The Cardinals are going to be a tough matchup for us. I'd feel a lot better if Wendell Moore was playing, because their best player is the type of guy we don't have many counters for. They can punish you inside or outside, especially outside. The one area that they struggle in though, is one of our strengths (turnovers). So hopefully we can punish that.
Centers: The Cardinals have a pair of monsters up front. Stephen Enoch (6'10", 255lb) is a REALLY good player. He has a nice touch from the perimeter, but also is a very effective back-to-the-basket scorer. He's going to be a real headache for Carey. Enoch is very stout, and very good, on both ends of the floor. He is a grown-a__ man on the court. Rebounds well on both ends, blocks shots, hits jumpers, has a really nice post game. He's not as fluid with the ball as Aamir Simms was last night, but otherwise he's comparably dangerous both inside and out. Behind him is Malik Williams (6'11", 245lb). Williams is longer and leaner than Enoch, but still very dangerous. He's much more willing to take a 3 than Enoch, and despite his low % this year is quite capable from out there. Williams is springier than Enoch, with loads of potential, but has never quite put it together. The two rarely play together, but they average about 18 and 13 in less than 40 minutes combined.
Forwards The other spot where the Cardinals will give us trouble is at forward. Especially without Wendell Moore, we're really not well matched up against the Cards at forward. The two starters are both studs. Jordan Nwora (6'7", 225lb) is an All-American and PoY candidate. He isn't overly athletic, but he's incredibly skilled with the ball. He's an ELITE shooter and can score at all 3 levels. Against bigs, he can shoot 3s and drive. Against smalls, he can score in the post. He's physically strong and just athletic enough to to make his skill and savvy work. It will be really interesting to see how we handle him. Hopefully Hurt and White can do the job. The problem is that Nwora isn't the only weapon. Dwayne Sutton (6'5", 220lb) is an absolute dynamo. He is like a better version of Tevin Mack, who gave us fits last night. Sutton is a pretty terrific rebounder, and not a bad shotblocker. He's extremely strong, physical, and athletic. But with that size and athleticism comes a fair amount of skill. He's a little like Justise Winslow - capable of guarding 1 to 5 without embarrassment, better 3pt shooter than you'd expect, and just a monster all around player. Don't let his low scoring average fool you: the Cardinals' pace of play is partly to blame, along with Nwora and their centers, otherwise this guy would be a double-double machine. We might be okay against one of these guys, but handling both is going to be a problem without Moore. Sam Williamson (6'7", 200lb) is the other forward of note. But I use that term loosely. He's mostly minutes filler for the other two.
Wings: Ryan McMahon (6'0", 185lb) is the primary wing. Technically, he's their sixth man, but he plays starter minutes coming off the bench. He's a marksman: 43% on 3s, 91% on FTs. He doesn't get fouled in regular play much, mainly because almost 80% of his FG attempts are 3s. You have to account for him at all times, but he's largely there as floor spacing for the others and does nearly all his scoring via assists. Behind McMahon is David Johnson (6'5", 210lb). Johnson is a talented combo guard. He's capable of creating his own shot or for others, and can shoot from 3. He'll slot nicely into the starting lineup next year when McMahon departs, and appears to have a bright future.
Guards: This is the weakness of the Cardinals. They really don't have a true PG. Darius Perry (6'2", 195lb) and Lamarr Kimble (6'0", 185lb) share the role as starters, though they tend to split up after the opening tip. Kimble is the more PG-ish of the two, but still not a great PG. Kimble is not overly athletic, but he's smart and tough. Not unlike Alvarado from Ga Tech, although he's a bit more stout and less athletic. Kimble is very much a role player for the Cards, more scrappy than good. Perry is sort of the opposite. He's more athletic than Kimble, and similarly tough, but not as savvy. In terms of production, they both give about the same. The two combine for about 10 points and 7.5 assists in 43 minutes, which is capable but not great PG play.
If we can turn them over, we stand a good chance of winning. If they can consistently get the ball into their halfcourt set, we may be in trouble. It's gonna be an interesting test for the team. Unfortunate that we won't be at full strength for this one.