Who Will Save Kentucky Saturday?

Two days before the last best non-conference regular season game left on Kentucky's schedule tips off and I have no idea what kind of Kentucky team is going to show up against a Final Four bound team like the Tar Heels on Saturday. My first worry are the turnovers Kentucky's religiously committing so far and their trend of being significantly out-shot in attempts. Watching NC play last night, Kentucky honestly will have to play a perfect game I think; they can't rely on them to help them.

So many questions, so few obvious answers. Is Morris going to be a full-game threat? Will perimeter shooting be on target for UK? And if Kentucky's starting five start the game slow and begin 15 points down early, who is going to step up and save the Wildcats? Will we see a dominant Bobby Perry? Will we see Perry Stevenson denying thee before thy home crowd or even see him tickle that twine like he did against C of C the other night? Will Derrick Jasper emerge ever more in a tough road game to become Kentucky's saving grace? Will poor shooting and costly turnovers continue to show its ugly shadow when the game is all said and done? Will we see Kentucky make that xtra pass for that open look shot? Will we see Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley knockin' down the trifecta to keep up with UNC's easy fast break points? Will we see Kentucky running the court and keeping up with the Tar Heels in transition and making the easy quick baskets of their own? Will we see Kentucky feeding the post to Randolph Morris like he's been fasting since he inked with UK?

You know, I drive myself crazy sometimes thinking about it. So many questions embedded in my heart, and so few obvious answers. I know I'm basically hoping for a totally different Kentucky team Saturday from what I've already seen this season. I just know that with North Carolina one guy is not going to win this game for Kentucky unless UNC's starting five comes down with mono by Saturday morning …

( peek at Florida )

… Kentucky's gonna need that xtra guy off the bench, that one guy who steps up at an unpredictable time off the bench and contributes a double-double and knocks down threes like you can't believe. Kentucky's gonna need that one special guy who noone from North Carolina is gonna scout more than 5 minutes on to come up huge for the Wildcats. Kentucky's gonna need that unproven pine-timer who's gonna make Tyler Hansborough look like he's at a high school scrimmage tryout. Kentucky's gonna need that special kid off the bench who's gonna fill the lanes and dish the rock to a galloping Joe Crawford, you know, someone Kentucky's gonna ride and steal a win with at NC Saturday. If Kentucky wants to redeem themselves for the losses to UCLA and Memphis, they're gonna need that guy in Chapel Hill Saturday.

Unfortunately, and I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think Kentucky's found that guy yet. At least that guy hasn't revealed himself vs UCLA or vs Memphis, two top ranked teams in the nation. And now they get another shot at a Top 10, Final Four bound team in UNC, and if Tubby has that guy and he's been holding him back, I think Saturday would be the time to let this kid loose.

I write this in thanks to Spam's Wildcat Page, I learned that the guys over at Kentucky Sports Radio has found the beast that's about to be unleashed on lowly North Carolina Saturday. I haven't laughed this hard since learning that Florida's got mono the other day ( again, see Florida ). Thanks to KSR for making me cry while spitting out my lunch this afternoon; that was good. Here's to hoping that Coury Flurry catches on quickly, and here's to really hoping that Kentucky's starting five can put away North Carolina quicker than Tubby can call Coury's number.