UK basketball notebook: Underdog or powerhouse: Which Kentucky team makes Calipari proudest?
Kentucky’s last two basketball seasons present a stark contrast. One a commanding ocean liner gliding inexorably toward historic achievement (until running into an iceberg named Wisconsin). The other a leaky vessel requiring constant patchwork to stay afloat and on course.
The question is which season brings the most coaching pleasure: Keeping a roster bursting with star power united and playing with purpose, as was Kentucky in 2014-15? Or confounding skeptics by finding success through perseverance and adaptation on the fly, as is Kentucky in 2015-16?
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale suggested that this season holds a stronger appeal to UK Coach John Calipari. It fits better into his self-identification as a plucky underdog who will prevail against more privileged rivals.
“He sort of worships these kind of challenges,” Vitale said. “Everybody kind of getting down on him.”
When asked which season brought more satisfaction, Calipari did not choose.
Of 2014-15, when the glut of standout players inspired a platoon system of substitution, he said, “I can’t believe I got all those guys to buy in. . . . That was the amazing part of last year.”
As another ESPN analyst, Fran Fraschilla, said, this season returns Kentucky “back to earth.” One-and-done gives way to trial-and-error. Calipari must manipulate a roster of mere mortals. Skal Labissiere symbolizes the experimentation, ping-ponging between the low and high posts. Derek Willis goes from infrequently used reserve to difference maker.
Unlike last season, when Kentucky continued to steam forward after Alex Poythress tore an anterior cruciate ligament, this season’s injuries leave a mark.
“I’m having fun with it,” Calipari said Friday. “I’m enjoying it. I feel refreshed.”
Maybe. But a few minutes later, after he told reporters that UK had repeatedly changed its offensive approach this season, he changed his tune. Asked if this was fun, Calipari smiled and said, “No.”
He saw a good side. “It wakes you up early in the morning,” he said, before adding, “and it really gets you to go to bed early.”
Given a choice of leading an underdog team that surprised skeptics or a team that met high expectations, former LSU Coach Dale Brown said he would have no problem choosing.
Those choices are “light years apart,” he said. Brown would want the underdog team. The players would not have “delusions of grandeur.”
South Carolina Coach Frank Martin cautioned against the assumption that winning automatically translates into coaching satisfaction.
“A lot of times, the team is winning and on the outside people think on the inside everything is smooth,” he said. “Those are usually the hardest teams to manage. You’re constantly dealing with a lot of things.
“A lot of times, the team is losing and on the outside people think the team is struggling. And on the contrary, the team is building the unity and the camaraderie that it needs to be successful in the future.”
Ulis fan/Ulis rival
Among the finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, which goes to college basketball’s best point guard, is Tyler Ulis. Another finalist is a fan of UK’s floor general.
He is Oakland’s Khalil “Kay” Felder, who also happens to be 5-9.
“I like Tyler Ulis’ game,” Felder said. “I’ve been watching him ever since he got to Kentucky. He’s a good player. He’s not scared of anything. And he’s aggressive.”
That could describe Felder, who, like Ulis, doesn’t let his height adversely affect his play.
How does he compensate? “Just playing with energy,” he said. “Playing with a lot of heart. Just not being scared to mess up.”
Felder’s 12 assists in a loss to Milwaukee on Thursday made him the career leader for the Horizon League. He increased his career total to 703.
Going into this weekend, Felder also led Oakland in scoring (24.6 ppg).
Felder’s numbers are not merely a product of mid-major competition. He had 38 points and nine assists at Washington, 37 points and nine assists against Michigan State, 30 points at Virginia and 23 points and five assists against Georgia.
Felder, a bit heavier than Ulis at 176 pounds, attended Pershing High School in Detroit. That’s the same school that produced Hall of Famer Spencer Haywood and former Michigan State star Steve Smith.
Felder’s final three college choices were Eastern Michigan, Southern Illinois and Oakland. No Michigan or Michigan State in the picture.
“I was all right with it,” he said. “In their recruiting process, they knew what they were looking for. . . .
“I wanted to go mid-major. I knew I could be successful at this level.”
When asked if he believed his height made Michigan and Michigan State stay away, Felder said, “Oh, definitely. Because everybody wants that NBA-tall point guard. That 6-5 or around that area.”
Yes, he said, he found motivation in this.
“I used to think about that a lot,” he said. “And that’s what drives me to do what I can do.”
Felder aspires to play in the NBA.
“But if I don’t,” he said, “I’ll definitely be somewhere making money playing basketball.”
Wide open
Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione, the chair of the Selection Committee, agrees with the widely held opinion that this season, to date, has produced no clear favorite for the NCAA Tournament.
As evidence, he cited the six teams that have been ranked No. 1 this season: Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan State, Kansas, Oklahoma and Villanova.
