Appreciate the novel. Carr won’t be healthy. Butler won’t be healthy enough to be himself. Best case scenario is we win without needing much from either of them so those two can rest. Second best case scenario, in my mind, is we get buried so quickly that we decide we may as well rest those two anyway.
I like the way our team (healthy) and our style of play matches up against what you’re describing in principle. We shoot amazingly well when we have the freedom to whip the ball back and forth and let the plays heat up. Swipe attempts we can weather. It’s large, mobile guys that defend by playing the odds against the refs and pushing the boundaries of “physical” play that short circuit most of what we do. This is a game where I expect Travis Perry, our freshman third string PG and all-time Kentucky High School leading scorer, to excel in. So hopefully that will compensate for us not having Butler at his peak and keep us from playing him hurt.
Everything’s always different on the hardwood than it is in principle. I’m excited to see these two new coaches go at each other and I expect an exciting, high-energy game regardless of outcome. Thanks for the post and for sticking it to UT.