Watch the Tape: Ohio Bobcats

The Kentucky Wildcats picked up an impressive, resume-building win over the Ohio Bobcats 77-59 on Friday night. It was really fun to watch the tape of this one. Coach Jeff Boals’ group is very good on the offensive end and that was proven in the first half at Rupp Arena. The Bobcats hit five three-pointers in the first half on their way to 38 points and had the ‘Cats on the ropes at times. However, Kentucky’s improved offense allowed them to keep pace.

After getting down by as many as eight points midway through the first half, the Wildcats clawed back to take a 40-38 lead into the halftime break. The defense was elite-level in the second half, but continuing to score in the first half was the key to the game.

Overall, Friday’s game was a perfect synopsis of what this Kentucky team can be this season. The Wildcats are a top 25 offensive team in the country that can put up points with anyone. Additionally, the defense can lock people down for extended stretches with their athleticism, length, and grit. Turning up the full-court pressure is becoming a strength early in the season as well.

Now, let’s watch the tape of Kentucky’s win over Ohio. There were some defensive miscues, especially in the first half, that need to be addressed. However, the number of winning basketball plays that were made and the offensive improvements made up for the shaky start to the game. We will cover all of that right here.

Poor First Half Defensive Execution

Kentucky’s second half defensive performance was borderline elite. Bouncing back to allow only 21 points against a very good offensive team made for an impressive 20 minutes of basketball. However, things weren’t always so pretty in the first half.

Based on how the Wildcats were guarding early, switching the ballscreens, and the yelling from the sideline it was clear that the staff emphasized taking them away from three. That didn’t keep Ohio from knocking in five first half three-pointers though. There were too many miscues and a lack of urgency taking away their best shooter from deep. That could get you beat against a more well-rounded team.

Within the first minute of the game the Wildcats had a communication breakdown that led to an Ohio three-pointer. When you watch the tape you can see that UK was switching the ballscreens which was a great game plan. However, that should have trigged the guys to be more willing to switch other screens too. There is no reason for Keion Brooks and Kellan Grady to not just switch that initial backscreen for #5 Vander Plas.

In fact, it appears that Grady does take him, but Brooks stays as well. This leaves #3 Rodrick open beyond the arc forcing Oscar Tshiebwe to leave his man to take away the three. Ultimately, #30 Carter knocks in an open three on the wing. Brooks should have also been yelling at Tshiebwe to just stay with #3 and immediately gone to take #30. Be more willing to switch!

I know what people will say. “Here goes another random guy making threes at Rupp.” “Well, this one this one was really deep.” None of that matters. Ben Vander Plas is a 40% three-point shooter and makes these consistently when open. For him, this is an open shot due to the bad closeout by Bryce Hopkins. When you switch the ballscreens, like Davion Mintz and Keion Brooks did here, you shouldn’t need to help off of the ball. There is no reason for Hopkins to be in at the elbow, especially when guarding Vander Plas. This creates a longer closeout and he just isn’t aggressive enough. You have to take this three away.

Not to pick on Bryce Hopkins who played extremely well overall, but he had a hard time on Vander Plas in the first half. However, most people in the country will struggle guarding him this season so it isn’t the end of the world that a freshman with limited game experience got lit up in a half.

This is really good offensive action that is hard to guard. That is why Ohio is good. However, your brain just cannot let you go under a flare screen when you are guarding a shooter. It is hard for Hopkins to get back out to him after letting Mintz hop under the handoff. So, he should have been yelling for Keion Brooks to get out there and take him. That is really hard for a freshman to do, but that is why you watch the tape. These mistakes can be cleaned up now so they don’t happen in March.

Another Vander Plas three on Bryce Hopkins. I promise we will talk about how well he played later, but this first half defensive stretch wasn’t kind to the freshman. He just needs to take it more personally to take away the three-pointers, especially after having already given up two. Hopkins is in good position on this one. His feet are outside the three-point line and he is tight to Vander Plas. However, he relaxes just enough to allow the sharpshooter to rise and fire. If he is not dribbling you are not close enough.

