The House of Blue

It has to be miller because of the shots he hit and the times that he hit them

I bet Lamb has had a tough couple days since that game. You know Cal is all over him for it. This was a great game for Cal to teach on. Vandy is in trouble.

This year, opponents have made 33.6% of their 3 point attempts against this Kentucky defense. This array of opponents have averaged 33.8% against all of their opponents this season. The NCAA D1 average 3 point shooting percentage is 34.4%. However, when we look at what UK’s opponents have done at Rupp this year we see a different picture.
On neutral courts, the opponents have made 22 of 74 attempts, 29.7%. On the road, opponents have made 48 of 132 attempts, 36.4%. At Rupp this season, the opponents have made 100 of 338 attempts, 29.6%.
Yes, some teams have shot better at Rupp from long range than they have for the season. Actually, 5 teams have done this so far, Portland, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi. But look at the list of teams who came into Rupp and did not turn that trick, including Louisville, St Johns, and Florida among the long list of others.
Marist -2.4%
Radford -22.3%
Portland +17.1%
St. Johns -12.5%
UNC +26.4%
UT Chattanooga -2.6%
Samford -13.5%
Loyola MD -0.2%
Lamar -17.0%
Louisville -10.6%
South Carolina -5.5%
Arkansas -1.6%
Alabama +36.7%
Tennessee +6.8%
Florida -10.0%
Mississippi +20.2%

But then, there is the less is more argument.

Jeff, I am not sure these sort of outliers occur based on logic, I believe they are just what they are, the statistical exceptions that occur in both directions in any set of events. However, in the aggregate, the data makes sense. Kentucky's defense over the course of time is pretty good.

The strength of the Kentucky defense is revealed in the 2 point shooting results, that have forced opponents all year to live and die at the perimeter. Some teams find a living out there, but the vast majority of teams have found life hard at the perimeter despite UK's strangling interior defense.

This is why this team has been so powerful, the 5 outliers from the perimeter notwithstanding.