Kaminsky ready for anything as Badgers will play Kentucky

The Wisconsin Badgers and the Kentucky Wildcats will clash Saturday at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis at 6:47.   The last time these two squads met was last year in the Final Four, but Kentucky came out on top.  Kentucky fears Wisconsin’s huge seven-foot center, Frank Kaminsky, who scored 29 points against Arizona.   In last seasons Elite Eight, Kaminsky scored 28 points and 11 rebounds.   Well, Kentucky came up with a plan for Kaminsky last year: they crowded him in the paint and double-teamed him whenever he got close to the basket.  The result: Kaminsky only scored 8 points while he was limited to only 7 field goal attempts and only received 4 rebounds, and Kentucky won 74-73.

But now if they try that strategy Kaminsky will just pass it right off to the West Region Most Outstanding Player, Sam Dekker.  Dekker scored 27 points against Arizona and 25 versus North Carolina.

Since Kaminsky leads all players in scoring in this tournament with 91 points, the Wildcats will likely try to get Kaminsky to pass using their defensive method.  ” They have such a big front line and they have so much depth that you never know what’s going to happen,” Kaminsky stated. ” I feel like they didn’t play as many people last year as they did this year so we’ll see how it’s different.”  I’ll just do whatever I have to do, whether it’s double-teams, on-on-ones. Whoever is guarding me, I will be ready for whatever.”

In the Sweet Sixteen, Kaminsky finished with 19 points and 8 rebounds against North Carolina’s energetic forwards.   He converted on five of the eleven field goal attempts and made all eight of his free throws.   In the Elite Eight Arizona used three player, all with different styles of play, to guard Kaminsky. Forwards Rondae Hollis-Jefferson attempted to use his body and strength to get  Kaminsky, while Brandon Ashley tried to bother him with his length. Arizona’s center, Kaleb Tarczewski tried to use his muscle.  Kaminsky didn’t do so hot in the first half and hit only 5 of the 13 shots attempted.  But he figured it out after the break and scored 19 points.

If Frank Kaminsky and the Wisconsin Badgers use their whole team against Kentucky, they will win the game.