So those two need to be on the floor together as much as possible. To put that into perspective, Mississippi Valley State has the worst offense in the country at 0.737 points per possession. Agreed. | Kentucky Sports Radio Coach Cal said Jackson's minutes were limited because Keion Brooks was rebounding and scoring. WATERFORD, Mich. -- At this point, there is not much that can rattle Isaiah Jackson on a basketball court. But not at the expense of building comfort and defining roles for March. But Kentucky probably isn’t getting into the NCAA Tournament as an at large at this point. But there should be one minor conclusion, right? And that even takes into account some of the weird lineups he’s occasionally used in. Jackson checked in around the 15:00 mark, made a quick reverse layup that’ll look good on his NBA film, then he was pulled for Sarr minutes later. Olivier Sarr and Lance Ware, then, are the players left out (not counting Cam’Ron Fletcher, who hasn’t played since returning to the team). Askew and Mintz are both ball-handlers and can keep the turnover rate down. In tonight’s edition of trying to understand John Calipari’s substitution methods, we look to Isaiah Jackson’s 12 minutes played and wonder why that was the case. Those who have enjoyed watching Kentucky basketball freshman Isaiah Jackson so far this season probably shouldn’t get too attached. On offense, the Wildcats’ offensive rebounding rate goes way up when he’s on the court, and the Wildcats force opponents to shoot worse and rebound better on the defensive end when Jackson isn’t on the bench. 0.88 points per possession. And with Kentucky coach John Calipari bemoaning not having a true six or seven man rotation, we've tried to pare the Wildcats' primary players down to seven for him. 1 transfer for 2021-22 college basketball season. 24 recruit in the class of 2020 according to the USA TODAY composite rankings, committed to Kentucky Saturday over Alabama and Syracuse. That’ll play. Jackson totaled 7 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 blocks in the loss to Kansas Tuesday night in the Champions Classic. Jackson checked in around the 15:00 mark, made a quick reverse layup that’ll look good on his NBA film, then he was pulled for Sarr minutes later. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Obviously, that’s an extremely small sample size, and isn’t worth drawing lasting conclusions from. Perhaps Terrence Clarke pushes Toppin out of the top seven when he gets healthy, but for now, it’s Toppin’s place. Isaiah Jackson #23 of the Kentucky Wildcats on December 26, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. After the game Calipari told the Basketball Bennies it was because Keion Brooks was playing better. So the next question arrives: Can Kentucky's problems be solved? Kentucky Basketball @KentuckyMBB. Use February for growth, pick something, stick with it and play the long game. There’s six. According to HoopLens, Kentucky — again, even with some of the lineups Jackson is a part of — allows 0.90 points per possession when he’s on the court. For the Volunteers, seniors John Fulkerson, Josiah-Jordan James, Yves Pons and Victor Bailey Jr. have collectively accounted for 55 percent of the team’s scoring. According to the university, the decision was made due to a combination of positive testing, contact tracing and quarantining of individuals within the program. But it also opens up everything else. Look, toss out the numbers for a minute. Kentucky has played Isaiah Jackson, Olivier Sarr and Jacob Toppin together for 49 possessions per HoopLens, including against Alabama. Kentucky’s freshmen should not shoulder the blame for the 5-11 record alone. The Wildcats got back in it with a 16-0 run and trailed by one when Isaiah Jackson’s block of a Laszewski’s 3-pointer led to a shot-clock violation with 12 seconds left. Sarr and Ware is a bit better offensively (0.95 PPP), but loses more on defense than it gains in offense. He is a garbage guy, rebounder and shot blocker. Isaiah Jackson PF #23. Kentucky head … Kentucky started Devin Askew, Davion Mintz, Brandon Boston Jr., Isaiah Jackson and Olivier Sarr for the fourth time this season. That adds even more value to Jackson, who — when playing the five (more on this in a minute) — is capable of switching to defend multiple positions, and he has the athleticism and bounce to challenge shots and provide a level of rim protection. Today marks 36 days since Kentucky’s last win, the longest the Wildcats have waited between two wins in a single season. UK is 1-3 with this lineup. But Cal wants to make him one and done thus UK