Method Man said:
Agreed pumpkin that bad FT shooting and poor strategy defending the 3pt line persist.
Logan has discussed that 3-point thing at times. Apparently Kennedy's preference in man-to-man is often a 'packline defense'. Which by design tries to discourage opponents from penetrating and getting inside the paint, trying to force them instead to try to beat you with outside shooting.
So encouraging opponents to take 3-point shots has apparently often been by design. However, even if playing packline, it is still important that defenders close out hard on shooters.
Last season's team finished #9 nationally in defensive efficiency on Kenpom. Allowing 91.4 points per 100 possessions. That was comparatively 'elite' defense to other programs across the country. I think describing the strategy of defending the 3pt line 'poor' when you finish top-10 in defensive efficiency holds no water.
Do posters realize how HARD it is for a school not named Kentucky to finish first in the SEC since the Calipari era started over there? That is just as impressive as finishing first in SEC West in football with Saban at Bama. I think John Thornton during one of the games mentioned how he felt some Aggie fans don't seem to fully appreciate how impressive that accomplishment last year was. That it didn't seem to really 'sink in' with some of the fan base.
Here are the basketball programs in the SEC who have won a conference championship since calipari came to Kentucky:
2010 Kentucky
2011 Florida
2012 Kentucky
2013 Florida
2014 Florida
2015 Kentucky
2016 Kentucky/Texas A&M
So Billy Donovan and Billy Kennedy have been the only two head basketball coaches thus far to rain on Calipari's parade. That was damn impressive last season what A&M basketball pulled off. I certainly wouldn't hold your breath on any specific SEC coach (whether Pearl, Howland, Avery Johnson, White, whomever) eventually accomplishing what Kennedy accomplished last year. One of them eventually might, but it is damn hard to pull off.