Anonymous SEC Basketball assistant comments on Auburn, Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee

quote:

---

Auburn: “Their shot selection can get them in trouble, especially Jared Harper and Bryce Brown. They don’t have a consistent low-post threat, so those two have the green light to jack up shots. They shoot from anywhere, anytime. It’s feast or famine. When they get it going they’re hard to beat, but Ole Miss beat them 60-55 by slowing them down. Austin Wiley was a threat, but he got hurt. When he came back, it looked like they had too many guys. They play so fast, they don’t wait on him. Danjel Purifoy and Horace Spencer are two more big guys who play, and it slows them down a little bit. They’re better when they play small. Chuma Okeke is really talented, but he can go games without getting shots up. They’re inconsistent defensively. It’s a gambling defense. If they can turn you over, it’s good, but if you run offense against them they’re not very good.”

Kentucky: “I’d say they’re not good against zone, but the way they’ve been shooting lately I don’t know. You have to slow down the tempo. Once they get out in transition, that really gets them going. PJ Washington is just shooting the crap out of it. Be physical with him. Doubling him in the post helps, but he’s smart now the way he passes out of it. You want to make Keldon Johnson shoot contested 2s. You have to get into his body and be physical, because I don’t think he likes that. Make Tyler Herro put it on the floor. He has deep range. They hurt people on the glass. Ashton Hagans and Immanuel Quickley are inconsistent from 3. Hagans scores off his defense. Reid Travis is not as efficient on the block as I thought he was.”

LSU: “One of the most talented teams in the league, but they can get loose offensively and turn it over. You’ve got to keep them off the glass and make people outside of Tremont Waters hit shots. He can get careless with the ball, but he makes plays other people can’t make. Naz Reid will shoot the 3 and he can make it, but he’s so big you’d rather he do that if you can keep him away from the basket. You have to trap Waters and change defenses and out-physical him, because he’s just so quick. You hope to use size against him. He plays with great pace.”

Tennessee: “They have great experience and great chemistry. I know Grant Williams gets a lot of pub, but no one is a star on this team. If you can really shoot the ball, you have a chance to beat them. If the refs are calling the game to protect Williams, you have no chance. He shoots a lot of free throws. He ducks in and seals really well, and he knows how to get fouls by flopping. When he lowers that shoulder, you gotta take the freaking charge. They’re a good rebounding team, but you can rebound against them too. Beat them to the offensive boards. They have some size but they’re not huge. You need to be physical with Admiral Schofield. Don’t let him get transition 3s because that gets him going. A team with length that is physical would be a test for them. In the past, you could let Jordan Bone shoot it, but he’s making them now. People have been scoring against them; it’s just they’re hard to guard. They don’t have a rim protector, except maybe Kyle Alexander and he’s not real big. They’ll give up a lot of 3s because they focus on stopping guard penetration, so people can drive and kick for open looks.”

---