Does it feel like the ball "sticks" when Kentucky passes into the post? Mark Pope explains why

If you’ve watched Kentucky basketball this season and wondered why the ball seems to “stick” in the post sometimes, you’re not alone. Head coach Mark Pope likes to use his centers as playmakers, which usually requires them to survey their options and let the actions around them develop. That being said, it does feel like the ball is in the hands of Amari Williams or Brandon Garrison just a beat too long in certain situations — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

That can be especially true with Garrison, who will work his way into the post for several dribbles before either firing the ball out to the perimeter or looking for a short shot close to the rim. It happens at least a couple of times throughout a game with pretty solid returns. But I’d be lying if I didn’t think there were moments when Garrison held onto the ball for a pinch more than he should.

Pope was asked about that exact thing during his pre-Florida press conference on Thursday morning. He explained that it’s not so much about the ball “sticking”. Rather, it’s patience that is required from the big men to let the action happen around them. Garrison and Williams aren’t just holding onto the ball for the sake of doing so — that’s part of the offense.

But those two still have room for improvement in that regard. Pope wants them to think pass first, then score. That hasn’t always been the case this season. Their teammates need to do their part, too.

“When we’re functioning well, we’re running a ton of action,” Pope said. “We throw it in the post, actually, to run actions. We throw the ball in the post for our guards to score. And so a lot of that is an issue that we’re having right now where we’re not getting into our split action immediately. We’re not getting our weak side action immediately, or we’re never actually committing to it.

“But our bigs, when they get catches off the lane, they’re playmakers first, and that’s a space where we feel like we’re just not quite caught up to speed. We’ll get there. But our guys are actually functioning with their patience really, really well on post catches.”

Pope also says it has to do with the feel of the game, or more specifically, the feel of an individual possession. Garrison specifically is a highly talented passer from anywhere on the floor. He’s up to 30 assists with just 14 turnovers this season. That’s quite impressive for a seven-foot sophomore. Williams is an equally talented playmaker from all areas of the hardwood. They need the opportunity to cook and set up the rest of the offense.

“Also, a lot of times, teams are letting them feel one-on-one in there,” Pope continued. “And so as you catch in the post, you kind of want to work with a clear side. So as your vision goes blind to the corner, you need time to make sure that your blind vision is going to be honored, that there’s actually not bodies there.

“And so as you’re going through cutting actions, you’re feeling all that as you give yourself permission to turn away and now start to go to work in the middle, you’re also kind of reading digs and you’re kind of getting a sense of where players are and how they’re functioning. Sometimes we’re going through two rotations of cuts before he can go to work. So we throw it in the post, if you get a catch (on) two feet, you’re a playmaker first.”

Overall, Pope is happy with what he’s seen so far out of his bigs when they operate in the post. It’s what he’s seen — or hasn’t seen — from them (and the rest of the team, to that point) when they’re beyond the arc that still needs some work in his eyes.

“On the perimeter we actually need to get better,” Pope said. “We need to get better, quicker at making our reads and quicker at making our cuts. But that’s part of the game we’re really excited about exploring more. I think we have something really good going there. We’re actually getting some good action when we throw it on post. I think we need to get there more.”

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