1. What I'm getting ready to write is being written by pretty much everyone covering college basketball in the aftermath of the Cards-Cats contest. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is playing like a first team All-American. Anthony Davis has received more hype (which he's actually lived up to in large part), but Kidd-Gilchrist deserves the same amount of attention for the way he is playing. I'm not sure what's been more impressive about MKG's play - the effort he brings every single game on every single possession or the fact that he scores as much as he does without dominating the ball.
2. MKG's 24 and 19 was spectacular, and his play of late has been just about flawless. Still, I think Anthony Davis is the most important Wildcat. After foul trouble sidelined him for much of the first half, Davis finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 blocks. Put simply, Davis is a singular talent. There are no substitutes for his shot-blocking and ability to play above the rim.
3. Kentucky got the better of the Cards on Saturday and is the better team. But Louisville fans need not fret. Rick Pitino's squad held one of the four best teams in the country to 29.8% shooting from the field on its home court. If the Cards can develop any semblance of effectiveness in their halfcourt offense to go along with one of the nation's premiere defenses, they are going to be very difficult to beat.
4. Louisville's level of talent has been much-maligned in recent weeks as a result of the Cardinals' undefeated start and the inevitable comparisons to the heavyweights of the 2011-12 campaign - Syracuse, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Ohio State. While the Cards' talent level pales in comparison to the talent possessed by the top 4 teams in the country, I like their roster compared to just about everyone else, save perhaps Connecticut. Peyton Siva is a steady hand at point guard, and Kyle Kuric is a well-rounded player who can knock down the three and finish on the break. That much we knew coming into the season. Additionally, Chase Behanan, despite a number of bone-headed mistakes against the Cats, has lived up to his billing as one of the Big East's top freshmen. The surprises have come in the form of the emergence of sophomores Gorgui Dieng, one of the nation's most improved players and best shot blockers, and Russ Smith, quickly becoming a source of instant offense off the bench and a player who can create his own shot. The Cards also have a number of injured players who are working themselves back into the rotation or should be returning in the near future.
5. Terrence Jones is costing himself a lot of money with his play thus far this season. He was a likely lottery pick had he left after his freshman season, but he's not playing like a first round pick right now. He collected 11 rebounds and 3 steals, so it's not as if he was a non-factor on Saturday. That being said, 2 points in 30 minutes is just not enough production from a preseason first-team All-American - even one nursing an injured finger. Needless to say this is not the type of season Jones hoped for when he decided to return to Lexington.
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A Kentucky fan's thoughts on Louisville:
ReplyDeleteThey are better than I thought they would be. Not just in terms of how they are playing, but the talent that is assembled. Dieng and Behanan are both talented and compliment each other well. Behanan has a better build to be a low post scorer at the college level, and Dieng gives the frontcourt length and shotblocking, and has come along way as a rebounder, defender, and scorer. Siva, Kuric, and the Smiths create great ball pressure, and, despite the Kentucky game, finish well in transition.
Louisville's half-court offense has to revolve around getting Behanan and Dieng the ball on the low block. I think both of these guys need to be taking 8-12 shots a game. Kuric struggled in the half court while being guarded by Mike Kidd-Gilchrist, and Siva has no business taking shooting from beyond the arc. I'm not a big fan of Chris Smith as a consistent scorer, and although Russ Smith was really good against UK, I think some more disciplined defensive teams will give him trouble. I think as a group, UofL's guards can shoot well enough that teams will pay for doubling off of them to help with a frontcourt player. But Louisville's half court offense has been pretty bad when trying to create stuff from the perimeter.