The inclination from going against the preseason top-ranked team in the nation and Kansas any time they come to play is to compete and to win. Many Kentucky basketball fans will feel the same as No. 1 Purdue invades Rupp Arena on Friday and the No. 19 Jayhawks make Louisville fans anxious as they enter KFC Yum! Center.
These games are exhibitions for a reason.
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If you’re concerned about coming out with a win, then you’re doing it wrong. There’s so much more that No. 9 UK and No. 10 U of L can ascertain from playing in these high-level scrimmages than a final score greater than their opponents.
Anything written about how to watch these exhibition games should include far more than where it can be streamed. For two teams with national title aspirations, there are similar areas that fans should observe Friday.
The Cards and Cats have one starter returning each, but essentially they are fielding brand-new rosters and are set to start a completely different starting five.
One key observation begins in the frontcourt, where Louisville (Kasean Pryor) and Kentucky (Jayden Quaintance) are both missing impact players who are expected to sit out while still recovering from torn anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
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There’s no exact timetable for their returns, but don’t expect it to be Friday night.
Pryor’s absence paves the way for someone to make their presence felt among returnees Khani Rooths and Aly Khalifa, who sat out as a redshirt last season; and newcomer Sananda Fru.
Louisville coach Pat Kelsey assembled a lot of depth and will use his bench generously. But what kind of rotation will he decide upon? We should know after playing Kansas on what it looks like when he opts to go with a big lineup or play it small.
Now, let’s move to the backcourt.
There will be a game within the game between Louisville freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. and Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson. Both players are projected NBA lottery picks, and both are lead guards who go about it in different ways.
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They faced off once in high school with Peterson scoring 39 points for Prolific Prep in its win over DME Academy despite Brown’s 29 points and eight assists.
While it probably won’t play out that Brown and Peterson have to defend each other throughout the exhibition, scouts will size up who does what for their respective teams.
At UK, the focus should start with how the Cats look without Jaland Lowe. The Pitt transfer injured his shoulder in the Blue-White scrimmage last week, and it looks like he’ll be held out of the game as a precaution.
The Boilermakers boast one of the best point guards in the nation in senior Braden Smith, who is sure to be on preseason All-American lists and should start the season in Player of the Year conversations.
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If Lowe can’t play, the question of who is best suited to be the backup point guard will jump to the forefront, and there should be an inclination of an answer.
Collin Chandler filled in at point late last season when Lamont Butler was injured, and it was pretty clear that Travis Perry wasn’t ready for the role. Perry transferred to Ole Miss, leaving Chandler and Otega Oweh as the only two who played some last season.
Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen could be an option as could freshman Jasper Johnson.
Get the point now? This exhibition will be to discover the possibilities and the potential of what is to come this season. It’s about how the teams look on the eve of the regular season starting.
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It’s not about spilling onto the streets of downtown Louisville and Lexington on Friday night fueled by the euphoria of winning.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com, follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky, Louisville basketball will learn much from Purdue, Kansas
