Kentucky Drops Third Strait

Wow…does the Tennessee game not seem like an eternity ago?  The Cats lost their third strait tonight, after starting league play off at 5-0,  to the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 66-57.  The loss marks the first time ever that MSU has defeated UK three strait times.  Offensively the Cats looked absolutely abysmal for 40 minutes. They shot 36-percent from the floor and went 4-for-14 from deep.  The first six minutes of the game were a mess as they committed four turnovers, went 0-for-10 from the field and had two shots blocked.  Darius Miller scored the first four points for the Cats and he came off of the bench.

Rick Stansbury’s gameplan defensively was to lock down on Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks and then dare everyone else to knock down shots.  Shocker!  This gameplan is not exactly rocket science, but when teams are able to do those two things, the Cats struggle.  They have to practice against this set..don’t they?  You know the opponent is going to face guard Meeks and take his man completely out of the set.  So, basically it is four-on-four.  Then, they are going to double down on Patterson and have a third man sag on him with whoever is guarding Porter, Miller, Liggins or whoever can’t shoot the three on the perimeter.  This is not a mystery.  Teams are going to do this until Kentucky finds a way to score.

In the last three games Jodie Meeks has had a defender follow him around better than his own shadow.  Tonight, Barry Stewart did a fantastic job on Meeks.  Occasionally, Meeks was able to come off of screens and find a path to the basket but for the most part his inability to find open shots from deep really disrupted him offensively.  This is why you see him forcing shots underneath and going strait at the Bulldog’s Jarvis Varnado.  On Patterson, the Bulldogs collapsed as soon as it looked like he might get an entry pass. 

I know everyone put off the idea that the Cats need a third scorer after they started SEC play 5-0, but the Cats need someone to take the pressure off of Meeks and Patterson.  If not, teams are going to continue adhering to the same gameplan. 

There is no telling how many times in the first half that Michael Porter and Darius Miller just played pitch and catch with each other while passing up open threes.  When the defender is playing off of them like that, it allows them to sag and help if the ball does go in the post.  When open you have to have the confidence to knock down the three or take advantage of the open space and get into the lane.  Miller has the weapons and has to be more aggresive.  He has shown the ability to get to the rim and he can shoot the rock.  However, at times he is way too tentative and often takes himself out of the offense. 

If Porter is going to continue to play, he is going to have to show the ability to knock down the open three.  I don’t think it is going to happen.  He finished 1-for-5 from deep and passed up many open looks.  On Porter’s lone connection from deep he had Meeks open at the top of the key, as he was coming off of a double screen.  Yeah, he connected but you have to take advantage of Meeks being open, especially when the opportunities are so rare.

Defensively, the Cats do not have anyone who can contain penetration.  Dee Bost had his way with Landon Slone, Michael Porter and Deandre Liggins.   They also have to find a way to keep the three-point shot from beating them.  Everyone knew that MSU was a really good three-point shooting team and that they surrounded Varnado with four guards who can shoot it.  Sure, no one expected a 14-for-27 performance from deep from the Bulldogs, but you have to get a hand in their face.

After trailing the majority of the first 30 minutes the Cats made their best run with Liggins, Meeks, Miller, Stevenson and Patterson on the floor.  Defensively they turned it up a notch with this five and I think this is the lineup that gives them the best chance to do things. 

But, Liggins has to quit over-penetrating and if he can’t contain quicker guards from penetrating someone else has to pick up the opponent’s point guard.  Tom Hammonds and Larry Conley praised Liggins on his assist to Perry Stevenson in transition.  But, still he over-penetrated past the basket and put himself in a position where he needed to make a spectacular play.  Kentucky needs Liggins to make good, smart plays, not spectacular plays.

Meeks needs to bring the ball up the floor more.  When you are having trouble getting your best scorer touches, put the ball in his hands.  Instead of running him like crazy, run him off of ball screens at the top of the key and give him the option of pulling, penetrating or giving it back to the screener. 

Like I said earlier Miller simply needs to become more aggressive on offense.  When he has an open shot he can’t hesitate.  When he has an open lane he has to take it. 

Stevenson was pretty much non-existent tonight and when he got the ball on the block he looked overwhelmed.  He is going to be at his best when Patterson gets the ball on the block so he can flash to the opposite block and get open shots at the rim. 

Patterson is Patterson.  He is the hardest working big man in the country and he has to be frustrated with his lack of touches sometimes.  Even in a game where he went 6-for-12 and finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, it seemed as if he still didn’t get the ball enough.

It’s hard to believe that three games ago the Cats were sitting at 5-0 and everyone was upset that they weren’t ranked.  Three games later and they are in the middle of the pack in the SEC East race.  Kentucky has never lost three strait SEC games at Rupp ever.  Florida comes in next Tuesday and tries to make that happen. 

I wasn’t supposed to ramble like this.  I was only supposed to hold the fort down until Guy Smiley got back from his exploits in L-E-X Vegas.  He will be here tomorrow with his thoughts on the game and will also have a little behind the scenes look for you as he spent the game with UK’s Media Relations staff.  I’m done, my fingers hurt.