

So what can Kentucky do? 

Well, fortunately I have some answers. 

For Kentucky to build on its trip to the Final Four last year and win the school’s first NCAA National Championship since 1998, the Cats need to make a few changes.

Some are team-wide adjustments and others depend on one player stepping up.

Here are the bold changes that Kentucky must make in order to succeed in March.

Start out Games in a Press

The Kentucky Wildcats have a bad habit of starting games slowly and not fully exerting their will until the second half. 

It is as if the team has just woken up from a long nap, throws on their jerseys and ambles onto the court to start games. 

By the time the Wildcats are ready to play, it is the second half and the game stays close.

A solution? Begin games by pressing.

Kentucky has a quick team and could take advantage of shaky ball-handling by opposing guards. When the team has pressed this season, they have had a lot of success. 

The Wildcats start three fast guards who often get their hands in passing lanes and Terrence Jones is very capable of stepping in front of balls for steals. Even if the opposition breaks the press and gets a fast break, they must still contend with Anthony Davis around the basket.

Kentucky does not have a deep bench and should not press the whole game for fear of tiring out key players. Starting off a game with defensive pressure might be the best way to get this team motivated early. 

If the Wildcats could force turnovers and get a few early dunks, not only would the scoreboard look better, but the players would have more energy and not look so sluggish.

Play Better Help Defense

Anthony Davis broke the Kentucky Wildcats’ school record for blocks...with 12 games left in the regular season.

It is no secret that the big man is a terror around the rim, but sometimes his shot-blocking does more harm than good. 

Davis loves to block shots when he is a helping defender—that is, when he is not guarding the shooter. When Davis slides across the lane to block another player’s shot, he leaves his man open underneath the basket. 

Kentucky must learn to play help defense on Davis’ man. Someone like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Darius Miller should be aware that if they are on the weak side, they might need to block out a man in the post.

Far too often, Davis does not come up with a block and his man is wide open to collect an offensive rebound and score.

Blocking shots is an integral part of the Wildcats defense, so Davis should not stop swatting balls just to play sound defense. 

Instead, Kentucky must practice rotating on defense and being aware of Davis’ man when he slides over to help a teammate.

Get More Physical

It is no secret that the Kentucky Wildcats do not appreciate physical play.

Anthony Davis weighs approximately 50 pounds and, although he tries hard, he can be pushed around inside. 

Terrence Jones and Darius Miller have undoubtedly improved, but far too often disappear anytime they are shoved. And Doron Lamb prefers to shoot jump shots without any contact whatsoever.

Therefore, the Wildcats must get over their fear of contact.

The team won a tough game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in which they were outmuscled from start to finish. That’s a good start, but very few of the players looked comfortable with the Crimson Tide’s style of play. 

Perhaps for some players, the problem is mental. But for others, it might help to simulate physical situations in practice.

Not in a way that would injure a player, of course, but perhaps when Jones or Davis is practicing posting up, an assistant coach could grab their jersey or put an elbow in their back.

Either way, the Wildcats will see much more physical play as the season continues. It is up to each player to figure out how to fight through it.

Pass More

The Kentucky Wildcats can be a fantastic passing team. On fast breaks, each player is crisp with their passes and can see the open man.

However, Kentucky simply does not do enough passing in the half-court set. The team is ranked 141st in the nation in assists per game, doling out just 13 dimes a contest.

Marquis Teague averages a respectable 4.4 assists per game, but after that, no player on the Wildcats roster is averaging more than 2.2 assists. Doron Lamb, ostensibly the team’s backup point guard, records a measly 1.9 dimes per game.

Part of the problem for Kentucky is that the team’s dribble drive offense emphasizes one-on-one matchups. Players are taught to drive past their man whenever possible.

But what many of the players haven’t realized yet is that driving past your man doesn’t necessitate a shot attempt. Anyone could get into the lane and pass to a guard who is cutting to the basket or a big man underneath or even kick it out for a three-pointer (although the Cats should not fall in love with those shots). 

Kentucky’s guards must also learn to cut more. Any player could cut to the foul line, get a pass from the wing and drain a 10-foot jumper. Backdoor cuts would make the defense honest and passes around the perimeter easier.

Defend 3-Point Shot Better

The Kentucky Wildcats are a great defensive team. Its players are so versatile that almost anyone can guard any position. 

But the Wildcats’ one weakness is defending against the three-point shot. For some reason, Kentucky cannot get out on shooters quickly enough to get a hand in their face.

It may have to do with switching on high ball screens or it may be a problem with off the ball screens. Sometimes, players do not fight through picks quickly enough and as a result, they give their man an open look.

Three-pointers are backbreaking. They allow a team to make up a sizable deficit quickly and give players confidence.

The Wildcats cannot continue to allow teams to shoot such a high percentage from deep or someone will make them pay.

Improve Guards’ Ball-Handling

Marquis Teague is asked to do a lot as the Kentucky Wildcats’ point guard. He runs the offense, plays tight defense and, most importantly, brings the ball up the court.

When teams press Kentucky, Teague is always the most reliable ball-handler. Most of his turnovers come from errant passes and trying to force plays, but he knows how to dribble the ball up the court with solid man-to-man defense.

Doron Lamb, the Wildcats’ backup point guard, is serviceable. He rarely loses the ball while dribbling, but often does not get the offense set up as well as Teague. Lamb can be bothered by pressure defense and often tries to get rid of the ball instead of making a play.

