Kentucky picked up another victory on Friday night, defeating James Madison 89-80 at Rupp Arena to improve to 2-0 on the young season. While much of the attention naturally went to Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins after their impressive scoring performances, there was another important development that Kentucky fans may have overlooked.
It had everything to do with how Mark Pope’s team handled the basketball.
Against James Madison, Kentucky finished with just eight turnovers as a team. Even more impressive, the Wildcats’ three primary ball handlers combined for zero turnovers.
That is an encouraging development for a team still working to establish its identity under Pope.
Diallo was particularly impressive in that department. The Washington transfer finished with 16 points while committing zero turnovers, showing the kind of composure and decision-making Kentucky needs from its point guard.
For Pope, that performance was worth recognizing.
Kentucky has plenty of offensive weapons, but having guards who can control the tempo, make smart decisions and protect possession could become one of the team’s biggest advantages as the competition gets tougher.
And that is where Friday’s performance becomes particularly interesting.
The Wildcats did not need one player to carry the entire offense. Five Kentucky players finished in double figures, with Wilkins also scoring 16 points and Justin McBride adding 13 points and eight rebounds against his former school.
The team also shot 50.8% from the field, knocked down 10 three-pointers and dominated James Madison 40-20 in points in the paint.
There were plenty of positives to take away from the victory.
However, Kentucky’s defensive performance showed that Pope still has some things to address. James Madison attempted 45 three-pointers, tying a Kentucky opponent record, and managed to keep the game competitive with its perimeter shooting.
That is something the Wildcats cannot afford to overlook.
Fortunately, the biggest takeaway from the game might be the improvement in ball security. Kentucky is still developing chemistry, and having its primary guards make better decisions could help the entire offense become more efficient.
Another positive was the return of Kam Williams, who played nine minutes as he continues working his way back from injury.
Now, the attention shifts to an entirely different challenge.
Kentucky will face No. 17/18 Kansas on Tuesday, November 10, in Chicago in the State Farm Champions Classic. The matchup will provide a much stronger test of the Wildcats’ ability to execute against an elite opponent.
Pope will certainly want to see improvements defensively, especially against Kansas’ offensive weapons.
But if Kentucky can maintain the composure it displayed against James Madison, the Wildcats could become a much more difficult team to deal with.
The scoring performances will grab the headlines, but the eight turnovers and zero turnovers from the three primary ball handlers might have been the most important part of Kentucky’s 2-0 start.
