The platoon employed by the University of Kentucky showed their true power on Sunday afternoon. They played a 6-0 Providence team who had beaten the likes of Florida State and Notre Dame, while averaging 76 points. The Kentucky platoon and defense held Providence to a measly 38 points, limiting them to only 39 shots and only gave up 11 made baskets – a measly 28% shooting percentage. The most telling stat for Providence was that they had more turnovers (17) than field goals made (11).
The Wildcats once again used the platoon approach to perfection, rotating the two teams in and out. The ten players’ playing time ranged from 15 minutes (Marcus Lee) to 25 minutes (Willie Cauley-Stein). From an offensive standpoint, the Wildcats were very balanced, with nine players scoring, five of them accounting for six points each.
This game may have been the most impressive of the season for the Wildcat, though not lighting it up on the offensive end. They did shoot a respectful 45% and they had 13 assists on their 24 field goals. Coach John Calipari seemed to focus his praise on Tyler Ulis who is a small (5’9″) guard and looks even smaller on the court compared to the giants that Calipari runs onto the court. He changed the complexion of the game and was one of the five players with six points. In addition to the six points, he added 3 rebounds (all on the offensive end) and 3 steals. He also scored his six points on just six shots, finishing 3-of-6 from the field. Providence’s coach Ed Cooley also praised Ulis on the defensive side of the ball, crediting him for disrupting the flow of the game for Providence.
The next big game for Kentucky will be on Friday, when they will face #7 Texas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Games against Providence and Texas will help them fine-tune the platoon system and prepare themselves for SEC Conference play and eventually the NCAA tourney. Their opponents would do well to be aware that the Wildcats Platoon system is here to stay and it is very dangerous.
The question may be: Will they be perfect?
(Feature image: AP Photo/James Crisp)