‘That length deal is real’: How Kentucky basketball flustered Texas Tech

Malachi, their coach said your length really bothered them today. Could you feel that, and what does that kind of say about the defensive potential of this team? Yeah, our length really bothered them in the first half, and we kind of turned them more into an isolation team. And I think when it's ISO against us, our length really, really takes advantage there. With Mark Pope preaching since early summer to his team, length is our strength, what exactly are the challenges for opponents trying to go against all that? yeah well i mean one you they stayed they stayed underneath as well you know there wasn't a lot of confusion and their ability to take away rhythm shots and make you bounce it into the paint and stay attached was good i mean i thought their length on the ball screens was good too i mean we had some guys open at the rim and couldn't deliver the ball to the other side take advantage of you know their their closeouts just couldn't get it moved fast enough and um you know that's a real thing in college basketball we're missing some pretty significant length and I would have liked to you know see it if we could have put the ball in the paint a few more times to take to take advantage of like you know just throwing it into the post I mean we just didn't have enough of those opportunities and that was a big part of this game too and it felt like when the ball went in there to Malachi and those moments they that was something that was an advantage for them they settled in when you know maybe the ball screens weren't working maybe shot a few threes and they threw it into the post and he delivered or you know got fouled so um that part that length deal is real