suffers. Allen has made 23-of-50 (46%) of his shots from deep, while Mintz is at 23-of-71 (32.4%), though Mintz has shot 34% or better in each of his previous college seasons. Per HoopLens, Kentucky has played all of 23 offensive possessions and 20 defensive possessions with the following four in the lineup at the same time: Devin Askew, Davion Mintz, Dontaie Allen and Isaiah Jackson. © 2005-2021 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. In the span Jackson was in Kentucky went from up 48-41 to up 58-50, and it became 58-58 soon after he checked out. What's wrong with Kentucky? Isaiah Jackson Kentucky Wildcats #23 - Forward Height: 6'10 ... Oscar Tshiebwe is the No. 0 ... @UKCoachJustus and Isaiah Jackson Pre-Mississippi State Press Conference. It's a question that surfaced early on this year and has only grown louder as the Wildcats have stumbled to a 5-10 record, including a 4-4 mark in SEC play. Kentucky Basketball @KentuckyMBB. 11.29.20 Despite going through warmups, Isaiah Jackson (ankle) is not in Sunday's starting lineup against Richmond as he will be replaced by Cam'Ron Fletcher, Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Ledger reports. And Jackson’s defensive help, elite shot-blocking and offensive rebounding are of value as well. And make no mistake: Kentucky has the kind of roster that — if things get turned around — could win four straight games. 11. Calipari is correct in saying Jackson wasn’t playing well in the first half and, yes, Keion Brooks was great. ... Isaiah Jackson is on the edge of the lottery. Lance Ware was the first substitution at the 15:45 mark. Freshman forward Isaiah Jackson spoke with UK media Thursday morning to preview the matchup with Mississippi State and to discuss what the Wildcats need to focus on to get things right. Calipari has four post players, and it’s easy to see why one would want to take advantage of that kind of depth. Both can be valuable 8/9 pieces in limited minutes, Sarr for his scoring and Ware for his hustle and work rate, but neither is a foundational piece for this year’s team the way it is currently constructed. But it’s better than the alternative of swimming through February with no direction. Even with the tweaks to help Kentucky find more success on offense, the Wildcats simply aren’t going to be able to score with the Gonzagas or Iowas of the world. Kentucky has lost two consecutive games, but freshman forward Isaiah Jackson is a bright spot for the Wildcats to build momentum around. YOUTH MOVEMENT: Kentucky has relied heavily on its freshmen. Jackson and Toppin together? In the span Jackson was in Kentucky went from up 48-41 to up 58-50, and it became 58-58 soon after he checked out. Jackson simply is mot a post up back to the basket player. The problem is that none of them can either shoot well enough from the outside — they’re a combined 2-for-14 for the year — nor score efficiently and prolifically enough on the interior to make it a strength to play more than one of those post players at a time. And when Sarr and Toppin share the court, the offensive efficiency dips even lower to 0.83 PPP. Official Periscope account for the eight-time national champion Kentucky Men's Basketball team. And goodness do the Wildcats need to come home with a victory. According to HoopLens, Kentucky is better on both ends of the floor with Jackson on it. LEXINGTON, Ky. — Is a surprise performance really a surprise anymore if almost everyone is predicting it? The Wildcats struggle offensively most of all, and in order to generate points, Kentucky is going to have to go offense over defense at a couple of positions. That’s not necessarily the fault of either player—Ware could develop well in Lexington over multiple seasons, while Sarr could have been more successful in a team built a different way. With BJ Boston and Devin Askew struggling from deep, the Wildcats have just two shooters on their whole roster: Dontaie Allen and Davion Mintz. It’s not an either/or situation. Sure, of course, try to win. The latest stats, facts, news and notes on Isaiah Jackson of the Kentucky Wildcats. If something has worked to that level, maybe it's worth trying a bit more often. Jackson is the foundation of what the Wildcats need to become in order to become a fearsome team in March, high level on defense. In the other locker room, freshmen Brandon Boston Jr., Isaiah Jackson and Devin Askew have combined to score 37 percent of Kentucky’s points this season. Add in BJ Boston — because the best version of Kentucky absolutely involves Boston finding the game that made him such a highly coveted recruit — and Keion Brooks. Isaiah Jackson | Kentucky @ Alabama (1/26/21)6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocksVideo Credit: InStat Basketball That group of four has put up outrageous numbers: 1.48 points per possession, 0.75 points per possession allowed. Yes, it would help having multiple players on the floor who can swing a game with a few good looks. Kentucky’s offense probably isn’t ever going to be a strength. We’ve seen it work on the rare occasion they’re out there together, yet Calipari is committed to sticking Olivier Sarr inside and when he does opposing teams attack the rim. We just have to keep Olivier on the court.”