Watch the Tape: Stonehill Skyhawks

There isn’t a lot to learn from a game against one of the 20 or so worst teams in Division I basketball. That is especially true when that opponent exclusively played a 3-2 Zone defense that Kentucky likely won’t see the rest of the season.

However, that is the situation the #17 Wildcats faced on Friday night against the Stonehill Skyhawks. The ‘Cats made 17 three-pointers, the most of the John Calipari era, and scored 101 points in the game. Aside from gaining confidence by seeing the ball go in, this wasn’t a game that translates to the rest of the season. Even breaking down the film does little good since UK won’t face much zone defense. For the most part, this game simply served as a stress-free contest in what is generally a grind of a season.

For the Big Blue Nation, this game will be remembered as The Reed Sheppard Game. The former North Laurel star poured in a game-high 25 points on 7-8 shooting from three-point range. Sheppard also dished out seven assists to go with three steals and a pair of blocks. Already a fan favorite, the freshman guard is starting to garner national recognition as one of Kentucky’s best players. Rob Dillingham fits that bill as well as he finished with 20 points and seven assists. Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell rounded out the double-figure scorers with 15 points a piece. The 101-67 win moved the Wildcats to 3-1 on the season.

Despite not having much to learn from this one we still broke it down in the KSR Film Room. We will highlight the excellence of Sheppard and Dillingham, show some flashes of Kentucky’s defensive potential, and showcase why teams likely won’t want to zone the ‘Cats much this season. Let’s dive in and break down Friday’s win over the Stonehill Skyhawks.

Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham

Not even the strongest supporters of Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham could have expected what we’ve seen so far this season. Those two have not only emerged as Kentucky’s best players but also as two of the most dynamic guards in all of college basketball. Dillingham is second on the team averaging 16.8 points per game. He also averages 4.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Meanwhile, Sheppard averages 13.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 3.0 steals per game. The freshman duo has combined for just 10 turnovers and are shooting 22-40 from three-point range. Their two-way production has been nothing short of spectacular. Let’s take a look at how they dominated on Friday night against the Stonehill Skyhawks.

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Everything Rob Dillingham does on the basketball court is aggressive. He steals the rebound here from Antonio Reeves, races the ball up the floor, and delivers a perfect left-handed pass to Reed Sheppard for three. Being able to move at full speed and throw that pass right on the money with his off-hand shows just show skilled of a guard Dillingham is.

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On Tuesday night against #1 Kansas, Rob Dillingham hit four consecutive three-point shots in one of the most exciting stretches of Kentucky basketball in years. Nobody would have expected a similarly exciting moment against the Stonehill Skyhawks. However, this play featuring Reed Sheppard and Dillingham certainly got the Rupp Arena crowd on their feet. Absolutely incredible pass by Sheppard to find Dillingham in the corner for what turned into a four-point play.

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These two freshmen guards are excellent on the offensive end, but they also are Kentucky’s two best defenders. In this clip, you see how quick Rob Dillingham’s feet are as he easily cuts off #10 Felder’s right-hand drive. Then, he is active off of the ball making the second driver pick the ball up. Ultimately, Reed Sheppard ends up with an athletic block on the layup attempt to get the fast break started. Sheppard finishes the play by throwing it ahead to Dillingham who smoothly finishes the and-one.

Kentucky Flashes Defensive Upside

This Kentucky team is not likely to ever become excellent on the defensive end of the floor. However, they have proven early this season that they can be opportunistic and have the capability to force a lot of turnovers. Through four games they have forced turnovers on 20.5% of opponent’s possessions and have a Top 50 steal rate in the country. This group is long and athletic enough to be very disruptive, especially out on the perimeter. Then, as the three seven-footers begin to return the Wildcats will start to reach whatever ceiling there is to their defensive unit. On Friday evening, despite giving up 67 points to the Stonehill Skyhawks, the ‘Cats flashed some of their potential on the defensive end of the floor.

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Both Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard jumped the passing lanes in a similar fashion against the Stonehill Skyhawks. You have to love the way they read the passer and go attack the ball. The competition might not be the best, but these are high-level plays by the Wildcats’ two best defensive players.

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This was one of the best all-around defensive possessions from Friday night’s contest against the Skyhawks. All five Wildcats played a role in getting this stop, but DJ Wagner was the real star. Wagner contains the initial followed by sound closeouts from Tre Mitchell and Justin Edwards. Then, to end the possession, Wagner is excellent on the ball, ultimately recording the blocked shot. That is what the ‘Cats need from their prized freshman point guard.

Tre Mitchell – Zone Buster

College basketball teams simply don’t play that much zone defense. Now that Coach Jim Boeheim is gone, the most famous zone defense is probably played by Coach Joe Gallo at Merrimack. A lot of fans think about zone an awful lot though despite it not being very prevalent on the floor.

However, Kentucky played against a 3-2 zone for 40 minutes on Friday night and torched it from start to finish. The Wildcats improved shooting ability made it unlikely for opponents to play much zone this season. That is even more true after the film from their win over the Stonehill Skyhawks makes its rounds. It is really hard to zone guys like Antonio Reeves and Reed Sheppard, but having Tre Mitchell operate in the middle is the ultimate zone-buster.

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Tre Mitchell finished with 15 points on 7-9 shooting while dishing out four assists in the win over Stonehill. He patrolled the middle of the Skyhawks zone around the SEC logo and dominated the game from the inside out. Mitchell scored several face-up jump shots and also kicked out to open shooters routinely. He really is the perfect zone buster as he has the ability to dribble, pass, and shoot. Good luck to any future opponent considering zoning the Wildcats this season.