SerpApi.Org
La Familia needed Archie Goodwin back for talent reasons, obviously — he did lead the 2025 TBT in scoring, after all — but it was for depth, more than anything. The former Wildcats ran out of gas at Freedom Hall in a 20-point loss to The Ville on Monday, limited to essentially six players with Willie Cauley-Stein and DeAndre Liggins combining for just 19 minutes, both banged up. Without any reinforcements, the Kentucky alums likely get knocked out of the tournament on Wednesday.
Then Goodwin showed up to save the day, finishing with a team-high 22 points and knocking down the game-winner in 39 minutes played.
“Fresh legs is the biggest thing. We needed fresh legs,” head coach Jon Hood said after the victory.
La Familia survived and advanced, but what’s next health-wise? Cauley-Stein was seen in a boot after the game while Andrew Harrison was limping all over the floor and Liggins didn’t play a single minute — the list goes on and on.
The good news is that they’ve got three full days to rest up while their competition, the winner of Boeheim’s Army vs. Hall In — still only playing game two on Thursday, mind you — prepares to head to Lexington. That means the Kentucky alums will have a fatigue advantage no matter what, especially if that series goes to three games.
The plan is to have everyone on the roster available to play Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
“What is — I mean, none of the UK people are in here. What do they say every time? Is it, ‘they’re questionable with a contusion’? Everybody’s all right,” Hood said. “We get three days, we’ll be fine. DeAndre’s 38 (years old), a little banged up. … He knew we were gonna use him in an emergency situation. … It is what it is, we survive and advance with who we have.”
Up 1-0, Boeheim’s Army hosts Hall In on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. If Hall In extends it to three, they will play the finale on Friday at 7 p.m. ET, the winner potentially taking on La Familia on just one day of rest.
Hood says they’ll watch that game — or games, if necessary — and come up with a scout to help send the former Wildcats (and friends) to the semifinals, now in win-or-go-home territory. It’ll be a short celebration tonight before the focus turns toward what’s ahead with a heavy emphasis on recovery.
“Well, it’s rest first, but we’ll enjoy this one till about midnight, and then we move on to the next one,” Hood said. “We’ll start prepping. … We’ll be watching that one (Boeheim’s Army vs. Hall In), probably as a staff, probably together, maybe not. I mean, we’ll talk about it, but we’ll have a scout and we’ll be ready.
“We’ll rest, probably rest tomorrow, then come back in, and since we’re playing here, get shots. We’re gonna get a bunch of shots up in this gym so that we’re comfortable and we’re ready. We’ll be ready to go.”
It’s probably the best-case scenario for La Familia health-wise, but they’re going to need every minute they’ve got until Sunday afternoon.
