On Tuesday night, the Kentucky Wildcats are heading to the KFC Yum Center to face the Louisville Cardinals on their home turf. This game is not only a treat for Kentuckians, but for all the college basketball fans. Both teams come in with high regard. Louisville won its first two games by a combined 95 points. Kentucky is ranked number one on KenPom, a reliable metric used to measure team performance. Both teams are led by second-year head coaches who are looking to get their first Quad 1 win of the season. But beyond all the metrics are two fan bases that are salivating to see their teams go head to head. The rivalry between Louisville and Kentucky is something that you feel more than you can describe. On game day, you’ll see your bus driver wearing a UK hoodie. You can overhear people talking about the game in the halls. Go downtown, and you’ll find crazed college kids camping out in front of the stadium. It just means more. It feels like this year’s game has a different buzz to it, as Louisville is much more competitive than last year. The matchup is tantalizing- truly a clash of cultures. Both teams want to establish the tone for the season. The early season test will reveal a lot about both teams and leave one fanbase with bragging rights for the next year.
Analysis: When two high-profile teams like Louisville and Kentucky face off, pace is often the biggest factor when determining who comes out on top. Louisville will look to get off to the races every chance they get. Kentucky plays with a similar pace, yet takes slightly more time out of the clock before finding their shot. The ball will fly around all game. This type of game is what summer conditioning is for. Towards the end of the second half, when fatigue sets in, the winning team will likely be the team that can maintain their energy. Louisville will look to fire three-ball after three-ball, a staple of Pat Kelsey’s coaching style since his Charleston days. Kentucky’s defense was its biggest issue last year and it is imperative that the team clamps up shooters on Tuesday night. Oweh is a proven defender, yet guys like Chandler and Williams will need to step up when defending perimeter players. Louisville will look to go five out and move the ball. Kentucky will look to control pace and limit turnovers.
Guard play in this game will be excellent. Mikel Brown Jr. is likely the biggest wildcard heading into this game. His talent is immense and undeniable, yet he is prone to turning the ball over and playing out of control. His defender will likely be Jaland Lowe. Lowe was hounding opposing players in his first game back against Valparaiso, and will look to do the same with Brown. Brown’s ability to keep the ball on a string and set up shooters like Conwell and McKneeley is essential for the Cards. I also anticipate a highly competitive duel between Kentucky forward Mouhamed Dioubate and Louisville forwards Rooths and Hadley. In Louisville’s first two games, Rooths had looked dominant. He has a strong ability to get to his spots on the floor and punish defenders. These forwards are all physical presences and will battle it out on the boards all night. Ultimately, I do think Louisville has more immediate star power with Brown, Conwell, and McKneely. When this game gets chippy, these guys are all reliable shot-makers who can lift the team out of a drought. Oweh will have to play like his preseason SEC player of the year prediction indicates. This game draws parallels to St. Johns vs Alabama, a great contest from this past weekend. Both games will be high paced, almost rec league style, with high levels of talent on both sides.
What Both Teams Have Been Saying:
Kentucky Guard Jaland Lowe: “By all means, they can chirp, and I think we’ll save our chirping during the game and after the game- when we win.”
Louisville Forward Kasean Pryor: When addressing reporters after Thursday’s win Pryor said “We’ll see you guys on Tuesday. After a win. F*** them.”
Kentucky Center Malachi Moreno: “We don’t pay attention to outside noise. We’re just keeping everything in-house and we’re just prepping to be ready for Tuesday.”
Louisville’s German Transfer Sanandra Fru: “We had a couple rivalries back in Germany, but I would say it’s nothing compared to here.”
Louisville Coach Pat Kelsey: “Everybody mentions that game. I get it. I understand. We’re excited. We’re excited. It’ll be a great couple of days of preparation. It’s going to be a big time college basketball atmosphere.”
Fan Predictions:
Charlie Rose, 17, Dupont Manual High School – Louisville wins 91-84
Kyle Iosiv, 17, Dupont Manual High School – Kentucky wins 74-68
Maanya Sunkara, 17, Dupont Manual High School – Louisville wins 88-75
Charlie Miller, 17, Dupont Manual High School – Louisville wins 87-82
Krish Shah, 17, Dupont Manual High School – Kentucky wins 84-75
Theo Iosiv, 17, Dupont Manual High School – Louisville wins 98-89
Amaya Johnson, 17, Kentucky Country Day Upper School – Kentucky wins 89-74
The game takes place November 11th, 8:00 at the KFC Yum Center and is available to watch on ESPN.
