Tuesday night in Chicago, college basketball observers gained a lot of information on two of the superpowers in the sport. The big question is if Tuesday’s revelations will still hold true in the middle of March… and perhaps early April.
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In the first heavyweight contest of the season, Kentucky showed that it is clearly better than Duke.
The Wildcats were faster, more athletic, and smoother. If not for Duke getting some putbacks and dominating on the offensive boards at times, it would have been run completely out of the United Center.
It was impossible to tell that Kentucky lost seven players from the 2014-2015 team. The game was not nearly as close as the seven-point margin indicated. Kentucky does not have the depth it owned did last season, but it is possible that no other team in NCAA history could match that level of depth, either.
Say this much: the 2015-2016 version has reloaded.
It is clear that Kentucky likes to get out and run. The Wildcats are at their best when they’re able to create a one-on-one game and beat opponents off the dribble. The backcourt trio of Tyler Ulis, Isaiah Briscoe, and Jamal Murray will be difficult to defend all season long. Against Duke, the three guards scored 18, 16, and 12 points, respectively. Moreover, each player played solid defense against the Blue Devils. Ulis is a proven commodity on that end of the floor, but the other two seem to fit as well.
Once the group stopped settling for jumpers in the game and got aggressive on the dribble drive, the offense flowed. Long rebounds fed into outlets and fast break points, fueling Kentucky’s offense. That was the difference in the game, as UK’s quickness emerged as a primary point of differentiation between the two teams.
Up front, Marcus Lee is the perfect fit for the Wildcats at the offensive end. He is long and lanky, and gets up and down the floor. He is going to be an alley-oop-finishing machine this season, as he was on Tuesday night. Lee is a key for Kentucky this season, as size is limited for the Cats. He got off to a solid start with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Duke.
Much of the offensive prowess for Kentucky against the Blue Devils was displayed without freshman blue-chipper Skal Labissiere, who was in foul trouble most of the night. He will be the main source of help for Lee, along with Isaac Humphries off the bench.
The main issue for the Wildcats was that they were dominated on the boards at times, particularly early in the game. This will have to improve over time, but one weakness isn’t the worst news in a mid-November game.
Duke’s main highlight from Tuesday night was Marshall Plumlee, who put it to Kentucky early in the game on the boards. Most of the Blue Devils’ offense consisted of easy rebounds and putbacks. Plumlee and Amile Jefferson both finished with double-digit rebound totals, keeping the game from getting completely out of hand. Jefferson grabbed 15 rebounds and Plumlee picked up 10. With uncertainty in the backcourt, the big men for Duke are going to have to be strong all season long.
Duke was dominated in the backcourt by Ulis, Briscoe and Murray. Matt Jones was the one Blue Devil who showed up on the perimeter. He turned in a strong game with 16 points, knocking down half of his 3-point shots. Jones can stretch the floor, just has he did late last season.
Another bright spot was second point guard Derryck Thornton, who got going offensively after a slow start. Thornton could play a key role as the season goes along, as the Blue Devils are in desperate need of a point guard.
However, on the opposite end, Grayson Allen was ice cold all night long. He was attempting to get to the basket and struggled with Kentucky’s athleticism most of the first half. It was not until the 12- minute mark in the second half that Allen finally broke into the scoring column.
Talented freshman Brandon Ingram also struggled for Duke. He looked nervous and slightly overwhelmed early in the contest. Ingram attempted only six shots, scoring four points.
While Kentucky will make a lot of teams look back, Duke has some serious work to do in transition defense. In general, it appears that Duke has more work to do overall. However, the season is still young and each team has positives to take away. Kentucky is just further along at this point.