Coach Calipari made an adjustment on this one, but not until #23 Clayton had already made a pair of threes. You just have to switch when a pick-and-pop forward sets the ballscreen. He is too good of a shooter to leave open.

Winning Basketball Plays

The best teams just come up with some big plays that contribute to winning. They aren’t always the flashiest ones that show up on SportsCenter. However, when you watch the tape, they are the plays that coaches love to point out as positive reinforcement. Kentucky made a handful on Friday night and that is what allowed them to get a 77-59 win over a good, NCAA Tournament-caliber team.

We’ve touched on some of Bryce Hopkins’ defensive breakdowns already. Now, let’s turn the page and give him praise. He gave Kentucky some great minutes as a small-ball five man while Oscar Tshiebwe sat with two fouls. This is a winning basketball play. After Keion Brooks misses the three, Hopkins is the only guy to crash the offensive glass. It is a long rebound and he is able to get a hand on it, tip it to himself, and get fouled on the putback. Hopkins sank both free throws. This why you crash the glass every time. Great play by the freshman to steal two points for the ‘Cats.

Just keep scoring. That was the theme of the first half. In the scouting report, we talked about how good this Ohio team was offensively and that it might take 90 points to win the game. Kentucky did their part by scoring 40 in the first half to keep pace with the Bobcats. Plays like this are the perfect encapsulation of what it means to just keep scoring.

Defensively, the ‘Cats were in scramble mode and ended up giving up a three that put Ohio up 18-10. However, Sahvir Wheeler was unfazed. The quick point guard received the inbounds pass, pushed it up the floor, and beat his man off of the dribble for a quick layup. Trading three for two doesn’t work as a strategy, but this was a big bucket by Wheeler to answer the bell and cut the momentum after a big shot by the Bobcats.

With a tie game at the 13:43 mark in the second half, Coach Calipari dialed up the press coming out of a timeout. The increased second half pressure really helped Kentucky on the defensive end. Pressing could become a calling-card of this team. Keion Brooks Jr. comes with the run-and-jump in this clip and causes Mark Sears to jump to pass and throw the ball out of bounds. There was nothing special about this defense, it just caught Ohio a little off guard, sped them up, and led to a poor decision. Picking up a few free possessions like this is how you end up winning the second half 37-21.

Finding Offensive Production

We have all seen the impact that Sahvir Wheeler and Oscar Tshiebwe have had on the Kentucky offense. However, a big question going into Friday’s game was what else the Wildcats can get on the offensive end. We were waiting from TyTy Washington’s big game and we got it against Ohio. Also, Keion Brooks Jr. is shooting the ball with a lot of confidence. Finding some half court offense that doesn’t revolve around Wheeler creating is important for this team to reach their ceiling.

TyTy Washington played his best game as a Kentucky Wildcat on Friday evening. Not only did he have 20 points and 12 rebounds, but the freshman was a smooth playmaker also dishing out five assists. He got into a nice pick-and-roll rhythm with Brooks Jr. that result in a nice scoring run.

Here, Washington does a great job of keeping his defender on his hip in order to make the forward play him longer. This leaves Brooks Jr. open for the mid-range jump shot. Also, take a look at how tight the Ohio defenders are playing Kellan Grady and Davion Mintz. That is the value of having good shooters.

As we talked about in the last edition of watch the tape, not all mid-range shots are created equal. The early shot clock, contested pull-ups are not good shots. These catch-and-shoot 18-footers from Keion Brooks are good shots. While he can make threes, it is clear that Brooks is more comfortable from 18 feet. That is okay. He just needs to find his range and be a great shooter from wherever that is. That is what happened Friday night.

Once again, you can see how tight the Bobcats are playing Kellan Grady. He may not have scored, but he had a direct positive impact on the offense throughout the game. TyTy Washington’s play making ability was on full display against Ohio. The ‘Cats will need more of that as the schedule gets tougher in late December.