Sweet 16 Recap: Kentucky/UCLA

Kentucky

De'Aaron Fox
6-4, PG, Freshman
39 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 13-20 FG, 13-15 FT

This will be Fox's best game in a Kentucky uniform.  From the very tip, he took the matchup against Lonzo Ball seriously and was out to prove a point to everybody who the best player in the gym is.


Fox's best NBA skill has always been his motor.  He goes balls to the wall all game long on both ends. Defensively, he pressures up and makes life hell for ball handlers because of his speed and fast hands. His energy is contagious all around. He got the best of Ball on that end.

Fox's offensive repertoire was so much more advanced this game than it was in the second round against Wichita State.  He started off hot, hitting one dribble pull ups consistently.  He is absolutely automatic with that floater, a necessity in the NBA if you can't finish around the rim. He is explosive enough to finish around the rim with his left hand, but if he has that floater, he will be able to stop on a dime and make a realistic shot that NBA guards need. If the jump shot is falling, Fox looks like a top five pick with his physical tools and skill. We will have to see if its for real going forward. There's a lot to like with his physical and mental gifts.

Malik Monk
6-3, SG, Freshman
21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 8-17 FG, 4-9 3FG

Monk started off cold again in this game but he caught fire after that stretch.  Monk's shot making ability is the best in the country. He can do it to you however you want it; hang dribbles, pull ups, catch and shoot, off screens, you name it.  He didn't flash as much of the playmaking in this game that he did against Wichita, but the shot was falling for him this game so there was no reason too. UCLA had no answer for him in transition. You can't fall asleep for a second when guarding him.  He has that type of JJ Redick ability to have the defense scared no matter where he's at or what he's doing. Defensively, Monk has the athletic tools but he doesn't always have the effort or frame to compete at a level he needs too. That will be the biggest problem for him going forward, even as soon as next round. He'll probably be the one charged with guarding Justin Jackson from UNC.

Isaiah Briscoe
6-3, PG, Sophomore
5 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2-7 FG

Briscoe does a lot of the little things for the Cats.  He guards at an elite level due to his quick feet and fast hands.  He knows how to absorb guys into his chest when guarding them and bounce them back. He might even be able to guard wings due to his stocky frame.  Offensively, even though he hit one three this game, he still doesn't look good shooting the ball, but he can use his body to get into the lane and either finish or find guys. His lack of athleticism and jump shot might keep him out of the NBA, but he still competes and is fun to watch at times.

Bam Adebayo
6-10, C, Freshman
2 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists

After an extremely impressive game against Wichita State, Bam was non existent against UCLA.  A lot of it might have to do with this game being all about Fox and Monk, but Bam should've been more of a factor on the glass. Welsh and TJ Leaf, two guys who were soft on the glass in their previous game against Cincinnati, both had success crashing the glass and holding Bam off the boards.

Since UCLA's bigs all stand outside and shoot, it isn't surprising that Bam only had one block and couldn't be a consistent rim protector in this game, and maybe that's why he wasn't as successful on the glass as well. He does know how to pass, however, and he reaped the benefits of Fox and Monks hot night in the assist column.  Bam has always shown some flashes of being to catch and read the floor then find the open man. If he can do that consistently, he will be more valuable to NBA teams. 

UCLA

Lonzo Ball
6-6, PG, Freshman
10 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers, 4-10 FG, 1-6 3FG

Lonzo's ho hum attitude at times came back to bite him in this game.  He showed off flashy passes like he does every game, but he wasn't as aggressive and assertive in this game as he has been in the past. Fox was making life really hard for him on the perimeter. Lonzo's shot wasn't falling, and so the questions will come back about the jump shot and whether or not he will be able to translate that to the NBA level.

Defensively, he wasn't as engaged and didn't make as much of an impact on that end. He's still really good for a point guard at blocking shots, but he can over anticipate at times.  That works against set heavy teams like Cincinnati, but against free flowing teams like Kentucky, you can't over anticipate and try to guess where every player is going to go. You have to put forth effort and get up into guys to dictate where they go.  Lonzo doesn't do that because he doesn't always sit in a stance. Being lackadaisical on both ends has always been a question for Lonzo, and will definitely carry over into the draft process.

TJ Leaf
6-10, PF, Freshman
17 points, 7 rebounds, 7-11 FG

Leaf was so much more impressive in this game than he was against Cincinnati.  He was much more aggressive in transition running the floor and dunking everything along with going to the boards. He showed much more toughness and fearlessness against Kentucky's bigs. He was hitting his outside shots as well, which is huge for UCLA's offense because it pulls their bigs out and opens up the floor.  Leaf is an elite shooter and has great athleticism, which will make him a valuable pick as a four man.

The only questions will be his hip mobility and ability to move around the perimeter on defense. Derek Willis had 8 points and 8 rebounds with Leaf guarding him, and Willis is just a role player for the Cats. Leaf might be able to be hidden in a more conservative NBA scheme, but even then he still has to be able to rebound consistently and move in space in order to not be a huge negative on that end.

Isaac Hamilton
6-5, SG, Senior
17 points, 5 rebounds, 6-9 FG, 4-5 3FG

Hamilton is a microwave scorer, hitting big shots down the stretch in this game. Other than that, he struggled to guard Malik Monk and falls asleep off the ball at times. He doesn't show off much athleticism either, mainly settling for jump shots.  Hamilton doesn't look like an NBA player, but hopefully his play in the tournament has shown that he could be a high level European player.

Aaron Holiday
6-1, PG, Sophomore
5 points, 4 assists, 3 turnovers

Holiday wasn't pressing for his jumper in this game, but he still showed off the secondary playmaking that he has as an off guard or lead guard.  Defensively, he was the best UCLA perimeter player that actually could make life tough for Monk. His length and toughness helped him in that regard. Holiday is a great glue guy, and with an increased role at UCLA next year, might be able to show more to his game that makes scouts want to draft him in 2018.