Louisville Men’s Basketball looks to continue its winning streak with a home game against Florida State on Saturday. The game, scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET, will be played at the KFC Yum! Center and will air on ESPN2.
After a 10-game losing streak, the Cardinals finally found success with a 68-58 win over Georgia Tech on Wednesday. This victory marked the first ACC win of the season for head coach Kenny Payne, who has been working tirelessly to turn the team’s fortunes around.
Florida State, on the other hand, is coming off of a 94-66 loss to NC State, their third consecutive defeat. The Seminoles will be eager to bounce back from this setback and secure a win against Louisville.
The Cardinals have a strong record against Florida State, with a 34-17 all-time advantage. However, despite their success at home, with 18 wins and 5 losses, the Cardinals have lost six consecutive games in the series. The last time these two teams met was on Dec. 10, where the Cardinals suffered a 75-53 loss in Tallahassee.
Louisville roster welcomed a new member in the form of freshman forward/center Emmanuel Okorafor. The 6-foot-9 native of Lagos, Nigeria, joined the team from NBA Academy Africa and was eligible to play immediately. Okorafor made his college debut on January 28th against Notre Dame, where he recorded 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block in 18 minutes of reserve play.
Redshirt freshman guard/forward Mike James has seen an improvement in his performance over the last eight games, averaging 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds, with a shooting average of 48% from the field and 49% from beyond the 3-point line. This is in contrast to his performance in the first 14 games of the season where he averaged just 6.9 points with a shooting average of 44% overall and 31% from 3-point range.
Senior guard El Ellis has been making waves over the last 13 games, averaging 18.0 points, 5.6 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. As of Thursday, he is one of 24 players in the nation to have at least 370 points and 100 assists this season. After having a positive or even assist-to-turnover ratio just three times in the first nine games, he has been positive or even in 11 of the last 13 games, with 46 assists against just 26 turnovers in his last eight games since 2023 began.
Redshirt junior forward Jae’Lyn Withers had a standout performance on Wednesday against Georgia Tech, recording 19 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. Over the last eight games, he is averaging 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds with a shooting average of 47.1% from beyond the arc.
Sophomore forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield has been out of action for the last five games due to a foot injury. Despite this, he continues to lead the team with 6.0 rebounds per game and is averaging 7.5 points per contest.
The upcoming game between Louisville and Florida State promises to be a thrilling and closely contested affair. With both teams eager to secure a win, fans can expect an intense and action-packed match. Whether you are a fan of Louisville or Florida State, be sure to tune in to ESPN2 at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday to catch all the action live from the KFC Yum! Center.
