Kentucky’s defense, ‘our calling card,’ has the team off to a fast start
As Kahlil Whitney recalled, his high school five-star excellence did not involve defense.
“In high school, I didn’t take it too seriously,” he said Monday.
From his work on the recruiting trail, Kentucky Coach John Calipari said he could confirm that. “That’s very true,” he said.
Sophomore Immanuel Quickley said he, too, did not consider playing defense on the high school level as important.
“Oh, I didn’t play any defense,” he said. “I was just trying to shoot balls.
“It changes when you come to college,” Quickley added. “Every possession matters. Every pass matters. So you can’t take any plays off.”
Two games into a new season suggests Kentucky is taking defense seriously. According to stats maven Ken Pomeroy, UK ranks second nationally in defensive efficiency.
Numbers that catch the eye include:
The first two opponents — then No. 1 Michigan State and Eastern Kentucky — combined to make only 31.7 percent of their shots. That includes 22 percent (13 of 59) from three-point range.
Those two teams have nearly twice as many turnovers (37) as assists (21).
And Kentucky is defending without fouling. UK has made many more free throws (46) than the opponents have attempted (29).
“A lot of it has been defense,” Quickley said of UK’s 2-0 start. “I think that’s been our calling card. Just trying to shut teams down (and) shut their best players down as best we can.
“Energy and effort have been at the top of the list.”
Vets a key
Calipari credited the luxury of having experienced players in the mix. That includes sophomore guards Ashton Hagans and Quickley, plus junior “big” Nick Richards and graduate transfer Nate Sestina.
“Teams that I had that had a bunch of veterans back and understood (the importance of defense) drag other people along,” Calipari said. “When you don’t have that, it’s the coaches dragging that along. And that becomes a longer process.”
Calipari cited two factors for his team’s solid defensive start: Sestina communicates on the defensive end and guards Hagans, Quickley and freshman Tyrese Maxey give Kentucky a three-headed disruptor.
Whitney, a 2,000-point scorer in high school, said desire is a factor on defense that should not be overlooked.
“It’s something you’ve got to want,” he said, “and take pride in.”
Whitney said his arrival at Kentucky brought a revelation about defense.
“Ever since I got to college, defense is pretty much everything …,” he said. “That’s what it takes to win. We talk about it every day.”
Calipari and Quickley spoke of Whitney transforming himself into a player who can impact games at the defensive as well as offensive end.
Of Whitney’s play against Michigan State, Calipari said, “People who watched him in high school couldn’t believe it was the same guy. We’re very demanding, and they’re demanding of each other.”
Calipari then cited what sounded like an ironic bonus that comes with playing effective defense. It increases the chance for that player to score points. That applies to Whitney, the UK coach said.
“The great thing for him is when you guard that way, even when the offense isn’t going, you can leave that guy on the court,” Calipari said. “When he’s doing both, he becomes one of the best.”
No rest wanted
Both Whitney and Quickley spoke of Kentucky not wanting to rest on its two-game laurels.
“We can be really special,” Whitney said. “We have a lot of mental lapses defensively. We want to be almost perfect on defense.”
Quickley said much the same thing, albeit in an earthier way.
“We can get better at it,” he said. “Just trying to step on teams’ throats. I think when we get up early in games, sometimes we let our guard down. We’re going to get where we can play a whole game of suffocating defense.”
Tuesday
Evansville at No. 1 Kentucky
When: 7 p.m.
Records: Evansville 1-0; UK 2-0
Series: First meeting
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630; WBUL-FM 98.1
