Kentucky has struggled to find a level of consistency this season.
Prior to an 80-61 win over Florida last Saturday, the Wildcats (17-6, 7-3 Southeastern Conference) had lost two in a row and were on the verge of dropping three straight games for the first time in John Calipari’s tenure as coach of the Wildcats.
Despite an overtime loss at Kansas, followed by a disappointing letdown at Tennessee, Georgia coach Mark Fox said the Wildcats, ranked No. 22 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 poll, haven’t fallen off the proverbial map.
“(They’re) a team I think that’s playing their best basketball,” Fox said Monday during the SEC weekly teleconference.
The Bulldogs (13-8, 6-4) are one of the surprise teams in the league and will provide the next challenge for Kentucky when the two teams tangle in a 9 p.m. contest Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.
Georgia has pieced together one of its better defensive teams in the conference after losing a bulk of scoring from last year’s squad. The Bulldogs rank No. 1 in the SEC and sixth nationally in field goal defense.
“It’s great position defense and he’s mixing up a matchup 3-2, 2-3 zone,” Calipari said. “He is doing some things that put them in great position so that you’re getting one tough shot, and they’re rebounding the ball. They’re rebounding with all five. They’re a good team. And they’ll play physical and they have veteran guards, and if you have veteran guards like they have, you have a chance to be in every game.”
Kentucky assistant coach John Robic said the Bulldogs’ defensive attack resembles the same defensive schemes some of Kentucky’s opponents have employed this season.
“(It’s) sort of more like a pack-line defense, packing it in, which we’ve seen a bunch of this year and we’re doing a good job with that,” Robic said. “But they will also sprinkle in a couple different types of zones, so they’re going to try to keep you off balance from what they do.”
Kentucky made strides on the defensive end of the court in the rout of the Gators last weekend and Robic said the Wildcats executed the defensive game plan “really, really well.”
“We’re getting better and better at it (and) I thought Saturday’s game was terrific defensively,” Robic said. “Coach put in a great game plan of how we were going to guard Florida. Players executed it really well. We really guarded as a unit as five, and that takes away some of the pressure off of individuals, and it was really a truly a solid team effort in the half court.
Fox has been impressed with Kentucky’s backcourt, anchored by point guard Tyler Ulis and shooting sidekick Jamal Murray. The two players combined for 53 points in the win over Florida, with Murray netting a career-high 35 points. Fox added having Isaiah Briscoe in the mix gives the Wildcats a formidable backcourt.
“I think that they have a real good chemistry between those three of them,” Fox said. “Along with that chemistry, they’ve got great skill sets. It’s a huge challenge, and they’re playing terrific. They’re playing just terrific.”
It’s not known whether Kentucky senior Alex Poythress will return after missing Saturday’s contest because of an injured knee. Calipari said Monday morning an x-ray didn’t reveal any issues but added he was listed as day-to-day. However, Robic expects Poythress to play.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Georgia has lost eight of its past 10 games against Kentucky. The Wildcats, who have won four straight in the series, swept both games a year ago, including a 72-64 victory in Athens, Ga.
The Bulldogs carry a two-game winning streak into the contest and will be led by guard J.J. Frazier (16.3 points per game). Forward Yante Maten (15.6 ppg) and Kenny Gaines (14 ppg), both starters, also average double figures.
“They’re always really solid,” Robic said. “They really execute offensively how he wants to play. A little bit more of a pattern-type team with reads off certain plays. They’ve had a little bit more ball screen action because of the three guards they’re playing.”
Game tracker: Georgia at Kentucky, Tuesday, 9 p.m. TV/Radio: ESPN, 98.1 FM WBUL
Keith Taylor is a columnist and senior sports writer who covers University of Kentucky athletics for KyForward.com