By LARRY VAUGHT
Three games into the season, Kentucky freshman center Bam Adebayo has seen his playing time limited by foul trouble.
However, Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne said there is one reason not to panic.
“The good thing is that the fouls aren’t happening on the defensive end. They’re all happening on the offensive end. Now, the adjustment for him is to just catch the ball. If you just catch the ball, you’re going to be a problem to guard, so just catch it," Payne said Friday.
"You’ve done a good job of fighting for position. You don’t have to get the ball right under the basket. Just catch it and make it a strong move.”
So what is Adebayo doing wrong on the offensive end?
“Two things. I would rather him show his hands with a bent elbow as opposed to an extended elbow. That’s first," Payne said. "The second thing is, once you get to a certain spot on the floor and you beat the defensive guy to that spot, there’s no need to keep pushing him all the way under the basket. He’s literally trying to push them all the way under the basket.”
He also was called for a charge against Michigan State when point guard De'Aaron Fox threw a pass to him that coach John Calipari did not like at all.
"Bam caught it in a position where De’Aaron should’ve seen where the defender was, so it was hard for him to make a play," Payne said. "It wasn’t Bam’s fault, it was just you have to know where you are on the floor and know to not make that play.”
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