The University of Mississippi Athletics
Know the Opponent: Kentucky
12/29/2016 | Men's Basketball, Blog
Know the Opponent: Kentucky (10-2)
KenPom ranking: 4
Best win: No. 3 North Carolina
Worst loss: No. 13 UCLA
Ole Miss opens up conference play by being presented the best team in the SEC. The Wildcat do essentially everything well. Their athleticism makes them extremely difficult to guard, but they are also one of the best defensive teams in the nation to go on top of that. Outside of their three matchups against top-15 teams, Kentucky has won every other game by at least 21 points. This will be the first time this season that Kentucky has left the state of Kentucky for a true road game.
Kentucky on Offense:Â Kentucky averages 118 points per 100 possessions. That is really, really good. The fourth-best mark in the country. Adding to that, they play at a break-neck pace, averaging fewer than 14 seconds per possession. That leads to many, many points. The Wildcats have broken into the triple-digits four times this season. Despite playing at such a high pace, Kentucky doesn't turn the ball over. The Wildcats rank in the top-10 in turnover percentage.
When Kentucky gets inside the 3-point line, they make their shots. They hit 55 percent of 2-point shots, good for 29th in the country. What adds to that is few teams get as many offensive rebounds after the sporadic misses. The Wildcats rank 13th in the country in offensive rebound percentage.Â
If they have a weakness, it would be that the Wildcats have shot the ball poorly at times. They rank 214th and 228th in free throw percentage and 3-point percentage, respectively.Â
Kentucky on Defense: Kentucky's offense is dynamic, but the Wildcats don't give passes on the other end of the court either. Kentucky's defense is the 9th most-efficient in the nation. It's not surprising given the Wildcat's length and extreme athleticism. Teams don't shoot well, making fewer than 30 percent of 3s.Â
Kentucky ranks 12th in the country in blocked shot percentage and 40th in opponent's turnover percentage. Ole Miss can't let mistakes pile up against a defense that is so good at forcing them and expect to stay in the game.