THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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TUFSDAY, NOVEMBER 18,2014
PAGE 11
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DOUBLE BONUS
Sports editor Brian Hillix and Nick Gray, a basketball columnist at the Kentucky Kernel student newspaper, talk about each team heading into the Champions Classic.
BRIAN HILLIX
@DoubleHillix
5 QUESTIONS WITH THE ENEMY
Kansan: Kentucky has nine McDonald's All-Americans on the roster this year. That is insane. With all the talent on the team, there's been talk that John Calipari will implement a platoon system, where two groups of five players take turns rotating into the game. What are your thoughts on that, and do you see this being permanent throughout the season?
Kentucky's Trey Lyles dunks near teammates Marcus Lee and Devin Booker during the second half of the game against Buffalo on Nov. 16 in Lexington, Ken. Kentucky won 71-52.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gray: I do not see it being permanent, and I do not think Calipari does either. It will work for everyone in the first month of the season. Players get playing time while Calipari can evaluate 10 players in legitimate game action. Before we hit conference play, do not be surprised if he whittles the rotation down or at least gives some players 30 minutes a game while shortchanging those who aren't playing particularly hard. The experiment has gone pretty well so far, with teams getting worn out quicker than UK, but guys on the second platoon will deserve more than 15-20 minutes a game by the time we get to January.
Kansan: Which returner do you anticipate making the biggest impact this season? Which freshman?
Bray: Returning players are aplenty on UK's roster, but the biggest impact will come from junior forward Willie Cauley-Stein. He can do so many things on defense, and the feeling is that the up-tempo of defense will help Cauley-Stein's offensive numbers because of the increased likelihood of lob passes and transition plays, which fits his style. But he is not the most important returner — point guard Andrew Harrison is more important.
UK's weakness is perimeter shooting. Devin Booker and Aaron Harrison are above average 3-point shooters, but no one has proven to be consistent from outside. If UK goes cold from outside, opponents might have a chance.
Kansan: Taking into the consideration the giant disclaimer that Kentucky hasn't played real competition yet, what have you learned about the team in its limited action this season? What is the team's biggest strength (other than depth), and what is the team's biggest weakness?
Gray: This team has size everywhere. Their guards are 6-foot-6. The forwards and centers are legitimately 6-foot-10 or taller. NBA teams do not have the same kind (and amount) of size that UK has this season. Good luck out-rebounding them.
At the beginning of the season, forward Karl-Anthony Towns looked like the best freshman. He still may be, but he is falling into foul trouble too much and gets lost in the game when he does not get feeds into the post. So the best freshman, and the one will make the most impact early on, is forward Trey Lyles. Kansas will see him in the second platoon, and he will be the best scorer in the lineup. He's a 6-foot-10-inch big man who has already shown he can hit jump shots off of screen and curl actions. You do not see that often.
Kansan: Last season, Kentucky was ranked 69th in the country in points per game and 81st in points allowed. I'm guessing both the offense and the defense will dramatically improve this season. Do you see one side being more dominant this year? What is the team's identity?
We do not know much about either team, but what we do know is this — UK is big, and the easiest way to score points is to get around the basket. The Cats will be better at getting near the basket and defending around the basket.
Bray. UK does not have to execute exponentially well. A bad possession and shot can be saved by any of the three big men that will be on the floor. The team's identity is strength. UK's first two opponents attempted to play physically, but it is not possible to out-muscle this team. Opponents will have to be quicker than UK and will have to make a lot of shots.
Neither offense nor defense will be particularly more dominant than the other. UK will rebound the basketball on each end better than most of its opponents, and that will be what is dominant.
The Jayhawks will stick around in the first half, but UK — if motivated — will stretch the game out, and the Cats will
Gray: Kansas will be a good basketball team when the calendar changes. Unfortunately, the Jayhawks will have to play this game in mid-November.
