The Kentucky Wildcats, led by head coach John Calipari, are about to face another tough opponent this Saturday in the CBS Sports Classic. They will be going up against the No. 9 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, a team that is considered one of college basketball’s blue bloods. The game is set to take place in Atlanta and will be televised on CBS at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET.
Kentucky’s associate to the head coach, Bruiser Flint, believes that the coaching staff won’t need to go the extra mile to motivate the players for this game. Playing against North Carolina, along with participating in events like the CBS Sports Classic, is enough to get the team fired up.
Flint said, “You always get excited not only when you play North Carolina but in these events. It’s always good to play against these opponents. If coaches have to motivate you to play in these type games, you’re going to be in trouble. I think the guys are excited about playing.”
Looking back at their game against Kansas earlier this year, it was clear that Kentucky struggled to defend against their big man, Hunter Dickinson. The Tar Heels have a similar talent in Armando Bacot, so Flint hopes that with the return of 7-1 Aaron Bradshaw two weeks ago and the potential return of 7-0 Ugonna Onyenso, the Wildcats will be better equipped to handle a talented big man this time around.
Flint said, “Hopefully, we can handle him (better) because we have two guys who can match up with him. We didn’t have that against Dickinson.”
Onyenso, who played for Kentucky last season, is slightly ahead of schedule in his recovery and return. Flint believes that his experience with the team last year has given him a good understanding of what is expected of him.
“He’s been pretty good in practice,” Flint stated. “Ugo played last year, so he has a pretty good idea about what we ask of him. He’s done well in practice. He’s got some experience.”
Incorporating the big men into the lineup will definitely be an adjustment for the Wildcats. Flint acknowledged that having players of their size and skill level is something new for the team.
“All of a sudden, we’ve got these big guys we haven’t had before,” Flint said. “It’s going to be a little different.”
Kentucky is hopeful that this difference can work in their favor when they take on North Carolina this Saturday.
