No. 12 Louisville can equal its finest begin in 5 years throughout a house sport in opposition to Ohio on Saturday afternoon.
The Cardinals (3-0) enter the competition on an emotional excessive, having crushed No. 9 Kentucky 96-88 at house on Tuesday. Whereas a letdown is feasible, the gamers already have been speaking about what was subsequent after defeating the Wildcats.
“We’re all pleased we acquired the job completed, however we additionally must hold it shifting,” Ryan Conwell mentioned Tuesday night time. “The season shouldn’t be over. We’ve extra video games to play, so now we have to proceed to organize every single day.”
Conwell scored 24 factors in opposition to Kentucky, whereas freshman Mikel Brown Jr. had 29 and dished out 5 assists. The 2 guards, who have been preseason All-ACC first-team alternatives, are amongst six Cardinals averaging double-digit scoring. Brown leads the group with a 19.3 common, with Conwell proper behind at 18.3.
Brown is considered one of solely six gamers who’re averaging 19 or extra factors and 6 or extra assists per sport this season. It is fairly the turnaround for a participant who shot 2-for-15 and dished solely two assists in an exhibition sport in opposition to Kansas on Oct. 24.
Coach Pat Kelsey mentioned Brown put lots of stress on himself within the Kansas sport, which whereas not an official sport was his first in a Louisville uniform.
“He all the time works arduous,” Kelsey mentioned on Tuesday. “He is mature past his years, however he is been a monster ever since that sport.”
The Cardinals have scored 96 or extra factors in three straight for the primary time within the shot clock period. The final time Louisville had such a streak occurred in December 1971, when the group achieved it over 4 video games in a row.
Not solely is Louisville placing the ball within the basket, however the Cardinals are also taking good care of their possessions. They dedicated simply six turnovers within the win over Kentucky, making it the fourth time underneath their second-year coach that the Cardinals scored 90 or extra factors whereas committing seven or fewer turnovers.
The Bobcats (1-2) are coming off a 90-60 loss to Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., on Tuesday. Touring cross-country might have taken a toll on coach Jeff Boals’ group as Ohio shot simply 37.5% from the sector (24-for-64) and 25% from the 3-point arc (6-for-24).
Jackson Paveletzke led the Bobcats with 19 factors on 7-of-13 taking pictures. The senior guard, a preseason All-MAC first-team choice by the convention’s coaches, is scoring a team-best 18 factors per sport.
Aidan Hadaway (15.3 ppg) and Javan Simmons (14 ppg) are additionally key contributors for a group that was picked to complete fourth within the MAC this season.
“To have a core group again is absolutely large at our degree, and also you see the higher groups in our league retain a core group,” Boals mentioned.
The Saturday sport will likely be a homecoming of kinds for Ohio sophomore Ayden Evans, who performed his highschool ball in Elizabethtown, Ky., about 45 minutes south of Louisville. The 6-foot-10 sophomore made his season debut within the Tuesday loss, scoring eight factors in 12 minutes.
–Discipline Degree Media
