The BBL is excited to be in attendance at Madison Square Garden tonight for the SEC-Big East Invitational matchup between titans of the college basketball universe Kentucky and Connecticut.
This will be our first chance to catch the Cats live this season, and we are licking our chops at the opportunity. Hopefully, we’ll bring back some stories, picture and video from our experience, but going into it, here are our keys to the game.
Youth vs. Youth – Both teams are very young. Kentucky starts three freshmen, while UConn is expected to start at least one true freshman (Alex Oriakhi) and a sophomore (Kemba Walker). The bulk of UConn’s bench is very young, as well. The primary difference, from an experience standpoint, is that Coach Jim Calhoun has been reluctant to use his bench much in the early season, while Kentucky routinely plays 10 guys. As has been the norm in the first month of the season, expect another sloppy game.
Friendly Confines - UConn is used to playing in the Mecca of college hoops. In fact, they make an annual trip to the Big Apple for the Big East tourney and have already played two games there this season. This familiarity might give the Huskies a slight edge. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see whether the now revitalized Big Blue Nation shows up in full force for an early December game on a Wednesday night in New York.
Charity Stripe – UConn has been woeful from the line so far this year, shooting about 69%, with a low point coming in a loss vs. Duke when the Huskies shot 15-28 in a 9 point loss. Of course, Kentucky has been worse, shooting only 66% from the stripe. The difference has been that the Cats have knocked them down when they count–late FTs vs. Stanford and UNC saved both games.
Wear ‘em Down – All of Connecticut’s five starters are averaging more than 30 minutes per game. After that, the next biggest contributor is freshman Jamal Coombs-McDaniel. Don’t be surprised to see Coach Cal run bodies in waves at UConn and try to tire them out or get their bigs in foul trouble. UConn will struggle mightily in the Big East this year if they don’t start developing some depth.
Perimeter Defense - UConn isn’t a dazzling outside shooting team, but they do fire up about 10 a game and hit more than 35%. This is a recurring challenge for Kentucky so they will need to limit open looks from Walker and leading scorer Jerome Dyson (20.1 ppg). On the other side of the ball, UConn’s athletic backcourt should be able to have success slowing up UK’s lightning quick guard duo, at least relative to what is humanly possible.
BBL’s Take - UConn has a talented starting five, all of whom have the potential to play NBA ball in the future. Walker and Dyson are fast and can get the ball to the rack, while Stanley Robinson is one of the highest leapers in college hoops. Throw in big bodies Gavin Edwards and McDonald’s All-American Oriakhi and it’s clear this will be an evenly matched game. Kentucky will need to rebound well and keep UConn’s bigs from getting putback dunks and tip-ins. If the Cats continue to get decent 3-point shooting from Miller-Dodson-Bledsoe and Wall and Patterson do their normal thing, Kentucky should be in good position to pull out a W.
Look for the game to start off as an up and down affair. UConn has had trouble in halfcourt games and will want to turn the inevitable slew of UK turnovers into fast break points. Dyson, who is a dynamic slasher/shooter will look to get involved early. He can heat up quickly and score in bunches. Ultimately, Kentucky should be able to outlast UConn by pounding it inside with Patterson-Cousins-Orton. Regardless of outcome, look for John Wall to contribute a few highlight reel plays to the storied annals of Madison Square Garden hoops lore.
See you in New York
