Friday Headlines: Kentucky Basketball using more zone defense?

Kentucky basketball has turned their season around with their efforts in Southeastern Conference play, winning eight of their last nine after starting 0-2 back in early January.

The Wildcats have done this without their only true point guard in Jaland Lowe — who is out for the season with a shoulder injury — as well as star big man Jayden Quaintance along with 3-and-D wing Kam Williams — who are both unlikely to play again this season.

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So, without three of their better players, how exactly is Kentucky playing much better basketball now than they were during times of being at full strength?

It might surprise you, but head coach Mark Pope has his team playing elite defense. In fact, Kentucky ranks in the top-3 for scoring and field goal percentage defense along with being in the top-5 for three-point FG defense.

They’re doing this with a boost of playing more zone defense, mixing it in during the right moments of games to go alongside their primary defense of man-to-man.

In fact, according to this story, Kentucky’s zone defense actually ranks just ahead of their man-to-man defense.

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When Kentucky hired Mark Pope back in the spring of 2024, the immediate thought was that his in-game adjustments/x’s & o’s style of coaching would be a breath of fresh air. Big Blue Nation just probably didn’t expect that benefit to also come on the defensive end of the court, too.

The No. 25 Wildcats will have their opportunity to take control of the driver’s seat for the conference’s No. 1 seed on Saturday when they face No. 14 Florida in Gainesville. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 PM ET with coverage on ABC.

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