Chin Coleman says top-15 defense is Kentucky's formula for a Final Four

Coming off four blowout victories, Kentucky is ranked No. 13 in the latest Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the AP, good for top-three in the SEC. Taking a look below the surface with the latest KenPom Ratings, though, UK is ranked No. 8 overall and No. 1 in the SEC.

Why? The Wildcats come in ranked No. 9 in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 17 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Only five other teams in college basketball have top-20 offenses and defenses in Baylor (No. 5 AdjO, No. 4 AdjD), Gonzaga (No. 2 AdjO, No. 12 AdjD), Houston (No. 8 AdjO, No. 8 AdjD), Arizona (No. 11 AdjO, No. 13 AdjD) and UCLA (No. 15 AdjO, No. 18 AdjD).

A sweet spot in advanced numbers

They’re numbers the Kentucky coaching staff are keeping a close eye on. Not because the program wants a pat on the back for having a certain ranking next to its name, but because it’s indicative of long-term success.

“Historically in the last 15 years, the teams that have been in the top 15 in defense have made it to the Final Four,” UK assistant coach Chin Coleman said Monday.

Known as a defensive guru of sorts at Illinois, Coleman has taken that reputation with him to Lexington. Serving as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2020-21, he helped lead the Illini to a No. 7 finish in the KenPom adjusted defensive rankings. This year, he’s got the Wildcats ranked No. 17 overall in that category.

Not quite to that top-15 mark, but they’re close.

“We’re right outside of that right now,” Coleman said. “We’re at about 17 (or) 18. So we’re trending in the right direction. We’re really close to being a really good defensive team.”

Building on strengths

Coleman’s expertise on that end of the floor has contributed to the overall success, but it also comes down to execution. The team is executing where it matters most.

“I have some skin in the game on that, what we’re doing right now in terms of the defense,” Coleman said. “But I think that our strengths right now, obviously, have been our conditioning — we tend to convert in transition and we don’t give up a lot of easy baskets. We defend the three-point shot really well and we’re a great rebounding team, so we’re trying to take make teams take tough twos.”

Those are the strengths. As for the weaknesses, Coleman says the Wildcats have to stop fouling and giving opponents free points at the line.

“One weakness that we have had is that sometimes we foul teams and put them on the free-throw line,” he said. “If we continue to do the things that we’re doing that are positive — (force) tough twos without fouling, converting in transition and make everything tough and earned. Make teams face our half-court defense without fouling and get stops.

“We’re at our best when we’re running and racing the ball and flying up the floor. That’s really what we’re trying to do.”

Final Four potential

Maximize those strengths and minimize those weaknesses, and Kentucky can put together some special performances. The Wildcats know it, too. They’ve found the recipe for success and the swagger has quickly emerged as a result.

No matter the opponent or location, Kentucky feels it can beat anyone in the country the way it’s playing right now.

“Our swagger is back, it doesn’t matter who we play. We’re playing against ourselves,” Coleman said. “As long as we continue to do what our points of emphasis are, it doesn’t matter who we play. I promise you, we can play any ranked team in the country when we’re playing Kentucky basketball, and we’ve kind of identified what that is right now.

“We’re kind of comfortable in what it is that makes us really good, and we’re doing that on both ends of the floor. We’ve got a top 10 offense, we’ve got a top 20 defense. When we’re connecting on all of those things on both sides of the ball, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing. It really doesn’t.”