Darius Miller seems to want no part of taking the ball up the court. He is uncomfortable dribbling with tight defense and looks for another guard to help him out.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is amazing in the open floor and when driving to the basket, but does not handle the ball well against a man press.

Kentucky must work on its guards’ ball-handling skills. More teams will start pressing the Wildcats if they see how unwilling many players are to dribble the length of the floor.

Teague has received a lot of criticism so far this season, but fans should recognize that he is far and away the best ball-handler and true point guard on the team. The offense runs much more smoothly when Teague is the one setting it up.

Give Marquis Teague a True Backup

Speaking of Marquis Teague, the poor guy needs a break! He is averaging the most minutes per game of any player on the Kentucky Wildcats roster—a whopping 32 per night.

Teague is on the floor so much because he is the only true point guard the Wildcats have.

Or is he?

Kentucky actually has two players on its roster that should be able to back up Teague for at least a few minutes per game. 

Jarrod Polson is a sophomore (a veteran by Kentucky’s standards) who knows the offense well and plays hard. Twany Beckham is a recently-eligible transfer who played point for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. 

It is hard to tell where the problem lies in this situation. Point guard is a complex position, the most important in the game. 

Are these players simply not ready to take on SEC defenses and run the team? Maybe Beckham does not have a good enough grasp of the offense yet. And perhaps Polson simply is not skilled or quick enough.

But the problem could also be with John Calipari. He is notorious for failing to use much of his bench. Maybe he is happy with the rotation he has and does not see the need to change it. 

Either way, something has to give. Teague should not be forced to play so many minutes a night and Doron Lamb is much more comfortable as a shooting guard. 

If it is the fault of Beckham or Polson, they should be staying in the gym longer and studying the offense more. There is clearly a need for a point guard if either of them can step up.

If Calipari is resisting, he needs to be more open to change. He could put one of the players in when the team is up by 13 points or so and see how they handle it.

But Calipari also cannot yank either player if they make one mistake. They must be given a little leeway so that they are not too tense.

Whoever is to blame in this situation must fix it. Kentucky needs a true backup point guard. And fast.

What Happened to Eloy Vargas?

At the beginning of the season, hopes were high for Eloy Vargas. The Kentucky Wildcats center had finished up a stint with the Dominican Republic’s National Team over the summer, coincidentally coached by John Calipari.

Vargas was hoped to be much improved and a key player in Calipari’s rotation. And throughout the first half of the season, Vargas did get some playing time.

He did not play a huge amount of minutes, but the general consensus was that Vargas’ playing time would increase as he got more comfortable with the offense and the coaching staff started trusting him more.

However, the exact opposite has occurred. Through December (14 games), Vargas played more than 10 minutes per game five times and played less than five minutes per game just twice.

In January, Vargas has played 10 minutes per game just once, has four games in which he has played less than five minutes and in two games, he did not play at all. 

Anthony Davis needs a breather every now and then. And that should be where Vargas comes in.

If nothing else, he is a strong player who should be able to defend big men well.

When Anthony Davis was continually muscled out of defensive position in the Wildcats game against the Alabama Crimson Tide, one could not help but wonder if Vargas would have made a difference.

Again, it is impossible to tell who is at fault in this situation, but at the moment, Kentucky has no inside presence aside from Davis and Terrence Jones.

The team needs Vargas to play.

Use Anthony Davis on Offense

Anthony Davis is the Kentucky Wildcats’ second-leading scorer, averaging over 13 points per game. Still, he must become more of an offensive threat for the team.

Most of Davis’ points come on alley-oops, offensive rebounds or free throws. Rarely, if ever, does he get good position inside, make a move and go up strong against his defender.

It is easy to forget that Davis has played down low for just about two years. He is so agile compared to most big men that it appears as if he should dominate on offense. 

That is not as easy as it seems. Davis is still learning post moves and how to get good position inside. Even the most basic skills probably seem foreign to him.

Undoubtedly, though, Davis is improving and should be given more of a chance to perform in games.

Even if he has not mastered post moves yet, there are still important ways the Wildcats could use a 6’10” guard.

Davis should be able to cut up to the foul line and get a pass. From there, he could either shoot a jump shot or drive past his man. Davis still has a guard’s mentality and ball-handling skills and should use both more often.

When Davis learns exactly how to play on the block, he will be the best center in the country.

As it is now, though, he’s awfully close. And Kentucky should take advantage of it.

Attack Zone Defenses More

The Kentucky Wildcats are a quick and versatile team. Almost any player can drive past his man or post up inside, depending on the opposing defense.

Despite all of the team’s athletic ability, though, Kentucky still cannot figure out how to attack a zone defense.

Too often, everyone stands out around the perimeter, passing the ball around, but not doing much else. Periodically, someone will take one dribble into the lane, see the defense collapse, then kick the ball out. 

The Wildcats are too talented offensively to play so passively against a zone. Players must realize that they can still drive to the basket, no matter the defense teams are playing. 

If they take two dribbles into the lane and three players collapse on them, someone must be open.

Terrence Jones or Anthony Davis can still post up against a zone. Even a guard could get down on the block in order to make a better pass out if the defense collapses.

Kentucky must also work on finding sweet spots in a zone where there is no defense. Jumpers from the elbows or the baseline are often there, as are high-low passes from Jones to Davis.

Every player on the Wildcats roster is a stud offensively. They simply must learn how to use their skills against different defenses.