Just want TyTy to be healthy. That said, I don't see this team as media/several others do when he's not full strength. I think they aren't good enough to just assume they'll win if TyTy can't play. Just don't see increasing Mintz's minutes as a positive (know it's necessity, but he is not an elite player, he's a role player). For all the "he's tough talk"-he got torched upon entering the game last night. 8 straight pts right in his face, and he's another play finishing guard, he's horrible when playing to set up others or passing. The main reason Washington is important is that everyone minus Wheeler is a play finisher and not playmaker. That's why they are all in college for 5/6 yrs or still there as 3rd yr guys. Nothing wrong with that, but it's important to have your playmakers/creators on the floor (healthy).
I was in the camp that was hoping TyTy skipped last night and would be back for Alabama the earliest.....now I'm seeing this idea he can wait until Arkansas which to me puts UK in a position that games I'd consider likely W's against Bama/LSU are now up for grabs.
Keion Brooks has no showed 2 straight games. TyTy's ability to be on floor with Wheeler effects Brooks/Grady the most. They stunk last night. Brooks needs to pick it up and instead of accepting the coaching he was arguing with them upon something the staff was not happy with.
Toppin is talking about "needed that L as a wakeup call". Why? I don't believe in needing to lose to learn to appreciate winning nor do I believe they are a team who is this cut above everyone else. This isn't a team full of NBA Lottery guys who can just take the court and "dominate". It's a team who needs to play hard, be full strength and execute the gameplan. If you need to be woken up, then here's a wakeup: the team has 5 L's all in games they had 7 or more mins without a FG. They've played 26 games to this point. That's a lot of games to have these droughts. They need to be healthy, have their most important player on the court and then I can see them making a run, but this talk of the team reminds me of this fallacy about the '20 team when Covid shut things down. Cal's positive spin/outlook is great and understand why he's doing it as he knows what the personality of this group is, but real talk is what is necessary to win in March.
Now the smart *** side of me is also glad that I'll never have to hear about the suicide watch the Tennessee program was apparently on since losing to Kentucky the first time. Ravech. Dykes. Marty Smith. Marty Smith's beard. The ESPN Studio. Rick Barnes. Every Vols player who hadn't slit their wrists. Good god....we get it, they were pissed off about taking an L.
