I’d probably project Kentucky for some moderate defensive improvements moving forward. They’ve been excellent at running teams off the 3-point line (131st in 3-point rate allowed) and defending the interior (14th in 2-point shooting allowed).Īs you can see, Kentucky has been elite at forcing inefficient, long 2-point attempts. To be fair, the Wildcats are likely due for some positive regression defensively. That’s not what I expect from a team ranked eighth in KenPom’s defensive efficiency mark.Īctually, it reminds me of a certain NCAA Tournament game in which the Wildcats got cooked for 1.13 PPP against a MAAC team. Well, Kentucky went ahead and allowed 98 points/100 possessions to Yale.
104.7 points/100 possessions to Michigan State.The last time I wrote about the Wildcats, I mentioned they “posted their three worst defensive performances in the three biggest games, allowing: Yale kept up with the Wildcats on the boards, as Oscar Tshiebwe’s 12 rebounds led to just a +1 rebound differential. They needed a 9-for-15 3-point shooting performance to beat Michigan by four points. The Wildcats won both games but failed to cover each. Wins over KenPom top-100 teams in Michigan and Yale shed some light on the 2022-23 Kentucky Wildcats.
