With just over a month until Selection Sunday, it’s become clear that Kentucky will not miss the NCAA Tournament thanks to a an RPI ranking that’s more than competitive and a host of notable wins.
But simply making the dance is never enough for Big Blue Nation. Once there, Kentucky teams are expected to make deep runs and collect Final Four banners and ultimately, titles. Here are five reasons why UK won’t do either, let alone make it out of the first weekend:
- This team simply can’t shoot. Only Derek Willis shoots over 38-percent from beyond the arc, and he’s taking less than two attempts per game. Guys like Tyler Ulis, Isaiah Briscoe, and Jamal Murray are the primary shot takers from deep and they simply aren’t good enough. That kind of weakness kills you, especially when…
- Kentucky’s interior posses little offensive firepower. Not a single forward on this team averages double digit points per game. Part of that is due to their guards and their inability to shoot from the outside and give them space. Part of that is due to the fact that they just aren’t tough enough on the interior to back anyone down with the ball in their hands.
- For a team that doesn’t have anyone that can be efficient one-on-one offensively, you’d think they’d be more inclined to whip the ball around and share the basketball, even within John Calipari’s dribble drive system. Not so with this group. Their near the bottom half of the country in assists per game, though Ulis’ 6.2 assists per game are encouraging.
- Most years, Calipari finds ways to push the right buttons with his teams. Whether it’s in player management or systematic adjustments, he generally has an elite feel for his teams. Not so this year, as nothing he’s done has caught on to the point that UK has found consistency.
- With that in mind, this appears to be one of the least mentally strong groups that he’s had in Lexington. They don’t seem to have the kind of attitude required to get tough wins, get tough stops, and fix their problems on a consistent basis.
