Watch the Tape: Saint Joseph's Hawks

Michigan State lost to James Madison 79-76 in overtime on the opening night of the college basketball season. The Dukes were ranked #136 in KenPom at the time. UNC Greensboro was #127 when they won at Arkansas on Friday night. #276 Bryant knocked off Florida Atlantic on Saturday. Missouri isn’t on the level of those teams, but they lost to previously 0-5 Jackson State, which was ranked #308.

The Saint Joseph’s Hawks came to Rupp Arena ranked #121 in KenPom and nearly knocked off the Kentucky Wildcats. However, Tre Mitchell knocked in two massive pick-and-pop three-point shots in overtime to outlast the Hawks 96-88. If there was ever a night that screamed “Don’t ever take winning for granted” it was Monday evening. Just ask Michigan State, Arkansas, Florida Atlantic, or Missouri.

In the pregame Scouting Report, we discussed how Saint Joseph’s shot a ton of three-pointers and were capable of a game like this. They play very fast offensively, shoot as many triples as anyone in the country, and have very talented guard play. As we discussed, they have the capability of beating any team in the country, but also losing to any team in the country. Their last two games are pretty much proof of that concept. On Monday night at Rupp Arena, they shot 15-37 from deep but it wasn’t quite enough to knock off the Wildcats, which shot 12-25 from three.

As we do after every game it is time to step inside the KSR Film Room and break down what we saw the night before. Kentucky was once again excellent offensively, especially in transition, but struggled in stretches both on the glass and on the defensive end in general. Credit to the Saint Joseph’s Hawks though for making shots and putting a ton of game pressure on the Wildcats. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at Monday night’s 96-88 overtime victory in Lexington.

Defensive Breakdowns Nearly Cost the ‘Cats

Guarding the Saint Joseph’s Hawks isn’t an easy task. Erik Reynolds and Cameron Brown are All-Atlantic 10 guards. Lynn Greer is a dynamic playmaker as is freshman Xzayvier Brown. Most importantly, all four of those guys can really shoot the basketball.

On Monday night they were 14-26 accounting for all but one of the Hawks’ misses. Kentucky was put in constant ballscreen action and it made for tough decisions on the defensive end. Ultimately, the Wildcats lost track of perimeter shooters too often and stared at the ball on far too many occasions. However, that is why you watch the tape and learn in the film room. Everyone from the coaching staff to the players will be more prepared for a team like Miami (FL) due to playing a game like this.

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All three of the above clips are so similar in terms of the defensive breakdown leading to a three-pointer. However, the mistakes were made by three different Wildcats. There is simply no reason to completely turn your back to your man when the ball is corralled along the baseline. Each of these clips features the Saint Joseph’s Hawks’ ball handler going to his left with at least two guys on him while essentially being behind the basket as well. We certainly don’t need MORE help. Just go tighten up to your man and take away the three-point shot!

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There is a lot of pressure put on the defense when a team is going to shoot 35+ three-pointers in a game. You never have a moment to relax and you have to train yourself to concentrate at all times. Kentucky’s freshmen simply were not up for that task against Saint Joe’s. Here you see DJ Wagner relax for just a split second and then get caught going underneath the handoff for a three from #2 Reynolds. You can’t have a lapse in concentration when guarding that level of shooter. That is what it’ll be like guarding Nijel Pack, Wooga Poplar, and Bensley Joseph next week against Miami.

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It seems counterintuitive to leave a guy closer to the basket to guard someone further from the basket. However, that may have been the better game plan against St. Joe’s. Their 5-men are likely not capable of beating you on the roll, but their guards on the perimeter are absolutely good enough to beat you from deep. It almost happened to Kentucky at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats didn’t need to “tag” the roll man this aggressively. Make them throw it to him and see if he can beat us instead of giving up an open three to #11 Brown.

Elite Transition Offense

Per Synergy, Kentucky scored 1.429 points per possession in transition against the Saint Joseph’s Hawks. That is an incredibly high number. Oddly enough, there are still some things the Wildcats can improve on in transition as well. They throw the ball ahead too much for no reason and don’t always have the best spacing. However, there are so many dynamic playmakers that it covers up some structural issues. Let’s take a look at some of the most impressive transition plays from Monday evening.

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Rob Dillingham is making a habit of checking into the game and almost instantly doing something electric. This coast-to-coast layup is just awesome. First off, it is a good example of the point guard being the point guard. Sometimes you can throw the ball ahead too much. If it isn’t for a layup or a three you are better off taking it yourself and making a play. Dillingham is so quick in the open floor and can make the defense pay for the slightest error.

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Speaking of throwing it ahead in transition, this is a perfect, beautiful example of when you do want to advance the ball. Reed Sheppard‘s pass directly led to an Antonio Reeves layup. When you can put the ball in the basket just three seconds after getting scored on it is very deflating to the opposing defense.

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This is an incredibly high-level pass from Rob Dillingham to lead Tre Mitchell to the rim. Mitchell’s catch, balance, and immediate pass to the corner are equally impressive. Then, Dillingham does a good job of relocating on Antonio Reeves’ drive and it leads to a wide-open three-point attempt.

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Great job on this possession by Antonio Reeves sprinting the floor and getting all the way to the corner where he is ready to receive the ball. It is a great play by DJ Wagner as well, freezing the defender by taking one dribble before delivering the pass to a wide-open Reeves. This is a very, very high percentage shot for Kentucky.

Miscellaneous Clips to Discuss

There wasn’t a clear third category to talk about from Kentucky’s win over the Saint Joseph’s Hawks so here are three more random clips from the game that are worthy of discussion.

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Reed Sheppard played the worst game of his very short college career on Monday night. However, his overall impact while “not playing well” is truly impressive. He had several defensive breakdowns, especially in the second half, but still had five steals. Offensively, he failed to score but still dished out four assists. Sheppard only attempted one shot but still led the team with a +16 in just over 25 minutes of play. This play soon after he entered the game was perfect execution. Taking his defender down to the level of the screen forced Tre Mitchell’s man to help more at the point of the ballscreen. Then, Sheppard delivers a perfect pass to the rim for a layup.

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We are going with the sandwich method here in this final segment. One negative clip smushed between a pair of positive plays. This is another example of a lack of discipline and concentration from the Wildcats defensively. Adou Thiero is 6’8″. There is no need for him to be flying by the defender at the end of his drive like this. Stay down, wall up, and make him finish over you. By biting on the pump fake he takes himself out of defensive rebounding position. Additionally, it leads to Jordan Burks stepping over to contest the shot which also takes him out of position. This happened a lot early in the game and it led to 11 of Saint Joseph’s first 15 points coming via offensive rebounds.

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We’ve shown a similar clip a few times during the preseason, but this might be the first time we saw it in live game action. It is so refreshing to actually have space for a cutter to curl into. This action is effective because defenders have to chase Antonio Reeves due to his shooting ability. He can be really effective curling into the paint to shoot his little floater or finish as he did here.