Defense struggles, Cats win by 10

For the second consecutive game, UK’s opponent stepped into Rupp Arena and drained 3-pointers at will.

Despite Corey Allmond’s Rupp Arena record performance of 11 made 3-pointers, UK (3-0) dispatched the visiting Bearkats to the tune of 102-92, thanks in part to a balanced scoring attack from the starters which saw all five score 15 or more points and account for every point the Cats scored. After the game, UK head coach John Calipari could only think about his team’s defense.

“This may be, at this point, the worst defensive team I’ve had since 1988,” Calipari said. “At the end of the day, if we’re going to be what everybody thinks we’re going to be, we have to be one of the best defensive teams in the country.”

Allmond, who was 4-14 on 3-pointers entering Thursday night’s game, lit up the Cats from beginning to end. After allowing Miami of Ohio to go 15-26 on 3-pointers in their previous game, the Cats allowed Sam Houston State to stroll into Rupp Arena and hit 18 3-pointers.

“We’re not playing winning basketball right now,” Calipari said. “And it will catch us and it may catch us Saturday (against Rider) … (Rider is) a better 3-point shooting team than the team we played today.”

Calipari warned anyone who would listen at the beginning of the season that his team might not be where he wants them to be until January. However, when he said that he was talking about offensively, not defensively. He said he got so mad in Thursday night’s game that his head almost popped off.

Calipari wasn’t the only one who noticed the lack of defense, though. The players were singing the same tune after the game. Freshman point guard John Wall said the team isn’t helping each other out on defense and they’re just worrying about themselves.

“We’re not talking like we’re supposed to,” Wall said. “As a leader, I wasn’t talking like I was supposed to. Ramon (Harris) was probably the only one that was talking on defense tonight. Until you get everybody on defense talking you’re going to struggle.”

Offensively, the Cats saw the emergence of the man they call “Cuz.” Freshman forward DeMarcus Cousins wrapped up his second double-double in as many games with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the first half alone. Cousins finished with 27 points and 18 rebounds.

The big man from Mobile, Ala., had been plagued by early foul trouble in the Cats’ first two games, but only picked up one foul in 27 minutes of play on Thursday night.

“I guess the referees liked me tonight,” Cousins joked.

After finding out that he only picked up one foul on the evening, Cousins laughed in amazement.

“That was the grace of God,” he said.

Contrary to how their coach feels, Wall and Cousins said they weren’t worried about their team’s defense yet and said they could get it fixed. And despite agonizing over his team’s lack of defense which produced only seven steals, Calipari reiterated that with such a young team such the results shouldn’t be too surprising.

The Cats shot 60 percent from the field for the game, their highest percentage on the young season, and Calipari said he still likes his group and their potential.

“But we won, and I’m very happy that we won,” Calipari said.