Alex Poythress went down on Thursday during practice. He ended up tearing a knee ligament and will be out for the rest of the season. Poythress started all games that he played in this season for the Wildcats. He averaged 5.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and led the team in costless throw percentage at 86%. Here are possible line ups and situations that will now come into effect for Kentucky.
Trey Lyles moved into the starting line up on Saturday against North Carolina and had a solid game with 9 points and 3 rebounds. But the biggest thing that Kentucky will miss is his defensive pressure. Lyles is a more polished scorer than Poythress but he does not have that "wow" athleticism that Alex has. Poythress will not hesitate to beat you off the dribble and just slam it straight in your face. Lyles will shoot more jumpers and post up to the basket. The offense might be better but the defense could take somewhat of a hit.
Calipari still stuck with the platoon system but only subbed in 4 guys and left 1 player out there. Devin Booker could possibly be a better fit in the starting line up going forward because of his outside shooting. Kentucky could also start Tyler Ulis at the point and move Andrew and Aaron Harrison down to the shooting guard and small forward positions. Either way Kentucky will still be the deepest team in the country.
This was a horrible loss for the Kentucky Wildcats but they still are the deepest team in the country and will find a way to win their games. They could still go undefeated for as far as we know. The win against UNC proved that they are still the best team in the nation without Poythress. Now the next two games are brutal as they play a neutral site game against UCLA then travel to #4 Louisville in a rivalry game that will tell a lot about both teams. The time is now for other guys to step up. It will be interesting how the Wildcats rally around a veteran.