Balanced Cats face Gamecocks

By: LARRY VAUGHT

Balanced scoring is always the goal for Kentucky coach John Calipari.

He certainly has that this year even though he has just two players — Aaron Harrison (11.1 points per game) and Devin Booker (10.8) — averaging in double digits. He has six more players adding between 5.4 and 9.2 points per game.

“We normally have five players in double figures with no on averaging more than 17,” said Calipari. “There are years I’ve had four in double figures, but those teams were not as good as ones with five in double figures. But we do not make this about one player. It is about every player getting better. We try every year to have balance.”

Calipari said every player is “someone’s child” and they are all “coached the same way” by him to improve.

The balance has worked for No. 1 Kentucky going into Saturday’s home game with South Carolina. The Wildcats are 24-0 and within seven wins, including four games in Rupp Arena, of an unbeaten regular season.
Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings says Calipari having so many buttons to push when it comes to offense is a plus for UK but did not present real pregame challenges for his team.

“We only played them once and suffered the same all all others have suffered, meaning we couldn’t get on top of the mountain with them,” Stallings said. “For me, I found it easier (preparing for Kentucky). They have so many weapons that we didn’t focus on one or two (players). You can’t or somebody else hurts you. For us, it made it simpler because you have to guard all these guys. Of course, we said this guy is better from here or there, but for us it made it easier because there was not a big focal point on one or two guys.”

Florida coach Billy Donovan said he looked at Kentucky as a team that was going to do certain things no matter who was in the game.

“They are going to go inside. That is what they are going to do,” Donovan said.

“You make a decision on how to play post defense and then with that have to deal with a couple of things. If you take away the low post, they are a better shooting team this year. Then the game starts and the ball goes up on the glass and they really rebound.”

He also said he was a “huge fan” of freshman guards Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis from watching both on film.

“They have a great feel for how to play. They just know how to play,” Donovan said. “They give them 3-point shooting. Ulis is a guy who has made a lot of big shots in his career. Booker is a great 3-point shot. For me as a coach, those guys were as concerning as anything about their team because of how smart and what good basketball players they are.”

South Carolina coach Frank Martin says Kentucky is a team that you don’t “need any explanation” about and it also has one of the “great home-court enviroments in the country” in Rupp Arena.

Kentucky beat South Carolina 58-43 earlier in Columbia thanks in large part to an 11-0 run late in the first half. However, UK was outrebounded 40-28 in that game.
“South Carolina is as tough defensively as anyone we have played,” LSU coach Johnny Jones said. “They make if difficult to score, run your offense. They rebound and play with great energy. They really get after you.”
South Carolina (12-11, 3-8 SEC) has battled injury issues, but has a win over Georgia in conference play, played well at second-place Arkansas in a loss and is coming off a win over Missouri.

“I am happy with my team and guys continue to fight and claw,” Martin said. “We are still in the top 10-11 in the country in defensive efficiency. We are eventually going to start pulling more of these games out and turn the corner.”
Sindarius Thornwell leads South Carolina in scoring at 11.5 points per game and is second in rebounding at 5.2 per game. He’s shooting only 35.8 percent from the field and 27.2 percent from 3-point range.
“A win always boosts your confidence. I think in the locker room there are good vibes right now, everybody is happy and is feeling good about the win,” Thornwell said after the win over Missouri.