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Sorry I missed you last Friday before the game, had some family plans that precluded me from doing my “Things to watch for” before the Maryland game. Having said that, Polson wouldn’t have been on the list, so it would have been wrong anyway. The competition is definitely greater tonight, so lets take a look at what I will be looking for from UK in the game tonight:
*Point guard play:
With Ryan Harrow not making the trip to Atlanta it is likely that either Polson or Mays will get the start against Duke, with Goodwin running the point. It will be interesting to see how he can handle the talented Duke guards. Polson will need to be as effective if not more so during the game tonight for UK to be in a position to win late. If Polson and Goodwin can handle the point without getting into foul trouble then UK will be fine, if not, then it could be a long night.
*REBOUNDING
Yes, I put that in all caps. Even though point guard play will probably be the biggest thing to watch for, rebounding is the one area that came out of nowhere last game to be a major concern for this team. The bigs were getting pushed around inside all game and the guards were not helping out with rebounding away from the basket. Duke has some talented big men and Mason Plumlee is a force down low. Noel and Cauley-Stein need to really be effective in boxing him out. I am looking for a major improvement in this area this game.
*Foul Trouble
Bottom line, UK has to be able to stay out of foul trouble throughout this game. Duke will flop, lobby for calls (and get them) and act like they have been shot every time there is even a hint of contact. The UK players have to be able to maintain composure and stay on the court. The bench isn’t deep, and it is even less deep now that Harrow is out for the game. UK had three guys in foul trouble in the first half on Friday, and if that happens again then it can be guaranteed that the game will be very tight throughout.
*Perimeter defense
Maryland shot a miserable percentage from the floor in the first half Friday night, but it wasn’t all due to the defense. They missed a lot of open shots and Duke will not shoot like Maryland did unless the defense is substantially better. Duke is a very good perimeter shooting team and will not hesitate to launch if they are open. The young UK perimeter must challenge every shot and force Duke to drive, because that is not their strength. UK needs to stick with their man and not allow guy roaming the perimeter to be open. Look for Duke to run 4 out wide during the game and task for UK will be to defend all those shooters.
*Bench play
At some point during this game, the UK bench has to be able to make plays. There will be 5-15 minutes during this game when there will be at least 2 or 3 bench players on the court and they have to keep pace with Duke. Guys like Hood or Beckham have to be able to play spot minutes and produce, especially since UK is already a man down going in. This could be the factor that decides the game if it is close. I am looking for Hood to play tonight and hopefully show everyone that he deserves more minutes.
That is all for this game. A lot of question marks continue to surround this team, but we will get our answer tonight to a lot of them. It will be a great game and a great learning experience against a very good team so early in the season. Go Big Blue.
You can also follow me on Twitter: @tyleradkinsksr1
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