‘We can pound them inside.’ Arkansas’ lack of size emboldens Kentucky.
Arkansas has played a lineup of five guards at times. For Keion Brooks, that sounds like an invitation for Kentucky to overwhelm the Razorbacks with size Saturday.
“That means we can pound them inside,” Brooks said Friday. “Nick (Richards) should have a very good game like he’s been having. EJ (Montgomery). Nate (Sestina). Even myself at times. Being able to post up smaller players. That’s my main takeaway from it. To be able to guard (Arkansas) off the bounce, and then punish them inside and punish them around the rim.”
Logic is on Brooks’ size. Stats savant Ken Pomeroy ranks UK as the 33rd tallest team in the country. He ranks Arkansas No. 286.
But …
After South Carolina grabbed 20 offensive rebounds in beating Kentucky on Wednesday, John Calipari did not sound confident about his team pounding any opponent. At Friday’s news conference, he reminded reporters that UK’s toughness has been a persistent issue since preseason. The loss to South Carolina kept it fresh in his mind.
“I didn’t say much to them after the game,” Calipari said of the postgame locker room. “I walked in and said, ‘Tough loss right here. Put your clothes on. Let’s get out of here.’ That’s all I said.”
Then on the flight home, Calipari watched video of the game. That prompted an impromptu team meeting at, say, 30,000 feet.
“I called them to the front of the plane,” Calipari said. “I had a few things to say because it was one team clearing space and the other team buckling under.”
Of course, the inference was South Carolina clearing and Kentucky buckling.
“Shot goes up, three guys run,” Calipari said, presumably meaning UK players over-eager to get out on a fast break. “At the other end, (UK players) get hit and kind of crumble.”
Calipari also lamented UK players getting “thrown around” while defending pick-and-roll action at South Carolina.
20 offensive rebounds
When asked specifically about South Carolina’s 20 offensive rebounds (Alabama had 16 four days earlier against Kentucky), Calipari used body language to make his point. When a shot was taken, he turned his face toward the would-be opponent and then turned his back to that player to look for a rebound.
“They jammed you (under the basket), and they rebounded the ball and stuck it back in,” Calipari said.
Incidentally, a Kentucky opponent had not grabbed 20 offensive rebounds since Stony Brook had 25 in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. It had happened only 13 previous times in Calipari’s 11 seasons as coach.
Although Arkansas (14-2 overall, 3-1 in the Southeastern Conference), can play small, Calipari suggested a lack of size should not be confused with a lack of competitive spirit.
“They play really hard,” the UK coach said. “They play rough.
“They’re not big. But it doesn’t seem to hurt them on either end of the court.”
‘A little risky’
Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman has acknowledged that playing five guards can be “a little risky.” For instance, LSU outrebounded Arkansas 53-24 in winning 79-77.
“Naturally, as a coach … when you have five guards out there, defense and rebounding is what you’re concerned with,” Musselman said after the Razorbacks beat Texas A&M 59-49. “But the five guards were our best lineup defensively, and they were our best rebounding lineup.”
In the game against A&M, Arkansas started four guards, none taller than 6-foot-5: Jimmy Whitt, Mason Jones, Isaiah Joe and Desi Sills. Jalen Harris, who is 6-2, joined the group with 12:12 left after forward Adrio Bailey (who is 6-6) drew his fourth foul. Jones and Joe were the tallest players at 6-5.
Calipari did not let the issue of toughness rest after the mid-flight team meeting. He said he met with each individual player on Thursday.
“I asked each guy, ‘Am I asking you something you can’t do?’” Calipari said.
He suggested that players make a conscious choice not to follow coaching orders.
“But that choice leads us to winning or losing,” Calipari said. “But it also leads to you not playing as much.”
Calipari also suggested that the level of toughness he saw at South Carolina was much less than what he usually sees in practices.
“I’m saying, why isn’t what we’re doing in practice carrying over,” he said. “I don’t know. I don’t have the answer. But I know I saw it. And I know they want to do right.”
Saturday
No. 10 Kentucky at Arkansas
When: 4 p.m. EST
TV: ESPN
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Kentucky 12-4 (3-1 SEC), Arkansas 14-2 (3-1)
Series: Kentucky leads 32-11.
Last meeting: Kentucky won 70-66 on Feb. 26, 2019, in Rupp Arena.