. Then there’s this: When Allen and Mintz share the floor this year, Kentucky shoots 37.9% from 3, per HoopLens. Brandon Boston Jr., Olivier Sarr, Isaiah Jackson and Devin Askew have collectively accounted for 53 percent of the team’s scoring this year and 50 percent of all Wildcats points over the team’s last five games. Dec 1, 2020; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Isaiah Jackson (23) celebrates with teammates after dunking and drawing … NOTE: The rotation doesn’t have to be *only* seven players, rather seven players who should play the bulk of the minutes. Put another way: Isaiah Jackson is the single most important player for Kentucky moving forward. Olivier Sarr missed an open 15-footer from the right wing with a second left and Devin Askew was too late flying in from the left for a putback. Jackson is going to be a first-round draft pick and Calipari trusted him enough to start and play 34 minutes at Mizzou only five days ago, but Jackson, who is also one of the nation’s best shot blockers, still isn’t getting much clock on a regular basis. That would put Kentucky 14th nationally, just ahead of a Texas Tech team known for its defense. Of all the gripes from the pathetic performance we watched, Jackson’s playing time is pretty low on the list and this isn’t meant to be an anti-Sarr post. Jackson’s 8 blocks set a new UK record for most blocks by a […] None of that is to say that’s THE lineup. But there should be one minor conclusion, right? Jackson and Brooks got a few minutes together in the second half against the Vols and it seemed to be working. University of Kentucky Basketball, Football, and Recruiting news brought to you in the most ridiculous manner possible. Some of the suggestions will seem obvious, while others are easier said than done. Isaiah Jackson (ankle) had six points, 14 rebounds and two blocks in 26 minutes off the bench in Sunday's 76-64 loss to Richmond. We were at +8 with Keion and Olivier in together. The latest stats, facts, news and notes on Isaiah Jackson of the Kentucky Wildcats ... Basketball. That would tie Florida State for 35th nationally, and would be a great start to building an effective offense. "I mean, how about Isaiah today?" In 2017, North Carolina won the national title with just two shooters on the court. LEXINGTON, Ky. (WVLT/WKYT) - The University of Kentucky’s men’s basketball team program has been put on a 48-hour pause due to COVID-19 concerns. Askew and Mintz are both ball-handlers and can keep the turnover rate down. But every game we have a, “Does Cal have a clue what he’s doing with his rotations?” moment, and Jackson playing only 12 minutes is it. But at least with Mintz and Allen on the floor together, Calipari can maximize its output. And that’s OK—it gives Kentucky the advantage of preparing this last month not to win a random game against, say, Vanderbilt on Feb. 17, but to use this month as almost a preseason camp toward the real goal. Official Periscope account for the eight-time national champion Kentucky Men's Basketball team. Over those 49 possessions, Kentucky has averaged 0.71 points per possession. 2020. UK has used seven different starting lineups this season, none of which have started more than four games. Follow me on Twitter: @DrewFranklinKSR. And don’t even get started on the three-big looks. Rather it’s to suggest that those four should be in the rotation of seven players that Calipari talked about trying to get down to*. And against a lot of teams, it’s also a weakness defensively because a number of teams excel at spreading defenses out and taking advantage of individual matchups. Obviously, that’s an extremely small sample size, and isn’t worth drawing lasting conclusions from. But while many have identified problems — youth, inexperience, a roster that doesn't seem to fit together well and a perceived lack of mental and physical toughness — it's one thing to notice a problem and another thing entirely to solve it. And finally, having shooters