Opponent’s ‘pretty good game plan’ gives Kentucky something to ponder

Imagine celebrating Thanksgiving with an ice cream social, then swimming at the Woodland Park pool before shooting off fireworks.

Kentucky’s 77-62 victory over Tennessee State on Friday approached that kind of oddity.

Tennessee State, one of the early season’s most prolific three-point shooting teams, mostly kept its three-point shooters holstered. This despite UK’s last two opponents — VMI and Winthrop — making 32 of 66 three-point shots.

Tennessee State, which averaged the fifth-most three-pointers made in Division I (12.2 per game), had taken only six midway through the second half and finished with a season-low 16. This from a team that came in averaging 32.4 three-point shots per game.

And for much of the game, Kentucky somehow was being outscored in the paint by a team that started only one player taller than 6-foot-7. And that player — Stokley Chaffee — was hobbled by foul trouble.

Somehow, the teams ended up deadlocked 32-32 in points from the paint by game’s end.

Even though Kentucky won, Coach John Calipari and his players did not like this scenario playing out.

“Well, they probably watched the tapes and said, ‘You know what, we don’t have to take threes,’” Calipari said. “‘Let’s just drive the ball,’ which I thought they would do. My thing was they would spread the court, use clock and then try to beat somebody on the bounce. I thought they had a pretty good game plan in what they were doing.”

Kentucky still expected Tennessee State to shoot threes.

“That was a point of emphasis for us,” Reid Travis said. “All week in practice was taking away the threes, and really forcing them to drive.”

The surprise was Tennessee State wanted to do just that.

“With Kentucky being so elite in transition and so great at rebounding, we really wanted to apply the pressure on them by getting multiple hand touches,” Coach Brian “Penny” Collins said. “We wanted to pass up good shots for great shots and we did that.”

Kentucky interpreted that as seeing the chance to exploit Kentucky’s defense with penetration into the lane and, if possible, all the way to the basket.

Keldon Johnson, whose seven baskets all came from the paint, drove with authority all night. He finished with a career-high 27 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds.

When asked what got him going, Johnson, said, “I’d say getting to the free-throw line. I’d say that got me going.”

Johnson had career highs in free throws attempted (18) and made (13).

“Then when I got to the hole, take my time and finishing,” he said. “Not just throwing it up there.”

Travis added 13 points and nine rebounds for Kentucky, which improved to 5-1.

Tennessee State, which had been picked to finish last in the Ohio Valley Conference by Street & Smith’s, dropped to 2-4. Tripp Davis, who had been one of the nation’s most prolific three-point shooters, took and made only two shots. Both were three-pointers.

Kentucky showed why it was ranked No. 1 in percentage of missed shots rebounded on the offensive end according to stats maven Ken Pomeroy. But even there, Tennessee State was a bit of a surprise. The Tigers’ eight offensive rebounds midway through the second half marked more than any UK opponent had other than Duke.

The total of offensive rebounds grabbed by UK’s last four opponents was 20.

In the last three games, Kentucky had outscored its opponents in the paint by a total of 64 points (average of 21.3).

This story was originally published November 23, 2018 at 11:27 PM.