ROUNDTABLE: How can Kentucky start righting the ship?
Through 11 games the Wildcats are 8-3 with an impressive win against Michigan State but with losses to Evansville, Utah, and now Ohio State.
What can Kentucky do to really get things moving in the right direction?
Several CI contributors share their takes.
Jeff Drummond: I've never coached a basketball team at any level before, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, so I would advise John Calipari to embrace "small ball" and discontinue the use of E.J. Montgomery and Nick Richards on the court at the same time. The Wildcats rarely face any opponent that requires them to have a 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-11 guy out there together, and when they are, the offense just completely bogs down. To make matters worse, neither of them rebounded against the Pac-12 and Big Ten opponents they just faced. If they're not going to do that, there's no point in playing them that much. I'd consider going with four guards with Sestina, picking up the tempo, and pressuring more all over the court. No team needs cheap buckets like UK right now.
David Sisk: Where to begin? There are several issues with this team. The difference in the intensity in the Utah and Ohio State games was night and day. I'm also looking for the defense to turn into this shutdown unit that we thought it might me. I still think that is more of when than if. One of the two big concerns are the lack of outside shooting. But with the emergence of Nate Sestina yesterday, hopefully some of that pressure can be relieved. Tyrese Maxey can get hot. Ashton Hagans jumper has improved. The shooting combination of Sestina and Immanuel Quickley could be enough to keep teams honest. If I could change anything it would be the post play. Nick Richards had a dismal week against physical big men. That was the worst nightmare of Kentucky fans coming to fruition. E.J. Montgomery did some good things against the Buckeyes, but not enough. They were thoroughly outplayed by Kaleb Wesson and Kyle Young. This Wildcat team will go as far as their inside game takes them.
Travis Graf: The growth of this team begins and ends with shooting. You have to be able to hit shots in order to have better offensive spacing. I think you’ll see this team continue to take little steps forward as the young players buy in and begin to trust one another. For this team to be the best version of themselves, Tyrese Maxey has to develop into a star, and he cannot be just an above average basketball player. I’d like to see him be the go-to guy on offense.