The Kentucky Wildcats defeated the Florida Gators in Gainesville on Saturday afternoon by a score of 87-85.
It was a sloppy start to the game for the Cats, but a back-and-forth battle ensued before the Gators could seemingly miss a shot. Turnovers and poor defense turned a tie game into an 11-point first-half lead for the Gators. Before the break, Florida led 45-37.
In the second half, Kentucky briefly took the lead before Florida scored eight straight points to regain control. Every time Kentucky looked ready to take the lead, Florida had an answer and increased its lead.
Kentucky fought throughout the game and didn’t let Florida pull away. As often as the Gators responded, the Cats kept the ball close and recovered, making all the big plays down the stretch, while Reed Sheppard made money from the free throw line to put the game on ice .
This is an absolutely massive victory for John Calipari’s team.
Next, the Cats will face the Missouri Tigers in Lexington on Tuesday night.
Do not share basketball
What made Kentucky so good this year was their ability to share and protect the basketball. Whether it was the first real road game of the season or Florida was just that good, they totally came away with it in this one.
The Cats didn’t have the best ball security. They didn’t rack up assists like they usually do. They scored well, but Florida’s length seemingly created a lot of problems for Kentucky.
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky’s spark plug off the bench, was particularly bad, as he was out of control and unable to do much of anything. His reputation in the UK was that of a crafty guard who played more like a street ball than an organized basketball player. He’s been relatively reigning this year and played extremely well, but in this match he looked to return to his AAU/Overtime Elite style of play.
Kentucky needs to get back to their livelihood, and it was a good learning experience that fortunately didn’t cost them much in the end.
It’s the best kind of learning experience.
Kentucky’s defensive woes continue
It’s no secret that the Cats have been a very bad defensive team so far this season. They are so good offensively, so it doesn’t matter much, but it will become more important as the season goes on, especially in the NCAA tournament.
Kentucky can’t stop anyone from scoring, and the hope was that the situation would improve with the big men returning, but that’s simply not the case. The perimeter defense is poor and the off-ball defense is worse. The Kentucky guys get lost too often and don’t know how to help without giving up the entire defense.
Part of the problem obviously lies in the pace of play. Opponents are getting more possessions and greater offensive flow apparently equates to less defensive energy. Another problem arises. The Cats were upset by Illinois State last time out. The Redbirds grabbed 24 offensive rebounds, despite winning by 26 points.
Florida is a great rebounding team, and second-chance opportunities allow smaller opponents to have more possessions and more scoring opportunities. In addition to the pace of play, opponents receive many more shots at the rim than the Cats.
Kentucky’s best weapon is its ability to score in transition. These opportunities are limited if the Cats aren’t hitting the defensive glass. A defensive rebound often leads to an outlet pass and a quick scoring chance. They just have to be better.
It must be said that he missed the presence of Adou Thiero since he was absent during the last two matches due to some sort of back pain (spasms?). The Cats missed his versatility, athleticism and toughness.
Veterans Matter
Kentucky’s best player is Reed Sheppard. The freshmen are incredibly talented and help this team improve, but the veterans matter. Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell are essential to this basketball team.
It’s scary to think what UK would be like if Bob Huggins hadn’t been fired from West Virginia and Mitchell hadn’t transferred, or if Reeves had chosen to transfer as has been said all along. throughout the offseason.
Both guys get buckets when Kentucky needs them. Reeves has become a true scorer at three levels this season and has been invaluable. Mitchell, on the other hand, was a perfect fit for what this team does. Mitchell can shoot and take advantage of mismatches down from fourth. He’s not the biggest or strongest, but he fights hard throughout the match.
Kentucky didn’t play particularly well. Florida controlled the vast majority of the game and had an answer every time Kentucky seemed to start putting it together. The Cats never gave up and came away with a huge victory on the road.
Now let’s celebrate! Go CATS!!
2024-01-06 22:09:19
#final #score #takeaways #postmatch #cheers #News