also spaces the floor for pick-and-roll opportunities, with Jackson being able to use his quickness and leaping ability to finish the occasional lob or hard roll to the basket. Remember when John Calipari said that players weren’t used to their new roles after they were recently changed? And for the final spot, for now, we’re going to go with Jacob Toppin. Toppin can impact games with his energy level and athleticism, and deployed correctly, he can fit into the switchable lineups we’re trying to create … just not alongside Jackson. “He seemed a little bit behind in the first half,” Calipari said of Jackson, “so I went with Keion in the second because of how he played. And for the record, Jackson, who will be an NBA draft pick and is one of college basketball’s best shot blockers, averages 18 minutes per game in SEC play and only once, last Saturday at Alabama, has he had more than three fouls in those games. Kentucky has played Isaiah Jackson, Olivier Sarr and Jacob Toppin together for 49 possessions per HoopLens, including against Alabama. From figuring out a finish line — or at least when Kentucky should be rounding into form — the roster's emphasis to trimming the rotation, we've tried to find a way to get the Wildcats back on track this season. I can recite every line from Forrest Gump, blindfolded. It won't be easy; Kentucky has a losing record for a reason. Five-star forward Isaiah Jackson, the No. Born: ... Kentucky (Fr) High School: ... AAU Basketball * AAU basketball history from 2018-2019. It’s just tough to play two true post players in college basketball right now if neither of them can shoot from the outside for spacing purposes. Isaiah Jackson (23) Forward - High School Considered a five-star prospect by Rivals, where he is ranked the No. Before hitting the road, UK assistant coach Joel Justus and Isaiah Jackson spoke with the media to discuss the team’s 1-6 start, getting a fresh start with SEC play set to begin, Kentucky’s … Isaiah Jackson NCAA Basketball player profile pages at CBSSports.com. Calipari explains. Kentucky basketball players Brandon Boston and Terrence Clarke have dropped in the latest NBA Draft rankings from ESPN, while Isaiah Jackson has moved up. There’s a gamble here; some have questioned whether there will even be conference tournaments. Jackson and Lance Ware? In every other lineup possible for Kentucky, literally any lineup that doesn’t feature the four of them together, almost 1,100 possessions worth, Kentucky is putting up 0.91 PPP and allowing 0.93 PPP. Jackson's 15 boards were the most by a Kentucky player who played less than 20 minutes since the 1973-74 season. That being said, does Calipari know he can play Brooks and Jackson together? With a block rate of 15.3%, he’s the nation’s second-best shot-blocker. So that’s four. Boston hasn’t shot well from the outside, but has the ability to score from the mid range, and there are fewer bodies keeping him from getting where he wants to go. Isaiah Jackson is one recruit from Kentucky’s 2020 class that has not been talked about a lot. 1,053,008. 0.91 PPP. It doesn’t do Kentucky any good to be in a similar spot a month from now. Current Team: Kentucky. But the goal should be to reach the NCAA Tournament, and, should the Wildcats find a way to get there, be a dangerous enough team to win a game or two. And by doing away with some of the weird rotations around Jackson, the Wildcats could get even better defensively. The Kentucky basketball program is set to open conference play this weekend, heading down to Starkville, MS to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday. And Jackson’s defensive help, elite shot-blocking and offensive rebounding are of value as well. KenPom projects that the Wildcats will finish the regular season 10-14 and 9-8 in SEC play; if Kentucky goes undefeated, the Wildcats would still just be 14-10 and there’s a question of whether Kentucky can stack up enough quality wins over the course of a month to get home. Mintz and Allen are both shooters and can stretch the floor. Kentucky does have as much length and athleticism as some fo those top teams, and if the Wildcats can build a disciplined defense around Jackson, Kentucky could make up some ground on the defensive end. That’s what Kentucky should use February for. Brooks’ experience, his shooting ability (which hasn’t quite surfaced yet), and his versatility will all play with this roster. But these are the seven to leave Kentucky forward. The offense is significantly better when Jackson is on the court and Sarr is off (1.0 PPP to 0.90). 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