Mark Story: Can Ulis and UK do in 2016 what Kemba & UConn did in 2011?

No one knows better than Kentucky fans that a perimeter-oriented team without a dependable low-post game can cut down nets on the last weekend of the men’s college basketball season.

Twice in the past six years, Connecticut teams built on exceptional guard play — and not blessed with a traditional back-to-the basket scorer — have beaten UK in the Final Four en route to national titles.

As crazy as this would have sounded just three weeks ago, I’m starting to think it’s not impossible for Kentucky to follow the same path.

Riding the scalding-hot perimeter shooting of Jamal Murray and Derek Willis, No. 14 Kentucky (20-6, SEC-best 10-3) beat Tennessee 80-70 Thursday night before a Rupp Arena crowd of 24,274.

It was sweet vengeance for UK, which let a 21-point lead get away in a come-from-ahead 84-77 loss at UT (12-14, 5-8 SEC) earlier this month.

The big difference for the Cats Thursday night was perimeter offense.

In losing at Knoxville, UK made only 7-of-22 three-point shots. In the friendly confines of Rupp Thursday night, Murray hit 3-of-6 treys en route to 28 points and Willis made 7-of-11 three-point shots and scored a career-high 25.

“I just think they really understand their roles,” Tennessee Coach Rick Barnes said of Kentucky. “I just think that’s the sign of a team beginning to figure it out.”

Of the two Connecticut national title teams of recent vintage, the current Wildcats more resemble the 2011 Huskies led by point guard Kemba Walker than the 2014 national champs which featured Shabazz Napier.

Like Walker and 2011 UConn, the 2016 Wildcats feature an alpha male point guard in Tyler Ulis. In the 2011 NCAA Tournament, Walker averaged 23.5 points, six rebounds and 5.7 assists.

Ulis was not at his best against Tennessee (3-of-15 field goals) but still finished with 11 points and nine assists. “Tyler Ulis passed on open shots and took tough shots and you can’t do that,” Kentucky Coach John Calipari said afterward.

Still, Calipari said UK’s improvement owes directly to the 5-foot-9 Ulis and his ability to get buy-in from his teammates.

“They are feeding off Tyler’s confidence,” Calipari said. “He is helping all those guys be confident. I know there are some really good players in this country but he’s got to be in the equation for (National) Player of the Year for all the things he’s doing for our team.”

Like 2011 UConn had in Jeremy Lamb, Kentucky has a smooth-operating true freshman shooting guard in Murray. In the NCAA tourney, Lamb hit 63.1 percent of his three-pointers and averaged more than 16 points.

Murray, if he continues to learn to play within himself, is capable of more offensive production than that.

“He’s a very gifted offensive player,” Kentucky’s Willis said of Murray. “When he plays like he did tonight, I don’t think anyone can stop him.”

As with the 2015-16 Wildcats, Connecticut in 2011 did not really have a player who could post up and be counted on the score from the block. What the Huskies did have was powerful Alex Oriakhi. Bringing physicality and high energy, Oriakhi had double-digit rebounds in four of UConn’s 2011 NCAA tourney games.

Kentucky will have to try to match that by committee.

The 2014 UConn title team also had elite guard play in Napier (21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds a game in six tourney contests) and Ryan Boatright (13.7 points, withering defensive pressure).

Yet in DeAndre Daniels, the ’14 Huskies featured a capable face-the-basket, front-court scorer. The 6-9 Daniels had 27 points and 10 rebounds in a round of 16 win over Iowa State. He went for 20 and 10 in an upset of Florida in the Final Four.

For most of this year, Kentucky has not had that kind of threat in its front court. Could the 6-9 Willis be turning into that?

“When he makes shots like he did tonight, they’re really tough to guard,” said Tennessee’s Kevin Punter Jr.

Calipari says Willis still has another level he can get to.

“As he defends better and rebounds better and gets to where he likes physical play, then he becomes about as good as anybody,” Calipari said. “He’s 6-9, 6-10 and his arms make him like 7-2. … What’s changed our team is Derek. The minute we went to it, everyone could see it, it changed our team.”

There is still a whole lot of basketball to go, of course. Every one of UK’s final five SEC regular season games — starting with Saturday at Texas A&M — will be a rugged test.

Still, March Madness draws near.

For the Big Blue Nation, it would be a delicious karmic payback if the 2015-16 Wildcats could use the blueprint UConn used twice to break Kentucky hearts as the guide to an unexpected NCAA run.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 10:55 PM with the headline "Mark Story: Can Ulis and UK do in 2016 what Kemba & UConn did in 2011?."