John Calipari calls for Kentucky to become more 'collective' defensively

Kentucky has bottomed out, especially on the defensive end, over the course of conference play, specifically in the back half of January and in their first game of February. Now, with his team reeling, John Calipari is calling on them to improve as a group on that end.

Calipari assessed the Wildcats’ defensive issues following their 103-92 loss to Tennessee in Rupp Arena on Saturday. He said that the fact of the matter is that they’re going to have to become more thorough in that aspect while also accomplishing that as a unit rather than individuals.

“We’ve got to be a little more sound defensively than what we’re doing,” Calipari admitted.

“We’re going to have to be a collective defensive team. I keep saying it,” said Calipari. If one guy stops playing? It’s going to hurt this group.”

Through 21 games, Kentucky is allowing 78.4 points per game on the year. That average jumps up to an average of 90.3 points allowed in their six losses as well as an average of 85 points allowed per game over their 5-4 start to conference play. If you remove their matchup with Arkansas where the ‘Hogs scored just 57, that statistic rises to 88.5 points given up to their first seven opponents in the SEC.

Their primetime loss to the Volunteers in Lexington was their worst defensive outing of the campaign. Tennessee scored a season-high and their most points in over three years with the 103. It was also the most that Kentucky has allowed in a game since 2018.

The Vols shot 48.6% from the field and 40% on a dozen makes from distance in the wire-to-wire win. All five starters for the orange finished in double figures on the night. Josiah-Jordan James had a career-high of 26 points, Zakai Zeigler tied a career and season-high with 26 and posted a career-best of 13 assists, and Dalton Knecht, who had a slower night than usual, still managed to put up 16 of his own.

Tennessee reached that total by also earning extra possessions. They got six steals as part of nine turnovers and grabbed 18 of their 44 rebounds off the offensive glass. The offensive rebounds were particularly troublesome to Calipari considering they led to 22 second chance points, which killed them early on in the game.

“You’ve got to rebound,” said Calipari. “To start the game? C’mon. They had too many attempt. And just about each one of them? They scored a basket.”

“That’s defense too by the way,” Calipari said.

The Wildcat defense is as porous as it has been in recent memory and is at the center of their so-so start in the league, including their latest run of 1-3 in the past four where they themselves have scored in the 90s in the last two. That’s why, as they move into the second half of conference play, Calipari is imploring his team to unite on that end in order to give themselves a chance.

“When we do it together? We can hold our own.”