Archive for the “Kentucky Wildcats” Category

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Nov 06 2009

Wall gives Wildcats a true star

Posted by admin in Kentucky Wildcats, SEC Basketball News, sec, tags: , , , , , , , ,

The following is a guest post from Andy Charles who regularly contributes to Bet Fair.

Kentucky’s hopes of going a long way this season have been boosted by the news that point guard John Wall has been cleared to play by the NCAA.

Although Wall will have to sit out two games – only one of those a regular season outing – he will be eligible from their November 16 clash with Miami (Ohio) and gives the Wildcats a real prospect to work with.

Wall has long been considered one of the top high-school players in the country and Kentucky were desperate to get him on board for the season, coach John Calipari’s first in charge since his sterling efforts with the Memphis Tigers.

His status had been in doubt over a possible relationship with his AAU coach Brian Clifton, who is a certified agent, since any connection with him would have left his amateur status in tatters and probably meant a move to play professionally in Europe.

The freshman out of Raleigh, NC, joins a roster full of talent and including a pre-season All-American in Patrick Patterson, who averaged 17.9 points per game last season    on a team he and Jodie Meeks, now involved in the NBA Picks, dominated.

But in Wall the Wildcats have a far better (and less greedy) ball handler than Meeks and he could rival many of the recent star point guards in college, with Calipari already saying he was more advanced at this stage than either Derrick Rose or Tyreke Evans – high praise indeed.

Wall and Patterson’s talent mean it is imperative that Kentucky does not match last season’s failure to even make the NCAA Tournament in March – indeed failure to make the Elite Eight would be a disappointment given the resources at hand.

And Calipari will be aware that in both of the last two seasons, the Wildcats have suffered early shock defeats (2007 to Gardner-Webb and last year to Virginia Military) which put them behind the eight-ball before things had really gotten started.

As for pre-season top five basketball picks, there is no room for that kind of error, and Wall will have to get up to speed quickly with early December games against North Carolina and Connecticut on the slate and a tough SEC season to look forward to as well.

I, for one, can’t wait for the games to start!

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Nov 04 2009

2009-10 Kentucky Basketball Roster

Posted by admin in Kentucky Wildcats, NCAA Basketball Rosters, SEC Basketball News, sec, tags: , , , , , ,

 

Alphabetical Roster
No. Name Pos. Ht./Wt. Cl./Exp. Hometown (Last School)

24

 Eric Bledsoe G 6-1/190 FR/HS Birmingham, Ala. (Parker)

15

 DeMarcus Cousins F 6-11/260 FR/HS Mobile, Ala. (LeFlore)

3

 Darnell Dodson G 6-7/215 SO/TR Greenbelt, Md. (Miami-Dade CC)

55

 Josh Harrellson F 6-10/265 JR/1L St. Charles, Mo. (SW Illinois College)

5

 Ramon Harris G/F 6-7/218 SR/3L Anchorage, Alaska (West Anchorage)

4

 Jon Hood G 6-6/195 FR/HS Madisonville, Ky. (North Hopkins)

12

 Mark Krebs G 6-5/208 SR/2L Newport, Ky. (Newport Central Catholic)

34

 DeAndre Liggins G 6-6/202 SO/1L Chicago, Ill. (Findley Prep)

1

 Darius Miller G 6-7/223 SO/1L Maysville, Ky. (Mason County)

33

 Daniel Orton F 6-10/255 FR/HS Oklahoma City, Okla. (Bishop McGuiness)

54

 Patrick Patterson F 6-9/235 JR/2L Huntington, W.Va. (Huntington)

21

 Perry Stevenson F 6-9/207 SR/3L Lafayette, La. (Northside)

11

 John Wall G 6-4/195 FR/HS Raleigh, N.C. (Word of God)

 

 
2009-10 Kentucky Basketball Coaches and Staff
 
John Calipari – Head Coach
John Robic – Assistant Coach
Orlando Antigua – Assistant Coach
Rod Strickland – Assistant Coach
Todd Forcier – Strength Coach
Martin Newton – Dir. of Basketball Operations
Chris Simmons – Athletic Trainer

 

 

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Oct 22 2009

College Basketball Offenses – How the Dribble Drive Offense Works

Posted by admin in Kentucky Wildcats, john calipari, ncaa basketball, tags: , , , , , , , ,
Although Coach John Calipari is the college coach who has made the college basketball dribble drive offense a household term, current UMASS assistant Vance Walberg created the dribble drive offensive scheme when he was a high school and community college coach in Fresno City, CA. Calipari picked up the basic scheme of the offense from Walberg in 2003, and has refined his own variant of the offense. After the Memphis Tigers made it to the NCAA championship game in 2008 to lose to Kansas, the dribble drive became solidified as a bona fide college basketball offense.

What is the Dribble Drive College Basketball Offense

The dribble drive offense is referred to as a “Four Out” offensive scheme. That refers to only having one of the five players play in the post position near the basket with the other four being placed on the perimeter. The primary purpose of the offense is to maximize the number of points scored by possession through old-school three point plays on fouls on layups or three point shots. It differs from other similar schemes such as the motion offense that uses a series of player screens and the Princeton offense which uses players cutting towards the basket. The dribble drive relies on the point guard (normally) to drive to the basket. Depending on how the defense reacts to the drive, the point guard will do one of the following actions: 1 – Drive to the hoop in an attempt to score (and hopefully draw a foul), 2 – Pass to a perimeter player, or 3 – Pass to the post player. When a player on the perimeter receives a pass, they either shoot a 3 pointer or repeat the drive process. Where other college basketball offenses rely on set plays for a team to score when not in transition, the dribble drive relies on a framework for playes to create within in order to score.

What Kind of Players are Needed for the Dribble Drive?

The primary skill-set required in the dribble drive offense is the ability to drive to basket. The second most important offensive skill is the ability to knock down the three point shot. Without strong guards, teams can not typically play the offense well. Because the point guard typically drives into the thick of the defense or has defenders collapse to help defend the drive, a taller point guard or a guard who plays much taller than his height with a significant vertical leap is preferred. The two and three guard positions work better with a guard or wing who can knock down the long range jumper as a primary skill set and drive to the basket as a secondary skill. The PF or four-man has to be able to run the court unlike in other offensive schemes as well as know when he needs to hit the paint for rebounds and offense. The center, post position, or five man will also be looked upon to play the perimeter at times in the dribble drive.

Why is the Dribble Drive Popular?

Players enjoy playing the dribble drive because it most closely resembles what they will see in the NBA. They see the offense as a way to best develop their skill-sets to play at the next level without having to do so in the offseason. Players that have been able to play in the dribble drive at the college level have stated that they enjoy the offense because it allows them to create and rely on their skill to directly beat the opposition, however, it can make any personal weaknesses in players very evident where in traditional offenses these can be hidden eaiser. Add to the mix the fact that Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans were NBA lottery picks after one season of the dribble drive under Coach Cal, and its no wonder he was able to put together the number 1 2009 NCAA recruiting class at the University of Kentucky in less than six weeks.

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