Kentucky to face Tennessee's zone, pressure defense

By: LARRY VAUGHT

After Tennessee lost to LSU last week, Tennessee coach Donnie Tyndall said “Kentucky will beat us by a hundred” if they played like they did in the first half of that LSU loss.

Tyndall said Monday on the Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference he “wasn’t exaggerating” about what could happen against No. 1 Kentucky (25-0) in Tuesday night’s game in Knoxville.

“If we don’t play better than we did the first half against LSU, and LSU certainly deserves a lot of credit for how poorly we played, but that was the first time all year we didn’t bring it in regards to competing. The second half we were better. But if we play like we did the first half it will be a long, long night for us,” said Tyndall, a one-time head coach at Morehead.

He compared Kentucky to some of the all-time great teams going back to when Magic Johnson was at Michigan State, Michigan’s Fab Five and the UNLV team that had Anderson Hunt, Greg Anthony and Larry Johnson.

“I think it’s arguably the most talented team to ever play in college basketball,” Tyndall said about UK. “I think that coach (John) Calipari has just done an unbelievable job and his talent level there is certainly second to none, so that will be a daunting task for us, as a young and inexperienced team.”

Calipari said that Tennessee (14-10, 6-6 SEC) is playing an “aggressive, attack zone and an open offense” in Tyndall’s first season.

Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne said Sunday that he expected the game to be a “dog fight” with Tennessee playing well.

“They have been playing zone – tough zone. They mix it up, they press some out of it. It is going to be tough for us to deal with because they trap out of the post and react, scramble all around the court,” Payne said. “So we just have to be patient, move the ball, get it inside out like we typically have been doing against zones. And our shooters have been shooting well so we play inside out and go at them.

“Again, the LSU game will have no factor in how they play against us. They will play well. We’re expecting them to play well.”

SEC coaches note that Tennessee’s defense can create issues. Tennessee is giving up 63.6 points per game, forcing about 15 turnovers per game and limiting foes to 43 percent shooting from the field.

"They are great defensively in matchup zone. It's tough to prepare for because you don't play against it that often,” LSU coach Johnny Jones said. “You want to make sure that, as a team, we were patient catching the ball and getting help looks inside. Then late in the clock, when we needed to take outside shots we could.”

Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said it was not a “standard” zone defense.

“It’s very different. With the press in front of it, that adds a different element,” Stallings said. “They play really hard and know what they are doing with it and just play it very well. You have got to keep grinding. They are good at adjusting and matching up.”

He said Tennessee’s press is not like the chaotic pressure a team like Arkansas applies.

“They put the press on you to take time off the (shot) clock. They might trap once in a while, but they are more about ways to cover areas of the flor. They will leave certain areas to cover other parts of the floor. You can’t get your guys to simulate it in two days of practice is the biggest issue,” Stalings said.

Guard Josh Richardson leads Tennessee in scoring at 16 points per game. Armani Moore adds 10.7 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game while Kevin Punter averages 10.5 points. All three average at least 31 minutes per game.

South Carolina coach Frank Martin watched Richardson in high school and said he has “taken the bull by the horns” this season and is playing like a first-team, all-SEC player.

“He’s playing at a high level,” Martin said.

“I think Tennessee has some shotmakers,” Stallings said. “I think what happens is you spend a lot of time worrying about preparing for the defense but you end up playing a team that has got a lot of guys that can make perimeter shots. They are not a great scoring team around the basket, but they have guys who drive in and shoot perimeter shots and stretch out your defense.”

Tyndall said the first half against LSU was the “worst” for any team he’s ever coached.

“We played hesitant. We played nervous. We played scared,” he said.

He said too often his team was “looking for the shot blocker instead of exploding to the rim and trying to finish” against LSU, which could be a significant problem against UK’s inside length and size.

“We just aren't a great offensive team. We don't have that big guy to throw it to, so we rely on dribble penetration,” Tyndall said.