Kentucky vs. Clarion -- Analysis and Open Game Thread

Since SB Nation doesn't provide a special open game thread for exhibition games, it's just more convenient for me to combine all that into one. 

Tonight, the Kentucky Wildcats face off against the Clarion Golden Eagles, John Calipari's alma mater.  The particulars of tonights game are as follows, courtesy of UKAthletics.com:

• Time & Place:  Friday, Nov. 6 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.
• Gametracker .
• Live audio
• Subscribers on Extreme Access (delayed per SEC rules)
  

• Cable TV: FSN-South: 7:00 p.m. ET (Live)
  Footprint includes the states of Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

  Broadcast TV/BBSN

  Market	Station	Time (all times local)
  Bowling Green	WBKO-CW	9:00 p.m. (delayed)
  Evansville	WTVW-TV	10:00 p.m. (delayed)
  Hazard	WYMT-TV	11:35 p.m. (delayed)
  Huntington, W.Va.	WSAZ-My qZ	11:30 p.m. (delayed)
  Hopkinsville	WKAG-TV	10:00 p.m. (delayed)
  Lexington	WKYT-TV	11:35 p.m. (delayed)
  Louisville	WMYO-TV	11:00 p.m. (delayed)
  Paducah, Ky./Cape Girardeau, Mo.	WDKA-TV	9:00 p.m. (delayed)

The Clarion Golden Eagles:

• Head Coach: Ron Righter
  Overall Record: 365-250 (.593)/24th season
  Clarion Record: 341-226 (.601)/22nd season
  PSAC-West Titles: 3 (1997, 2000, 2005)
  PSAC Titles: 1 (2001)
  NCAA D-II Playoff appearances: 1 (2001)
• Home arena: Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium (Dedicated in 1968) Capacity: 4,000
  NCAA Division II Playoff appearances: 2 (1981, 2001)
  NCAA Division II Playoff record: 1-2
  NAIA National Playoff appearances: 3 (1952, 1977, 1980)
  NAIA National Playoff record: 3-3
  PSAC-West Titles: 12 (first; 1971; last 2005)
  PSAC Titles: 1 (2001)
  Record since 1971: 644-403 (.615)
• Picked to finish 7th in 8 team Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division
• Should have athletic team in 2009-10 that could be 11 deep
• Team wants to run the floor
• Team wants to be aggressive on both sides of the court with pressure defense and transition offense.

 RECORD:                OVERALL      HOME        AWAY       NEUTRAL

 ALL GAMES...........   (11-16)     (8-7)       (2-9)       (1-0)

 CONFERENCE..........   (2-12)      (2-5)       (0-7)       (0-0)

 NON-CONFERENCE......   (9-4)       (6-2)       (2-2)       (1-0)

Analysis:

This is a relatively small team, but they have more size and relatively more athleticism than Campbellsville.  They will want to try to play "small ball" at a high pace in order to use their speed and quickness, and are likely to substitute liberally.  There are a lot of unknowns on Clarion because several of their best players are JUCO transfers, and it's hard to tell how they will compete at this level.

Clarion will be a scrappy, quick team that will force UK's bigger players to focus in order to defend them out on the floor, as Calipari wants them to do.  They will have a very difficult time with Kentucky in transition if they don't hit their shots, and since the Golden Eagles like to run on offense, you can expect an up and down game which will favor Kentucky's considerable talent advantage.

Defensively, Clarion is likely to have to go to the zone early and often to minimize the impact of the DDM offense.  Even though the 'Cats have not assimilated the DDM yet, John Wall by himself will make it very difficult on the Golden Eagles if they try to play man-to-man.  Look for the Wildcats to drive the ball to the rim a lot more in this game as they try do do what Coach Cal is trying to teach them.

I expect a big game tonight from Wall, Patterson and Cousins.  I have a feeling they are tired of Darnell Dodson stealing all the headlines, but Dodson is likely to continue to shoot when he gets the chance.  I would like to see a much better rebounding effort out of Kentucky tonight, and as fast as the Golden Eagles play, that should happen.

Go, 'Cats.