Well, it's no surprise that Eniel Polynice won the Rebel of the Week poll for his game-saving performance against McNeese State. Polynice was pivotal in the turn around, dishing out nine assists. Yeah, in case you're checking, Chris Warren has not approached that number this season.
Polynice is the most experienced player on the roster, and for the team to really succeed, he needs to play well. He's a great player to watch, since he fills up the stat sheet. He gets steals, blocks, assists, rebounds, and points. I know he looks like he doesn't know what he's doing with the ball, but he usually does. His performances in the last two games have made a believer out of my father, who always rained hate on Eniel Polynice up until this point (nearly as much as he hated on David Huertas).
I know that Chris Warren and Terrico White get the accolades, but the keys to making this team a contender rest in the hands of players like Polynice, Murphy Holloway, Zach Graham, and even Reggie Buckner (who needs to get back to protecting the lane). Without them, we're Kentucky a year ago. Patterson and Meeks both made 1st Team All-SEC, but Kentucky missed the dance. We can't let that be the case this season, since you have to assume that this is our last year with Terrico.
In tonight's game, we need to come out crisp and focused from the beginning, and, as funny as this is, the way to do that is to let Polynice be the leader on the court. I for one think he can do it.