Kentucky Wildcats 2013-2014: Super Team

[CKR13]

Aaron Harrison saves Kentucky yet again last night and sends UK into the NCAA finals. Awaiting the wildcats is the underdog UCONN, making their fourth finals appearance and only the 7th seed to advance into the finals. For Kentucky, one more game to put them in the pedestal of the time where Anthony Davis lead them.

[CKR13]

Kentucky outlasts Michigan thanks to Aaron Harrison's three pointer when the game was tied in the last few seconds. Good effort by Nick Stauskas in this game. Kentucky now bound for the final four.

[CKR13]

Kentucky ousts Louisville with the starters clicking on offense despite James Young and Aaron Harrison's awful shooting struggles complete with minimal bench support. Calipari grinded it out with his rookies and they delivered. The motor, Julius Randle notched a double double.

For Louisville, Roscoe Smith firing blanks from beyond the arc hurt his team as the Cards got outrebounded.

[CKR13]

Kentucky ousts Wichita and halts the latter's unbeaten run as Fred VanVleet missed the potential game winning three. Harrison twins lead a furious attack in much of the game and Julius Randle was steady as a motor smashmouth. Despite Kentucky's defensive lapses, somehow the offense was buoyant.

[CKR13]

Super team's bane are turnovers and free-throws. Given Calipari's organized chaos notion of the dribble drive, Andrew Harrison, James Young and Julius Randle have been sloppy. They are #2 in the nation for free-throw attempts as they are aggressive in taking it strong to the hoop but a clip below 68% means missed conversions for easy points; considering that Kentucky's losses this season are within the 5-7 points differential.

I remember that game against Arkansas where they lost by six but missed 24 free-throws.

[CKR13]

Kentucky is gearing up for SEC conference play in January 8. They will need to improve their free-throw shooting ASAP but despite that team disability, Wildcats are at best when the Harrisons and James Young keep up the continuity of the dribble drive while Randle with his motor, keeps rollinga and fighting underneath for rebounds.

Rust could be a factor next week as that holiday layoff has NCAA teams regress for a game or two.

[CKR13]

Calipari: Kentucky Team not playing as expected

[CKR13]

Aaron Harrison shines tonight for Kentucky in the win against Eastern Michigan. Julius Randle had his double double and Cauley-Stein made his presence felt in the lane, coming off the bench.

[CKR13]

I enjoy watching Julius Randle. He is the solid rock and Kentucky's best player that keeps the stack together.

Randle against the Spartans:

61.1% FG, 20.8 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 2.2 APG and 1.0 BLK

[CKR13]

Top ranked Kentucky fell to No. 2 Michigan State Spartans despite the interior force of Julius Randle. Brandon Dawson of the Spartans tipped a game ender.

My recommendation is: Hone that D. Harrison twins and Young are agile and must learn when to strike out immediately out of a ball screen.

[CKR13]

Super team looks lost out there as Michigan State is wearing them down with a pressure man to man and a fall back zone. Also, Kentucky's defense has given up a couple of treys.

Wildcats need not to shoot that many threes and instead stay with their dribble attack.

[CKR13]

[CKR13]

AP pre-season rankings have also the Wildcats at #1.

[CKR13]

John Calipari said that both have a very different game, but their DNA is the same. At practice, both are trying to learn one another's roles under Calipari's floating offense.

[CKR13]

2013-14 UK men's basketball schedule
Home games in capital letters. All times Eastern and p.m.

Date Opponent Time TV

Oct. 18 BIG BLUE MADNESS 7:30 FS South/WKYT-27

Oct. 29 BLUE-WHITE SCRIMMAGE 7 FS South/WKYT-27

Nov. 1 a-TRANSYLVANIA 7 FS South/WKYT-27

Nov. 4 a-MONTEVALLO 7 FS South/WKYT-27

Nov. 8 UNC ASHEVILLE 7 FS South/WKYT-27

Nov. 10 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 4 FS South/WKYT-27

Nov. 12 b-Michigan State 7:30 ESPN

Nov. 17 c-ROBERT MORRIS 7 ESPN2

Nov. 19 c-TEXAS-ARLINGTON 7:30 CSS

Nov. 25 c-CLEVELAND STATE 7 FSN

Nov. 27 c-EASTERN MICHIGAN 4 FS South/WKYT-27

Dec. 1 d-Providence 8:30 Fox Sports 1

Dec. 6 e-Baylor 10 ESPN

Dec. 10 BOISE STATE 9 ESPN

Dec. 14 At North Carolina 5:15 ESPN

Dec. 21 BELMONT Noon ESPNU

Dec. 28 LOUISVILLE 4 CBS-27

Jan. 8 MISSISSIPPI STATE 8 SEC Network

Jan. 11 At Vanderbilt 1/3:30 CBS-27

Jan. 14 At Arkansas 9 ESPN

Jan. 18 TENNESSEE Noon CBS-27

Jan. 21 TEXAS A&M 9 ESPN

Jan. 25 GEORGIA 1:30 SEC Network

Jan. 28 At LSU 9 ESPN

Feb. 1 At Missouri 1 CBS-27

Feb. 4 MISSISSIPPI 7 ESPNU

Feb. 8 At Mississippi State 1:30 SEC Network

Feb. 12 At Auburn 8 SEC Network

Feb. 15 FLORIDA 9 ESPN

Feb. 18 At Mississippi 7 ESPN

Feb. 22 LSU 4 ESPN/ESPN2

Feb. 27 ARKANSAS 7 ESPN/ESPN2

Mar. 1 At South Carolina 6 ESPN/ESPN2

Mar. 4 ALABAMA (Senior Night) 9 ESPN

Mar. 8 At Florida Noon CBS-27

Mar. 12-16 f-SEC Tournament TBA SEC/ESPNU/ABC

a-exhibition; b-State Farm Champions Classic (United Center, Chicago); c-Keightley Classic; d-at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.; e-at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas; f-at Atlanta (Georgia Dome).