Preview: Bama defense hopes to slow UK offense

Three games into the Southeastern Conference schedule, every team has at least one loss.
Two of the eight 2-1 schools — Alabama (10-7) and Kentucky (14-3) — battle tonight at Coleman Coliseum in an 8 p.m. game that will be televised on ESPN.

Clearly, there’s parity in the SEC. But John Calipari’s Wildcats remain the measuring stick.

Kentucky leads the league in scoring, averaging 80 points per game. That contrasts with Alabama’s league-best defense, which is giving up just 56.8 points per game.

Kentucky also leads the SEC in rebounding and 3-point shooting (41.2 percent).

The Wildcats have three of the league’s top scorers in Terrence Jones (18.6 ppg), Brandon Knight (17.5 ppg) and Doron Lamb (13.8 ppg). They are all freshmen.

“A lot of new faces, a lot of young guys that have really stepped up,” Alabama coach Anthony Grant said of the Wildcats on Monday.

Alabama’s freshman — point guard Trevor Releford — will be a pivotal player in tonight’s outcome. He carries a big load of responsibility for his team.

“With every game, it’s almost on-the-job training,” said Grant, who was asked about the challenges of playing point guard in the SEC.

“It’s difficult, obviously. You have to be the coach on the floor, in terms of being able to run your team and understand, basically, where everybody else should be and what you should do.”

Grant said Releford has handled the role “as well as any freshman could.”

Still, turnovers at crucial times cost Alabama in its 70-65 road loss at Arkansas last weekend. The Tide had won five straight and led much of the game. Arkansas was the first team to score over 60 points in that winning streak.

“We got hurt on the defensive end,” Grant said. “They got to the free-throw line quite a bit in the game, shot over 50 percent from the field in the second half. We weren’t able to hold the lead there.”

The coach said the Wildcats’ weapons are obvious on the offensive end, but also said they are a well-rounded team.

“Kentucky is also a great defensive team,” the coach said. “A lot of what they do offensively is fueled by their defense.”

UK’s Jones, a 6-foot-8 forward from Portland, Ore., has been a force on both ends of the floor. He is averaging nine rebounds per game. He averaged 26 points and 7.5 rebounds in wins over Auburn and LSU last week, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

That came after Jones was benched after starting the first 15 games for the Wildcats.
Calipari wants him to share the basketball better, rather than shoot first. The coach isn’t about to back off demanding more from his players.

“What I’m trying to get them to do ... they’re content,” Calipari said. “They’re content in that they’re scoring, they’re getting minutes because I’m not playing many people, they’re saying nice things about guys, and they’re content with that. ...

“They’re not committed enough. They’re not committed to each other. ... And they’re not committed to practicing against each other the way they need to to be special.”

He said that goes for the top performers like Jones and 6-foot-7 junior forward Darius Miller to the last player on the Wildcats bench.

“They say, ‘You’re throwing  Darius under the bus,’” Calipari said. “No I’m not. I’m being honest. I think he should be one of the best players in the league. Why isn’t he? He should be. He has that ability.

“It’s not saying that he’s awful. He’s averaging double figures. But if you’re better than that, why not be better? If you’re better than you’re playing, Terrence Jones, why aren’t you doing it?

“That’s my job, to bring it out of these guys. To get them to play better each game, each day. They’re not machines. They have off days. They get sick. ... Still, I think we’re doing the kids a disservice if we don’t keep challenging them.”

Alabama is 9-0 at Coleman Coliseum this season. JaMychal Green has led the Tide in SEC play with 17.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Releford led all scorers with 17 points at Arkansas and is averaging 12.3 points on 58.3 percent shooting with 3.0 assists per game against SEC opponents.

The Tide's stout defense, third in the country in field-goal percentage, may not be enough. Alabama will be challenged to score points and control the boards.

Kentucky is 10-0 this season when holding the opponent under 40 percent from the field. The Wildcats are 14-0 when holding the opponent under 70 points, and 13-0 when outrebounding its opponent.