UK expects more heat from WVU

After committing 31 turnovers against Kansas State on Friday, Kentucky faces potentially even more defensive heat against West Virginia in Saturday night’s finals of the Las Vegas Invitational.
West Virginia cooked Iowa 87-68 in Friday’s other semifinal. In that game, WVU feasted on an Iowa team that started three freshmen and a sophomore.
“Their level of intensity and aggressive play was something we hadn’t experienced,” Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter said. “They took us out of all our sets.”
Kentucky can say it has experienced defensive heat. Beginning with Virginia Military Institute in the opener and followed by North Carolina and Kansas State, the Cats have had their new ball-handling core severely tested on a regular basis.
UK Coach Billy Gillispie expected more of the same against West Virginia.
“They’ll get up and after us like everyone should,” Gillispie said of the Mountaineers.
UK will go into the game averaging 23 turnovers a game. Against Kansas State, the Cats brought the ball upcourt by committee with even big man Patrick Patterson getting a few turns.
When asked about so many players bringing up the ball, Gillispie said the move was born of “a lot of guys didn’t want it. We ran from it.
“We’re one-tenth of the composure department (from) where you need to be.”
West Virginia’s pressure made Iowa crumble. The Hawkeyes committed 17 first-half turnovers.
“It’s hard to compete with that,” Lickliter said.
WVU Coach Bob Huggins, whose teams are synonymous with intensity and physical play, shrugged when asked about the heat applied to Iowa. In his typical deadpan delivery, he said of the pressure, “We just do what we do.”
Much like Kansas State, West Virginia carries on collectively this after losing last season’s individual star, in WVU’s case, forward Joe Alexander.
“The wonderful thing about this bunch is from Day One, they bought in,” Huggins said. “They weren’t sure quite what it was, but they bought in.”
West Virginia opponents are averaging 22.3 turnovers a game.
Kansas State Coach Frank Martin is a disciple and unabashed admirer of Huggins. Earlier this week, Martin spoke of how similar their philosophies are. The only significant difference comes on offense, where Kansas State gives its players a bit more freedom to create, Martin said.
Gillispie spoke of West Virginia bringing a similar challenge as Kansas State. But the UK coach said West Virginia was better offensively, better rebounders, more experienced and more talented.
Fatigue might be another challenge for Kentucky. The Kansas State game was an exhausting 94-foot, 40-minute battle.
“Our guys left their souls on the court,” Martin said. “I thought their guys played hard as heck, too.”
Now UK must play arguably a superior opponent using the same energy-draining strategy within 24 hours.
Although on record as no fan of a late tipoff in a two-games-in-two days scenario, Gillispie said, “We’ll be ready to play. . . . We’ll play better.”
Huggins 0-fer vs. UK
Huggins, the sixth winningest active Division I coach, has an 0-2 record against Kentucky. Of the opponents he’s coached against more than once, Huggins has failed to beat only seven: Kansas (0-4), Michigan (0-2), Illinois (0-2), Georgetown (0-2), Notre Dame (0-2), Ohio State (0-2) and UK.