Lebo estimates half of UK roster will play in NBA

http://www2.oanow.com/oan/sports/college/article/au_hoops_lebo_tigers_brace_for_second-ranked_kentucky/123068/

Jeff Lebo had to think about this one.

Asked Friday if he’d faced a team as good as No. 2 Kentucky since he arrived at Auburn six years ago, Lebo leaned back in his chair and fiddled with the towel around his neck for a good 10 seconds before coming to a conclusion.

“Probably not a team this deep,” Lebo said. “The Pitt team we played (in 2006) was No. 2 in the country … They had a lot of pro players, these guys have a lot of NBA players.”

Lebo estimated that half of John Calipari’s roster will eventually play in the world’s best basketball league. For now, he’ll be watching them in person when Big Blue arrives for a 3 p.m. tip at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

Only student tickets have remained since early in the week.

“It is just kind of scary to sit here and prepare for them,” Lebo said. “It could be somebody that beats you any given night.”

Kentucky, one of college basketball’s most storied programs, has outdone itself this season. The Wildcats are one of just two undefeated major conference teams and have largely made it look easy, eliciting hopes that an eighth national championship is very much in reach.

Calipari certainly brought a quick fix to Kentucky when he took over for Billy Gillespie, who struggled to fit in with the Wildcats’ diehard fans, especially those who want more out of a coach than just X’s and O’s. Not only did Calipari bring the charisma that makes him a TV favorite, he also brought three of the country’s most highly touted recruits, all of whom he’d been recruiting to Memphis.

All three of those players are starting now, and all of them are averaging double figures in scoring.

“They’re pros,” Lebo said.

It all starts with point guard John Wall, who is averaging 17.3 points per game (third-best in the SEC), 7.1 assists (first) and 2.3 steals (second). The Sports Illustrated coverboy is likely NBA-bound after the season, and probably wouldn’t have even bothered with college ball if not for recently adopted NBA age restrictions.

Lurking in Wall’s massive shadow has been Eric Bledsoe, a Birmingham native who played at Parker High School. Anywhere else, Bledsoe might be the top attraction, but at Kentucky, he’s just the fourth-best scorer.

“He is so explosive in the open court. He’s just as explosive as Wall,” Lebo said. “He’ll gobble up space. In one game I saw him against Florida, he was two steps on the other side of half-court, had one dribble and laid it in.

“That was pretty terrifying to watch, actually.“

It doesn’t get any easier in the paint, where freshman DeMarcus Cousins and junior holdover Patrick Patterson combine to average 31.9 points and 17.3 rebounds per game. The extra focus and attention given to Wall has made life even easier for Patterson, who could have been a lottery pick in last year’s NBA Draft, but is instead thriving with a brand new supporting cast.

Considering that Auburn was outscored in the paint, 48-12, in Thursday’s ugly, 81-55 loss at Tennessee, some type of adjustments might be in the works for today’s game.

“They have size,” Lebo said. “Against us, we’re not particularly big and they are. Being able to defend in the low post is an issue for us because their big guys really command double teams in there. When you have to double somebody, it leaves some opportunities for other people on the perimeter.“

Opportunities to impress more than 10,000 people in your home building don’t come very often at Auburn, which makes today’s game as good of a time as any for the Tigers to snap out of their early-conference funk.

“Running out to that, I think their energy level will be at a peak,” Lebo said. “Kentucky’s used to that and used to playing in those type of environments. We’re not, so we’ve got to be able to channel that the right way.”