LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — After Louisville’s solely lack of the season — a setback at Arkansas by which his crew was outplayed bodily — Cardinals’ coach Pat Kelsey gave development exhausting hats to his gamers, with Cardinal logos on the facet.
The message: This will probably be a blue-collar crew that demonstrates toughness in opposition to groups that need to bully them defensively and on the boards.
The Cardinals have bounced again with spectacular wins over Indiana and Memphis, however their go to to No. 20 Tennessee on Tuesday evening is a unique problem totally.
“It is one of the bodily rugged groups in school basketball, if not probably the most rugged and bodily crew in school basketball,” Kelsey mentioned. “So we have got to be prepared for a battle. Corridor of Fame coach, high rebounding crew within the nation, big-time setting. It is an awesome alternative for our crew to enter that lion’s den.”
Louisville | Kentucky | Indiana | Eric Crawford
Louisville as a program, has received 30 of its previous 34 video games. The Cardinals are seventh nationally in scoring (94.3 factors per sport), third in made threes per sport (13.2), 11th in assists per sport (19.7) and fifth in scoring margin (26.2).
However Kelsey and his gamers know that offense alone will not get it completed in Knoxville. The battle begins on the glass. Tennessee ranks third nationally in rebound margin (+12.9) and third in offensive rebounds per sport (15.6). Louisville’s rebounding has been stable (+8.0 margin), however this can be a stage up.
Junior guard Ryan Conwell — who leads Louisville with 19.4 factors per sport and has emerged as a top-tier nationwide backcourt presence — defined on a current Area of 68 podcast the crew’s mindset shift after the Arkansas loss:
“It was a actuality verify,” he mentioned. “We have the expertise, however it’s about matching the physicality and toughness each evening … particularly on the street. We have been preaching that because the Arkansas sport. And that is why we’ve these exhausting hats.”
Conwell says the purpose tonight is straightforward: “Be us. And set the tone.”
The Playing cards will want that identification — quick, deep, related — to carry in opposition to a Tennessee crew making an attempt to claw out of a three-game shedding streak.
All three of these losses got here away from Knoxville, in opposition to good groups: To Syracuse, Illinois, and Kansas. However Rick Barnes’ squad has been elite at dwelling, successful 41 straight non-conference dwelling video games. Beneath Barnes, Tennessee is 23-8 in opposition to ranked groups at dwelling, together with 9-1 in opposition to Prime 10 guests and 6-0 in opposition to these within the Prime 5.
They’ve made seven straight NCAA Tournaments, three Candy 16s, and two Elite Eights within the final three seasons. Their system: rebounding, protection, and a toughness that Barnes says hasn’t been constant this yr.
“We have labored exhausting bodily,” Barnes mentioned. “But it surely’s psychological. It is about understanding the significance of each possession. We would like consistency — and we’ve not had it.”
Tonight, Barnes turns to freshman ahead DeWayne Brown II within the beginning lineup, in search of extra grit and self-discipline within the submit with veteran Cade Phillips sidelined.
Maybe probably the most attention-grabbing matchup is of backcourts.
Louisville’s Conwell has been scorching from deep (42.0% 3PT), contributes throughout the board, and units the Playing cards’ tempo. Tennessee’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie, a senior switch, leads the Vols with 17.3 ppg and 5.4 assists. He is powerful, skilled, and explosive — however turnover-prone underneath strain.
Whichever crew wins that matchup doubtless controls the sport. And whichever crew controls its defensive backboard. Louisville allowed Memphis to rebound 38 p.c of its misses in a win Saturday, a quantity Kelsey known as “a bit of bit too excessive.”
A yr in the past, Tennessee got here into Louisville and bodily dominated the Cardinals in a sport that was a wake-up to its employees and crew. Now, it is time for this system, and a brand new set of Cardinals, to measure themselves in opposition to that problem.
Find out how to Watch
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Meals Metropolis Heart (Thompson-Boling Enviornment), Knoxville, Tenn.
- TV: ESPN (Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes)
- Radio: Cardinal Sports activities Community (93.9 FM, 970 AM), Paul Rogers & Bob Valvano
- Streaming: WatchESPN / ESPN App
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