There was much going on with Kentucky last night in my opinion.
Teams DO NOT PLAY UP TO POTENTIAL WHEN THE OTHER TEAM CONTROLS THE PLAY.... ND CONTROLLED THE PLAY MUCH OF THE GAME LAST NIGHT.
No doubt, ND had a game plan that forced Kentucky to play predominantly ND's game. Most of the game, ND controlled tempo. When we wanted to run, we ran. When we wanted to spread the floor, we spread the floor. When we wanted to run the "burn" we ran the burn....AND MOST OF ALL WE SCORED EQUALLY WITH KENTUCKY WHICH NOT MANY TEAMS HAVE DONE AGAINST THEM THIS YEAR.
WE EVEN TOOK THE BALL TO THE BASKET WHICH NO TEAM DOES AGAINST THEM...
ND forced their BIGS to play differently from what they were used to playing. I heard one guy last night (maybe Charles Barkley) say that ND made the Kentucky big guys play side to side instead of up and down as they typically play. To some extent this cut down on a natural BIG height and length advantage that Kentucky had. OF COURSE SINCE THIS WORKED MOST OF THE TIME, KENTUCKY WAS NOT AS EFFICIENT AS THEY NORMALLY PLAY. I do not think is means they played "badly"...
You ONLY CALL IT PLAYING BADLY IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO NOTRE DAME. WHICH BY THE WAY IS WHAT SCUM BALL CALIPARI HAS CHOSEN TO DO... HE GAVE VERY LITTLE CREDIT TO ND LAST NIGHT RIGHT AFTER THE GAME AND IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE... HE IS A SCUM BALL... NO CLASS OR GRACIOUSNESS. HISMTEAM WAS LUCKY TO WIN LAST NIGHT. HE WAS OUTCOACHED AND HIS TEAM WAS PREDOMINANTLY OUTPLAYED. ONE SHOT SHORT OF BEING OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT.
Kentucky (to the benefit of ND) had to be on a bit of an emotional let down after playing a nearly PERFECT game against West Virginia two nights before. I would assume they were feeling pretty good about themselves and LIKLEY felt unbeatable. Maybe not as focused against ND in the first half as they were against West Virginia.
ND kept punching them in the mouth PHYSICALLY and to ND's benefit we are NOT UNIDIMENTIONAL. We are physical AND we have quickness. There were times you could tell,that Kentucky players were frustrated.... Even to the point at times they were arguing with each other. Calipari was frustrated MANY TIMES you could see on the sidelines because his team was not reacting to what ND was doing...
All of this was caused by ND controlling much of the game and NOT AS MUCH BY KENTUCKY PLAYING POORLY.
Teams do not play up to potential when the other team controls the game.
Teams DO NOT PLAY UP TO POTENTIAL WHEN THE OTHER TEAM CONTROLS THE PLAY.... ND CONTROLLED THE PLAY MUCH OF THE GAME LAST NIGHT.
No doubt, ND had a game plan that forced Kentucky to play predominantly ND's game. Most of the game, ND controlled tempo. When we wanted to run, we ran. When we wanted to spread the floor, we spread the floor. When we wanted to run the "burn" we ran the burn....AND MOST OF ALL WE SCORED EQUALLY WITH KENTUCKY WHICH NOT MANY TEAMS HAVE DONE AGAINST THEM THIS YEAR.
WE EVEN TOOK THE BALL TO THE BASKET WHICH NO TEAM DOES AGAINST THEM...
ND forced their BIGS to play differently from what they were used to playing. I heard one guy last night (maybe Charles Barkley) say that ND made the Kentucky big guys play side to side instead of up and down as they typically play. To some extent this cut down on a natural BIG height and length advantage that Kentucky had. OF COURSE SINCE THIS WORKED MOST OF THE TIME, KENTUCKY WAS NOT AS EFFICIENT AS THEY NORMALLY PLAY. I do not think is means they played "badly"...
You ONLY CALL IT PLAYING BADLY IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO GIVE CREDIT TO NOTRE DAME. WHICH BY THE WAY IS WHAT SCUM BALL CALIPARI HAS CHOSEN TO DO... HE GAVE VERY LITTLE CREDIT TO ND LAST NIGHT RIGHT AFTER THE GAME AND IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE... HE IS A SCUM BALL... NO CLASS OR GRACIOUSNESS. HISMTEAM WAS LUCKY TO WIN LAST NIGHT. HE WAS OUTCOACHED AND HIS TEAM WAS PREDOMINANTLY OUTPLAYED. ONE SHOT SHORT OF BEING OUT OF THE TOURNAMENT.
Kentucky (to the benefit of ND) had to be on a bit of an emotional let down after playing a nearly PERFECT game against West Virginia two nights before. I would assume they were feeling pretty good about themselves and LIKLEY felt unbeatable. Maybe not as focused against ND in the first half as they were against West Virginia.
ND kept punching them in the mouth PHYSICALLY and to ND's benefit we are NOT UNIDIMENTIONAL. We are physical AND we have quickness. There were times you could tell,that Kentucky players were frustrated.... Even to the point at times they were arguing with each other. Calipari was frustrated MANY TIMES you could see on the sidelines because his team was not reacting to what ND was doing...
All of this was caused by ND controlling much of the game and NOT AS MUCH BY KENTUCKY PLAYING POORLY.
Teams do not play up to potential when the other team controls the game.
