Kentucky Basketball's Unpredictable Season and the Andrija Jelavic Conundrum
This Kentucky Basketball season has been anything but predictable. With standout performances from players like Denzel Aberdeen, Collin Chandler, and Otega Oweh, it's been a different hero stepping up each night. But perhaps the most intriguing storyline is the rollercoaster journey of Andrija Jelavic.
Jelavic's Up-and-Down Role
Jelavic's season has been a head-scratcher, swinging from starter to benchwarmer and back again. Take his performance against South Carolina.
While Coach Mark Pope praises Jelavic's shooting and floor-spacing, his real strength lies in the mid- and low-post areas. He's an effective cutter and screener, though he sometimes rushes plays, as seen when he was called for a moving screen against Otega Oweh’s defender.
In the South Carolina game, Jelavic had three early chances from beyond the arc but missed them all. It wasn't until he moved inside the paint that he found success, scoring his first basket there. After a nine-minute break, he returned to add two more scores, ending the first half with six points.
Jelavic finally hit a three-pointer in the second half but went just 1 for 6 from deep overall. He did, however, finish strong with an alley-oop for his 11th point, shooting a solid 5/10 from the floor and a perfect 4/4 from inside the arc. Yet, despite his contributions, Jelavic was benched with over 13 minutes left in the game and didn’t return.
Rethinking the Stretch 4 Experiment
Coach Pope might point to Jelavic's plus/minus stats-he was the only Kentucky player to finish in the negative on Tuesday. But sometimes, the numbers don't tell the whole story.
If Kentucky wants to maximize its scoring potential, it might be time to abandon the stretch 4 experiment with Jelavic. His shooting stats paint a clear picture: without the three-point attempts, he's 41/61 on the season, a remarkable 67% from the field. That's a number that begs the question: why not utilize him more in the paint?
For a team struggling to generate easy offense in SEC play, positioning Jelavic closer to the basket could be the key. Playing him at the 5, alongside Dioubate at the 4 for rebounding support, might just simplify things for the entire squad.
Perhaps it's time for Coach Pope to reconsider the analytics he's been relying on. Putting Jelavic in a position to capitalize on his strengths could be a game-changer for Kentucky moving forward.