Here is the statistical comparison between Kentucky and LSU.
Well, we out-statistic LSU, but to be honest, it is cold comfort. When you look at our national rankings in many categories, they have really suffered since the last game, and not surprisingly. Perhaps surprisingly to some, our RPI went up, but if you consider that the RPI doesn't take the game score into account, you shouldn't be. Not surprisingly, our strength of schedule went up. I'm not sure that matters too much.
LSU has very recently become a decent basketball team, coincident to the firing of head coach John Brady. I doubt Brady's coaching had much to do with LSU's struggles so far this year, because the Tigers are a very young team that has been beset with difficulties. I'll discuss that more in my adversary analysis, but one thing we should recognize is that LSU has been playing much better lately. Tennessee escaped Batton Rouge by the skin of their teeth on an unfortunate last-second turnover that lead to a Volunteer winning basket, and the very next game, the Bayou Bengals defeated Billy Donovan's young Gator squad.
On the other hand, Kentucky is reeling from a resounding thumping in Nashville, the likes of which the Big Blue faithful have not seen for decades. That will surely leave a mark, and it will be instructive to see how the team responds to adversity, because, brothers and sisters, Tuesday's game definitely qualifies as "adversity."
I'll have a more in-depth look at the game in my adversary analysis. For more on the LSU Tigers, please be sure to visit our SBNation brothers at And The Valley Shook.
Thanks again to Statsheet.com and Basketball State for the statistical data.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistic | All Games | Conference Games | ||||
| UK | LSU | UK | LSU | Delta (adjusted for all games played) |
Comments | |
| Total Games | 22 | 23 | 9 | 9 | -1 | |
| Wins | 12 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 3 | |
| Losses | 10 | 14 | 3 | 7 | -4 | |
| Pct | 0.55 | 0.39 | 0.67 | 0.22 | 0.15 | |
| Field Goals Made | 538 | 574 | 206 | 218 | -11.04 | |
| Field Goals Attempted | 1138 | 1326 | 449 | 526 | -130.35 | |
| Field Goal Percentage | 0.47 | 0.43 | 0.46 | 0.41 | 0.04 | We're better in conference |
| Free Throws Made | 342 | 275 | 147 | 95 | 78.96 | |
| Free Throws Attempted | 454 | 374 | 197 | 127 | 96.26 | |
| Free Throw Percentage | 0.75 | 0.74 | 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.02 | LSU can shoot free thows with the best |
| 3pt Field Goals Made | 129 | 154 | 47 | 57 | -18.3 | |
| 3pt Field Goals Attempted | 357 | 480 | 131 | 190 | -102.13 | |
| 3pt Field Goal Percentage | 0.36 | 0.32 | 0.36 | 0.3 | 0.04 | Advantage UK |
| Points | 1547 | 1577 | 606 | 588 | 38.57 | |
| Points Per Game | 70.3 | 68.6 | 67.3 | 65.3 | 1.7 | Maybe the only team in the SEC we outscore. |
| Rebounds | 805 | 880 | 333 | 339 | -36.74 | |
| Rebounds Per Game | 36.6 | 38.3 | 37 | 37.7 | -1.7 | Call it even |
| Offensive Rebounds | 222 | 247 | 93 | 106 | -14.26 | |
| Offensive Rebounds Per Game | 10.1 | 10.7 | 10.3 | 11.8 | -0.6 | Again, even |
| Defensive Rebounds | 532 | 551 | 214 | 195 | 4.96 | |
| Defensive Rebounds Per Game | 24.2 | 24 | 23.8 | 21.7 | 0.2 | Advantage UK |
| Assists | 290 | 276 | 108 | 96 | 14 | |
| Assists Per Game | 13.2 | 12 | 12 | 10.7 | 1.2 | Well, we're better than somebody. |
| Steals | 159 | 149 | 60 | 50 | 10 | |
| Steals Per Game | 7.2 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 5.6 | 0.7 | Advantage UK |
| Turnovers | 368 | 330 | 142 | 117 | 38 | |
| Turnovers Per Game | 16.7 | 14.3 | 15.8 | 13 | 2.4 | Advantage LSU |
| Blocks | 101 | 140 | 41 | 38 | -39 | |
| Blocks Per Game | 4.6 | 6.1 | 4.6 | 4.2 | -1.5 | Push in conference |
| Fouls | 441 | 384 | 172 | 151 | 57 | |
| Fouls Per Game | 20 | 16.7 | 19.1 | 16.8 | 3.3 | Nobody fouls like the Cats |
| Disqualifications | 15 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 10 | Heh. |
Game day is tomorrow. Go Cats!