The Louisville Cardinals will face off against their rival, the Kentucky Wildcats, in a highly anticipated matchup. Louisville head coach Kenny Payne has a strong history with the Wildcats, having spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach and later associate head coach at Kentucky from 2010-20 under coach John Calipari. During Payne’s time with the program, the Wildcats achieved a combined 295-73 record, reaching six NCAA Elite Eights and four Final Fours, and winning the 2012 national championship. Payne also helped coach 36 NBA Draft picks at Kentucky, including 23 lottery picks and two No. 1 selections (Anthony Davis and Karl Anthony-Towns). In addition, Payne’s son, Louisville graduate senior guard/forward Zan Payne, previously spent four seasons at Kentucky.
This game will be the fifth time this season that Louisville has faced a team ranked in the AP Top 25. Over the past 13 years, the Cardinals have a record of 62-72 against Top 25 teams. Despite this, Louisville has been performing well recently, with senior guard El Ellis averaging 20.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.0 rebounds over the last four games, and senior forward Sydney Curry averaging 12.8 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 67% overall.
One of the Cardinals’ strengths as a team is their ability to get to the free-throw line, as they rank 89th in the country in free throws made per game and 76th in free-throw percentage. In the last four games, they have shot at least 20 free throws each game and made more free throws than their opponents have even attempted.
This game will be the 11th in a 16-game stretch for Louisville, during which they will face 12 teams in the top 90 of the KenPom rankings and 14 teams in the top 150. The overall record of Louisville’s opponents during this stretch is currently 136-66.
In the last meeting between these two teams, Louisville came out on top with a 62-59 victory. Carlik Jones made two free throws with 5.1 seconds remaining for a final score of 20 points, and David Johnson added 17 points. Kentucky had previously won 11 of 13 games in the series, but Louisville was able to end their three-game losing streak and give Kentucky their sixth consecutive loss. Brandon Boston Jr. had 11 points and Jacob Toppin had 10 points and six rebounds for Kentucky, while Jones and Johnson combined for nine points during a second-half stretch that twice built seven-point leads before Kentucky bounced back.
The matchup is sure to be a memorable one, with a rich history and strong personal connections between the two teams. Both teams have a lot to prove and will no doubt give it their all on the court. Whether you’re a fan of the Cardinals or the Wildcats, or simply a fan of college basketball, this game is sure to be one you won’t want to miss.
