UK Runs Past Austin Peay 90-69

It’s late and it’s been a long day, so I was planning on holding off until tomorrow to post my thoughts on UK’s 1,999th win over Austin Peay. Then I realized that I’m kind of afraid to go to sleep, because there’s a pretty good chance I have nightmares tonight about John Wall going down awkwardly into a heap and writhing in pain.

Other than the momentary panic that set in when Wall went down, it was another fun one at Rupp, as the ‘Cats used sporadic periods of stellar play to coast past the Governors. Unfortunately, UK did way too much coasting for John Calipari’s taste.

We heard non-stop over the past few days about UK’s poor practices, and John Calipari made sure to connect that poor practicing and the lackluster play that started Saturday’s game. “I just think that your practice dictates how you are going to play,” Calipari said. “I think that we were so non-competitive this week because of finals that it carried over into the game.”

The good news is that Cal’s team recognizes what he’s talking about and, more importantly, wants to improve. “We all came out very lazy and sluggish today,” DeMarcus Cousins said. “If the same thing happens and we’re playing a better team that win might be a loss.”

The scary thing about DeMarcus Cousins is that he still put up 19 points and 8 rebounds, even though his level of intensity wasn’t where it needed to be. We heard coming into the season about the fact that Cousins sometimes brought it and sometimes didn’t. When he brought it, he was said to be unstoppable. When he didn’t bring it, he was said to be really good. He has pretty much lived up to that.

DeMarcus Cousins also had a reputation as a malcontent, which comes out at times when he makes his patented “Cousins Face” when something bad happens. However, based on his postgame get-up, he is much more goofball than malcontent. The kid looked like he had just been exiled to Siberia. I guess it doesn’t get cold too often in LeFlore, Alabama.

I talk so much about DeMarcus Cousins because I really believe that DeMarcus Cousins is the personification of this Kentucky team. He has tremendous talent, like his team. He does things that make you scratch your head, like his team. He makes plays that make you double-take, like his team. He fails to show up for long stretches, like his team. He has unlimited potential, like his team. When he’s on the floor, you can’t take your eyes off of him, like his team.

Let’s get back to the game itself.

Austin Peay deserves a lot of credit for the way that they just never quit fighting. They were down by as many as 16 in the first half, but managed to close within six early in the second, and were within nine with 8:25 left at 70-61. Then, UK put together a swift 10-0 run that removed any lingering doubt about the outcome of this one.

It’s only a positive for the ‘Cats to be playing against teams that won’t back down, and it’s also only a positive for the ‘Cats to be playing against teams who so freely switch between zone and man. There were a couple times during this game where the ‘Cats were caught off guard by switches between zone and man, not knowing how to attack. Wall or Eric Bledsoe would try to get everybody situated, but this team is just not self-sufficient yet, meaning that they need Cal badly. In Cal’s words, they aren’t ready to be “empowered”.

I’d also like to clear something up: this is a pretty darn good outside shooting team. 8-12 from three is obviously a little out of the ordinary, UK has a bunch of guys who aren’t timid about teeing it up from deep, and they’re pretty good at it. With every performance like this one, the ‘Cats are silencing questions about one area that was pointed to as a potential weakness.

One area that is still a potential weakness is free throw shooting, however, UK nailed 18-18 Saturday, looking very confident.

UK’s next three games don’t figure to be major tests for the ‘Cats, but there are two things I’m going to be watching closely: turnovers and the rotation.

UK had 16 turnovers against Austin Peay, six of which were by John Wall, who otherwise had another strong game (17 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds). Limiting turnovers will continue to be a priority, but forcing turnovers on defense is even more important in my view. UK has forced a total of only 20 turnovers over the past two games, which is just not enough for a team with as much athleticism as the ‘Cats have. Ball pressure simply has to improve.

Regarding the rotation, the return of DeAndre Liggins to meaningful play (12 minutes) adds an interesting wrinkle to Cal’s decisions regarding who will play.

Cal has settled into a rhythm in the way that he subs in the post. He plays Patterson for 30 minutes plus, DeMarcus Cousins and Daniel Orton around 20 minutes a piece, and mixing in Perry Stevenson for a few minutes. At guard, John Wall and Eric Bledsoe can expect to continue to play around 30 minutes a night, although Liggins’ return will allow them a few extra minutes of rest.

The guys that are most affected are Darius Miller, Darnell Dodson, and Ramon Harris. Miller started well Saturday, playing aggressively on offense. However, Dodson was on the floor during the decisive run, showing some serious aggressiveness on defense and on the boards. Ramon Harris hit the boards hard, but played only seven minutes.

The competition among this group is going to be compelling. I don’t expect anyone to step up and consistently demand 30 minutes a night, but I do expect further separation to occur between them. Liggins has a bit of an uphill battle, but if he can bring intensity and good passing to the table, I think he could easily cut into Ramon Harris’ minutes.

Check in tomorrow for my weekly look at UK by the numbers late tomorrow night, but that’s about it for now.