Only once has there been more teams at No. 1. That was the 1982-83 season when seven reached the top of the polls: Houston, Indiana, Memphis, UNLV, North Carolina, UCLA and Virginia.
“The Madness may have arrived early this season,” Castiglione said of this season’s anything-goes flavor. “And, obviously, will stay with us.”
Rules working
Selection Committee chair Joe Castiglione said this season’s so-called “new rules” have achieved the intended purpose of making college basketball more pleasing to fans.
As evidence, he said that 30 teams averaged 75 or more points last season. This season there were 139 teams averaging that many points last week.
Entering this weekend’s play, 10 SEC teams averaged 75 points: LSU (81.3), Arkansas (80.3), UK (78.4), South Carolina (78.0), Tennessee (77.0), Mississippi State (76.7), Vanderbilt (76.5), Texas A&M (76.3), Ole Miss (75.5) and, rounding upward, Florida (74.5).
NCAA leftovers
Leftovers from last week’s teleconference including Joe Castiglione:
▪ Explaining when two teams from the same conference can play in the NCAA Tournament. If teams played three or more times in the regular season, they cannot play until the region finals. If teams played twice, they cannot play until the Sweet 16. If they played only once, they can play as early as the second round.
▪ Saying how the NCAA Tournament rounds of play will be labeled. The play-in games in Dayton will be called “First Four.” The games on Thursday and Friday of the first week will be “first-round games.” Games on Saturday and Sunday of the first weekend will be “second-round games.”
Rondo in tiff
Before being fired as New York Knicks coach, Derek Fisher got into a tiff with former UK standout Rajon Rondo, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Rondo apparently irked Fisher by saying he didn’t think he was suited for the Knicks’ ballyhooed triangle offense.
“I wouldn’t want to go to a system where I don’t really have the ball in my hands,” Rondo said.
To which, Fisher responded by saying, “You can’t ask a guy who wasn’t very successful playing against it whether or not he wants to play in it.”
When asked if he was concerned about an elite point guard saying the triangle offense was a poor fit, Fisher said, “That’s your decision on whether he’s elite or not.”
Trivia question
Villanova rose to No. 1 in The Associated Press for the first time last week. It’s surprising that Villanova had never before been No. 1 given the program’s history of success.
Of course, that success includes winning the 1985 national championship in Rupp Arena. That was the first year the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams.
Since that expansion, only one other team has won a national championship without ever being No. 1. Can you name that team?
It’s Maryland, which beat Kentucky in the Sweet 16 en route to the 2002 title. The Terps were No. 2 in last week’s top 25 poll.
Another trivia question
Entering this weekend, which SEC team has beaten the most ranked opponents?
In just about any other season, the answer would be Kentucky. Not so far this season. The Cats have beaten two ranked opponents: Duke and Louisville. (No doubt, UK fans would say if you’re only going to beat two ranked opponents, those are the two.)
Texas A&M has beaten the second-most ranked opponents: Gonzaga, Baylor and Iowa State.
The SEC team that has beaten the most ranked opponents is – surprise – Alabama. The Tide has beaten four ranked teams: Wichita State, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Texas A&M.
The last time Alabama won four regular-season games against ranked opponents was 2001-02.
No Cats
Longtime pro basketball reporter Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated recently posted his list of the top 50 NBA players of all time.
No player with a UK pedigree made the list. The only Kentuckian was Newport native Dave Cowens, who was at No. 42. He played collegiately for Florida State.
Only two former SEC players made the list: Bob Pettit (LSU) at No. 13 and Charles Barkley (Auburn) at No. 20.
McCallum’s top 10: 1. Michael Jordan, 2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 3. Wilt Chamberlain, 4. Magic Johnson, 5. LeBron James, 6. Oscar Robertson, 7. Larry Bird, 8. Bill Russell, 9. Jerry West, 10. Tim Duncan.
One man, one vote
After LSU lost at South Carolina onnWednesday, ESPN asked Ben Simmons for his choice for national player of the year.
“Myself,” Simmons said. “I’m not going to pick anybody over me. But you know there’s a lot of great players out there.”
With that, Simmons added, “I don’t think anybody’s better than me.”
Happy birthday
To Leroy Byrd. He turned 53 on Thursday. … To Andy Dumstorf. The student fired from a UK sports information job because he was a Louisville fan turned 52 Thursday. … To Josh Harrellson. He turned 27 on Friday. … To Mike Krzyzewski. The Duke coach turned 69 on Saturday. … To Ray Edelman. He turns 64 Sunday (today). … To Tod Lanter. He turns 25 on Monday.
This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 4:12 PM with the headline "UK basketball notebook: Underdog or powerhouse: Which Kentucky team makes Calipari proudest?."