Kentucky Basketball: Why This Is Year John Calipari Wins National Title

Kentucky Wildcats' basketball fans want national title No. 8. John Calipari wants championship No. 1.

Both of these crazed, obsessive groups (or individuals, unless you count Calipari’s rhetorical questions as a separate entity) will get their wish this year. 

The Wildcats finally have all the pieces in place to win it all—a stellar freshman class, returning players and incredible talent across the board. This will be the season another championship banner will be unveiled in Lexington.

Side note: As a Kentucky fan, I almost could not write this article. I firmly believe in every single superstition, jinx or any psychic thought that could harm my team. I wear the exact same pair of sweatpants to watch every UK game and often have to sit in the same position throughout the entire 40 minutes.

Last week, I made my mother keep her computer open because as soon as she closed it, Kentucky would turn the ball over.

You think I’m kidding.

Therefore, I can’t write this article. It’s the most obvious jinx in the book. But I’m going to. While I wear my lucky sweatpants, of course.

Dribble-Drive

Since John Calipari arrived in Lexington to coach the Kentucky Wildcats three years ago, he has never fully been able to incorporate his patented dribble drive offense.

In year one, he had too many big men and had to run a more traditional post-up offense to take advantage of DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson.

In year two, he didn’t have as many pure slashing wings and had to rely on pick-and-rolls in order to open up outside shots for Brandon Knight. 

This year, Calipari finally has what he needs. Every single one of his wing players is capable of penetrating. Terrence Jones has worked on the offseason in improving his ball handling so that the team can play four-out with Anthony Davis anchoring the middle.

Calipari finally has the players he has been searching for since he set foot in Lexington. He will now be able to run an offense that he is comfortable with and that will showcase the talent of his squad.

Furthermore, a dribble-drive offense will enable the Cats to exploit opposing defenses, as very few teams have enough players to put four defenders outside the three-point line. Kentucky should be able to wear out opponents, especially in a venue like the NCAA tournament.

Leadership

Since this is the Kentucky Wildcats and, more importantly, John Calipari we’re talking about, leadership does not necessarily mean seniors.

This year, Calipari will rely on a combination of Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb and senior Darius Miller to be a calming and cohesive unit for the usual mass of Wildcat freshmen.

The leaders should be more than up to the task.

Jones and Lamb shunned the NBA draft last season, even though they would have almost certainly have been first-round picks. The reason? To win a national championship. Anything less than that will be a disappointment and the two sophomores will make that fact very clear to their teammates. 

Miller is looking to add to his Kentucky High School State Title that he won four years ago. He has been through his fair share of ups and downs at UK and has become wiser for it. Miller's experience will come in handy as he helps younger players acclimate to Kentucky basketball.

All three players have played in the NCAA tournament and reached the Final Four. They will not be nervous or intimidated by the atmosphere and will ensure the rest of the team is not either.

Freshmen

But of course, these seasoned upperclassmen (yes, sophomores are officially upperclassmen in John Calipari’s system) need some help. Enter Calipari’s third straight No. 1 recruiting class.

The Kentucky Wildcats start three freshmen and bring another off the bench. All four deserve all the playing time they get.

The quartet of Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Kyle Wiltjer could be a team on their own. They have the perfect combination of slashing ability, height, shooting touch and ball-handling ability (it will come for Teague) to compete with any team in the country.

Combine the incredible talent of the freshmen with Calipari’s coaching and upperclassmen leadership and this team is loaded.

Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis has played just five games in his college career, but he is already one of the best big men in the country.

Davis averages 12 points, seven rebounds and an absurd 4.5 blocks per game. His statistics will only increase as he gets stronger and learns more post moves.

Davis is the ideal center to have in a dribble-drive offense because of his mobility. 

Countless times, Kentucky players will drive into the middle of the lane, get stopped by defenders and instead of committing a turnover, they simply throw the ball up towards the basket for a perfect alley-oop to Davis.

Davis is a constant presence for the Kentucky Wildcats on both offense and defense. His talent in the paint allows Kentucky to matchup with both bigger and smaller teams, as he can guard a variety of different players.

Calipari has never had as versatile a big man as Davis, but make no mistake, he clearly knows how to use him to his full potential.

Passing

When the Kentucky Wildcats are at their sharpest, there is no telling who will catch the ball next. When the Wildcats set their mind to it, they can be a terrific passing team.

Since so many players can handle the ball, there are almost countless options on a fast break. That speed and extra passing translates to set offenses as well. Players can drive to the middle of the lane and have the foresight to kick the ball out for a jumper.

Passing also helps ensure that every player is getting their touches. On a team with so much talent, there is always the danger that someone will feel slighted.

However, when that one extra pass can lead to an easy dunk, the players and the fans will get energized quickly.

As soon as Marquis Teague becomes more comfortable with the offense and his teammates, his assist numbers should skyrocket. That will boost the rest of the team as well and lead to crisp play that will frustrate opponents.

Defense

Defense wins championships. John Calipari knows this adage very well and has preached it from day one in Lexington.

This particular Kentucky Wildcats team can be especially lethal on the defensive end.

In games against the Marist Red Foxes and Kansas Jayhawks, Kentucky came out flat. They slogged through the first half, undoubtedly got a tough talk from their coach and came out in the second half and blew both teams away. 

The reason behind this incredible swing was the team’s defense. When the Wildcats get hands in the passing lanes, dive for every loose ball and are seemingly all over the court, they are virtually impossible to beat.

The energy created by one steal and fast-break dunk can start a quick 10-0 run for Kentucky. If the team can start games as well as they have come out in the second half, they could bury opponents too quickly for them to recover.

Defense wins championships and the Wildcats have all the tools to do just that. 

(Knock on wood.)