Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s loss at Notre Dame
Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 66-62 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday at the Purcell Pavilion in South Bend.
1. So much for this being a better three-point shooting team
The preseason chatter promised this 2021-22 Kentucky basketball edition would be a much better three-point shooting team than the chronically off-target Wildcats of a season ago. It couldn’t be any worse, right? Right? After all, last year’s Cats shot a miserable 33.6 percent from three-point range, which ranked 172nd in the country. And that percentage was with improved shooting behind the arc over the final few games.
And yet, so far this year, Kentucky’s three-point shooting is even worse than a season ago. After going 2-for-19 on Saturday, the Cats are now at 30.2 percent for the year behind the arc, which ranked somewhere in the 260s during Saturday’s play.
“You don’t have to make them all,” begins one of John Calipari’s pet phrases. “But you can’t miss them all.”
That’s right, on Saturday, Kentucky missed 17 of 19. Kellan Grady was responsible for the two made triples. Those came in seven attempts. His teammates were 0-for-12. Davion Mintz went 0-for-5 from three. Bryce Hopkins and Sahvir Wheeler were 0-for-2. Keion Brooks, TyTy Washington and Jacob Toppin were each 0-for-1.
“I hope it’s a fluke,” Calipari said afterward.
It’s not a one-time fluke. Kentucky went just 6-for-20 from three for 30 percent in Tuesday night’s victory over Southern. The Cats were 7-for-26 for 26.9 percent from three in the win over Central Michigan on Nov. 29. And they were 6-for-25 for 24 percent from three in the victory over North Florida on Nov. 26.
Add the last four games together and the Wildcats are 21-for-90 from three-point range for 23.3 percent.
“We gave up some painful twos,” Notre Dame Coach Mike Brey said. “But we gave up two threes. If we give up four threes, then we lose.”
2. Defensive breakdowns cost the Cats the game
As bad as Kentucky’s shooting was, its late-game defense might have been worse. Time and again, in a possession-by-possession game, the Irish out-executed the Cats down the stretch. Notre Dame’s guards either penetrated to set up good shots, or Brey ran backdoor cuts to perfection for easy baskets.
“I think we were playing not to lose,” Calipari said. “We had guys who just froze on defense.”
After Kentucky took a 54-51 lead with 7:22 left, Notre Dame’s Dane Goodwin scored inside off a Paul Atkinson assist. Then Atkinson himself scored inside. Then freshman guard Blake Wesley got open on an in-bounds pass for a point-blank dunk. With 3:50 to go, completing the 8-0 run, Goodwin scored inside. A 54-51 Kentucky lead had become a 59-54 Notre Dame lead.
“You can’t miss shots and do that, too,” Calipari said of UK’s lapses in defensive discipline.
Even when Kentucky went ahead 62-61 on a Grady three-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer with 1:49 left, the Irish worked the ball to where it wanted the ball. Goodwin drew a foul and hit one of two free throws. After a Grady three spun out, Notre Dame had the ball with a chance to win it. Brey’s original play call broke down, but Wesley stepped up to be the hometown hero. The South Bend native drove to the lane, then pulled up for the jumper that made it 64-62 Irish.
Said Brey, whose team snapped a three-game losing streak, “We needed a night like this.”
3. Kentucky needed this game, too
During their seven-game win streak, the Cats played seven inferior opponents in the friendly confines of Rupp Arena. Aside from the first half against Ohio, they were never really tested. Not really. They won comfortably over teams at the back end of all the computer rankings. That 7-1 record was something of a mirage.
Saturday in South Bend was a much different scenario. Plenty of blue got into Purcell Pavilion, but the Notre Dame fan base was into the game, as well. New football coach Marcus Freeman was introduced during one timeout. At halftime, Irish great LaPhonso Ellis was inducted into the Notre Dame basketball ring of honor.
Plus, the Irish had played a much tougher schedule than Kentucky to this point. “We were probably a little weathered because we’ve been punched in the face,” Brey said.
Now, Kentucky has been punched in the face. What did the Cats learn? Brooks said he learned that the team needed to get the ball more to Oscar Tshiebwe, who scored a career-high 25 points. Calipari said he learned something about his backcourt.
“Our guards were not good,” the coach said.
Notre Dame’s Wesley said he had watched tape of Wheeler and decided it would be best to play off of Kentucky’s point guard because “he can’t shoot.” Unable to penetrate, Wheeler was limited to two assists. Over the final few minutes, Mintz was on the floor while Wheeler was on the bench.
Overall, what did Calipari learn?
“I’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said.
This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 8:49 PM.