Kansan: Two extremely young teams with a lot of depth. What's your prediction?
win 80-68
5 QUESTIONS FROM THE ENEMY
aray: The Jayhawks lost two of the three top picks in June's NBA Draft. They played the last month or so last season without Joel Embiid, but now they will not have Andrew Wiggins and others. With regards to UK's struggles two years ago without Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, how is Kansas going to move on without them?
Kansan: Those two moving on obviously leaves some major holes on the team, but Kansas' freshmen and inhouse players should be able to make up for their departures. Replacing Wiggins at the 3-spot will primarily be sophomore Greene and freshmen Kelly Oubre and Sviatoslav Mykhaliuk. While Kansas can't replace Wiggins athleticic (not many can), all three of these players are much better shooters than Wiggins, especially from 3-point range.
Replacing Embiid will be the bigger task for the Jayhawks, as his size and paint presence helped Kansas on both ends of the floor, especially on the defensive side. This year, Kansas doesn't have a player taller than 6-foot-10, so the team won't have a 7-foot shot blocker roaming the basket like in years past. However, freshman Cliff Alexander, a top-5 recruit, will bring much-needed physicality and toughness down low, something Kansas didn't really have last season, even with Embiid.
Kansas: Like Kentucky, Kansas is extremely deep and balanced. The layhawks' leading
Gray: Kelly Oubre is a name most UK fans know if they follow recruiting. He didn't get much time in the season opener. Will he see much time this season? What's his development?
Kansan: Coming into the season, many thought the No. 6-ranked recruit was a lock for the starting five, but his spotty minutes in the early games suggests he is still figuring things out. When asked why Oubre only played four minutes in the season opener against UC Santa Barbara, Kansas coach Bill Self said he was trying to do what was best for the team, and that's just young. My guess is Oubre will assume a starting spot by conference play because of his athleticism and shooting ability. The only thing that may hold him back is his defense, which Self stresses more than anything.
Gray: Who should UK key on offensively Tuesday?
scorer could be eight different players on a given night. But I'll say the most important one to stop will be junior forward Perry Ellis. Almost a perfect contrast to Alexander, Ellis is a more savvy post player that will use his quickness to finish around the basket. He is also one of the team's best mid-range shooters. At the Champion's Classic last year against Duke, he went off for 24 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals.
Gray: Everything coming out of Lawrence in the preseason is centered around Cliff Alexander, the highly regarded freshman forward. What should the public that have not seen him play before Tuesday expect?
Kansan: I touched on this a bit earlier, but Alexander's physicality will be important for a shorter-than-usual Kansas team. Despite being "only" 6-foot-8, Alexander and his 7-foot-2 wingspan will help him guard bigger players in the paint and block shots. Just looking at him, Alexander is a physical freak that certainly doesn't look like a freshman. The biggest question with him is foul trouble, something Self has worried about due to his aggressiveness. While most of his points will come close to the basket, he is also capable of hitting a 10-foot jumper if the
defense backs off. Gray: I think people are discounting the strengths of other teams on UK's schedule, including Kansas. Scanning the Cats' schedule, what do you see as the ultimate trip-up for UK this season? And what is your prediction on Tuesday night?
defense backs off.
Kansan: Looking at the schedule, Louisville would appear to be the team's biggest chance at losing a game this season. Rick Pitino is one of the best coaches in the country, and you know his players will go all-out for this rivalry game, especially if Kentucky is undefeated at the time. The fact that it's a home game for the Cardinals gives them an edge, too. One game people may be overlooking is Texas, who has the size to match Kentucky down low and one of the best point guards in the country in Isaiah Taylor. Arkansas is a well-coached, experienced conference team that could cause Kentucky some problems as well.
For tonight, I either see Kansas winning a close game or Kentucky pulling away in the second half for a double-digit win. I suppose I'll go with the first option: Kansas, 84-79. Long-range shooting will be the difference.
Edited by Rob Pyatt
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