Five things that will boost Kentucky's tournament play

It is a brisk but beautiful March morning in Kentucky. With no meaningful responsibilities for the day, you roll out of bed later than usual as the sun shines through your window, forming a spotlight on your hungry stomach. Dreams of Chick-Fil-A chicken minis dance in your head and you eagerly jump into your car with excitement for what will likely be a double order on such a picturesque cheat day. Then, as soon as you get down the street, you realize…dang…it’s Sunday and Chick-Fil-A is closed. Your soul is crushed.

As an unabashed Chick-Fil-A addict, this has been the story of Kentucky basketball all season. Just when anticipation builds to the point of full-throttled enthusiasm, an unexpected gut punch drags me back down to the doldrums of disappointment. It is bad enough if this happens once, but this year’s squad has seemingly made me crave a Chick-Fil-A sandwich while forgetting it is Sunday all season long.

I told myself after Kentucky exited Nashville before anyone got a proper Tootsie’s experience, I would not get my hopes up for this team again. False hope has broken my heart too many times this season.

Then Kentucky got an amazing NCAA tourney draw.

As much as we have all complained about getting hosed by the Selection Committee, Kentucky could not have asked for a better path to the Final Four, skyrocketing my optimism once again.

That being said, the logical side of my brain wants to line up achievable goals that will make this team successful before the illogical side of my brain takes over at tipoff. These things won’t make me happy if Kentucky loses but will give me confidence Kentucky could make a serious run.

Drive to the rim with confidence

If you want game tape breakdowns, go read some of Brandon Ramsey’s posts. In a Big Blue Nation full of Basketball Bennies, he is Dr. Benjamin Basketball, Esquire. Or whatever fancy name Cal might give someone who actually knows their Xs and Os.

My breakdowns are much simpler. For example, I want to see Kentucky players drive to the rim with confidence.

Kentucky is going to shoot an unhealthy amount of long 2s. That is just who they are and asking it to change at this point is about as fruitless as driving by Chick-Fil-A on Sunday afternoon just to see if their policy might have been updated.

However, knowing that I will suffer through too many contested 18-footers, I really want to replace a few of those with some more confident drives to the goal.

Draw a foul. Finish strong. Take more layups, even if they’re difficult. Kentucky is going to have a size advantage against Providence and while that should feed into a big day for Oscar Tshiebwe, we saw in last year’s first-round game that an impressive stat line from the big man can’t be the only strategy.

Too many times we have seen Kentucky players drive because that was part of the offense, but stop at the free throw line and look to pass it out or take a difficult shot. I want to see Kentucky drive to score, aggressively and confidently.

Shoot open 3s

Similar to the first point, I want to see Kentucky shoot 3s when they’re open. It sounds obvious, but how many times have we seen players pump fake upon getting the ball behind the arc, doing nothing but giving their defender time to close out?

If you’re open from 3, shoot! Jacob Toppin is shooting a whopping 46.2% from behind the arc since February. Similarly, Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston have demonstrated their ability to get hot from distance, and CJ Fredrick, if he can shake his nagging injuries, is about as automatic from deep as they come.

I want to see everyone channel their inner Antonio Reeves and not hesitate to shoot when they’re open. Don’t give the defense that extra second to recover, forcing a less-than-confident drive that results in a pull-up 18-footer or difficult runner. Fire away.

Without spelling it out explicitly, my first two points are long-winded ways of saying I want to see more layups and 3s. I know it is a tired take and likely a pipe dream, but you know, baby steps.

Play to win instead of not to lose

Again, this might be the equivalent of wishing for a platter of Chick-Fil-A nuggets while watching NFL football in the afternoon, but if Kentucky is up by six with four minutes left in the game, I want to see them step on their opponent’s throat.

Don’t dribble the air out of the ball and then sit back in prevent defense. Drive with confidence, shoot open 3s, and dunk on someone’s head. Build some momentum going into round two and let’s get everyone believing a deep run is possible, especially the players.

I won’t bring up the back-to-back shot clock violations at the end of the 2015 Wisconsin game because it will trigger nightmares, but let’s not repeat history. If Kentucky is going to lose, go out swinging. After such a roller coaster year, it is the least fans can ask for.

Bust out some Kentucky swag

Every Kentucky fan will agree that Swaggy Cal is the best version of Cal. However, we don’t talk nearly enough about how most people’s favorite players are the ones that ooze swag themselves. Maybe Lance Ware can sneeze on the core six rotation players and give them some of his edge.

I’m not expecting anyone to morph into a personality that isn’t their own. As much as everyone loves Oscar, it was more than a little unnatural-looking watching him sidestep down the court while flexing in a few of the early games this season.

While no one is going to duplicate the authenticity of Ware shouting in an opponent’s face, I’d like to see whatever their individual version of that is. Pound a chest. Stare someone down. Remind the opposition that, “We is Kentucky and we ain’t scared.”

Mix it up and have some fun

I mean this in the least soccer-mom-wanting-both-sides-to-have-fun-regardless-of-the-score type of way (see my aforementioned desire for throat-stomping). But I also want to see these guys loosen the hell up a little bit.

When you combine last year’s St. Peter’s loss, the brief Cal-to-Texas phase, the Bryce Hopkins factor, and the overall underwhelming performances this season, the pressure on Kentucky to win Friday night will be palpable.

Every Kentucky fan is going to be on the edge of their couch celebrating hysterically with every made free throw and dying with every Hopkins basket. But in order to get over this NCAA tournament victory hurdle and shed the proverbial monkey on our back that has its claws sunk in so deep there is a puddle of blue blood starting to form at our feet, Kentucky has to find a way to play with joy.

Stoicism is for ancient Greek philosophers. Passion is for college basketball players. Throw up some 3-goggles. Dance. I’ll even take a few smiles. I’d love to see this team channel the spirit of mid-season TyTy Washington when the whole team would hit the Griddy on the home floor of the would-be National Champions.

Cal agrees and has resorted to showing film of his old teams goofing off to inspire similar light-hearted shenanigans.

Ultimately, all five of these points boil down to exuding confidence and playing with the type of carefree yet focused passion that wins big games. Fans are going to be gnawing off fingernails and plucking hair out of beards regardless, but the best Kentucky teams mold that tension into a zeal that brings out the best in them.

March Madness is here. My hopes are back up. I have a 12-count nugget and waffle fries in hand. And I am ready to be hurt once again.