As Chris Jans and the Mississippi State men's basketball team hit the road to face off against the Kentucky Wildcats in Rupp Arena, Jans is hoping the Bulldogs will be able to execute more effectively on the defensive side of things.
In their rigorous SEC showdown Wednesday evening, Jans' Mississippi State basketball team will have to find a way to slow down one of the best offenses in the Southeastern Conference. With the sort of athleticism and stellar shooting that Kentucky brings, the Bulldogs will need to emphasize executing their game plan.
And when Jans was asked about their defensive adjustments following the Bulldogs' loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide, the MSU men's basketball coach highlighted just that.
Mississippi State basketball: Chris Jans' emphasizes defense as Bulldogs prepare for Kentucky Wildcats
"I just hope that we execute the game plan better. I'm not going to give away what we're going to do, but we've got to execute better on that end of the floor after watching the tape," Jans said.
And while the head coach of the Mississippi State men's basketball team won't give away all of his secrets, he did provide some specific areas the Bulldogs must improve on if they hope to keep up with the Kentucky Wildcats.
"It wasn't just the ghost screens. We had some ball screen breakdowns defensively and we've got to shore that up," Jans explained. "We're just going to have to be better."
That's probably easier said than done.
Kentucky fields an offense that is incredibly versatile and dynamic. There are five Wildcats who are averaging at least 12 points per game. That alone can be hard to contend with, but when you also factor in where this game is happening and it suddenly gets a little more arduous.
As a team, Kentucky is averaging over 90 points per game. This is a team that is certainly capable of exposing its opponents' defensive weaknesses. The Wildcats shoot an astonishing 49.3 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from behind the three point line.
As for MSU? Well, the Bulldogs are hitting on 45.2 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from three point distance.
This Mississippi State basketball team can't afford to get into a shootout with the Wildcats because that's a game they'll likely win every time. MSU will need to find a way to slow that remarkable Kentucky offense if the Bulldogs are going to leave Rupp Arena with a win.