By Harry Barsan and Derek DeBurger
The No. 18 Louisville Cardinals take on the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington in what should be a thriller of a game.
Tall task of a new era
Louisville will look to extend their winning streak over Kentucky to eight games, but new head coach Kenny Brooks has brought a new swagger to Lexington.
Brooks didn’t come to Kentucky alone, as many of the top players from Virginia Tech with remaining eligibility followed him.
Georgia Amoore is one of the best players on the country. She’s a threat to score as soon as she crosses half court, and her facilitating is on an elite level as she’s averaging 8.3 assists per game.
Clara Strack rode the bench at Virginia Tech last year, but is now in a starring role with the Wildcats. Strack leads Kentucky with 17.7 points per game and 11.3 rebounds. Clara Silva is a dynamic freshman who flipped her commitment to follow Brooks. She chips in 12 points a game and records a staggering 4.7 blocks.
Of the two Claras. Strack is the short one at 6’5″, while Silva stands at 6’7″. Louisville historically has had a hard time with extreme height, and Brooks had Jeff Walz’s number over the past few years.
Olivia Cochran and Nyla Harris will have to step up in a major way, something they have yet to do consistently this season.
The worst part of the Kentucky offense is their three-point shooting, which sits at an abysmal 28%. Louisville has length on the wings and Ja’Leah Williams will have the responsibility of guarding Amoore. Louisville could keep up the Wildcats’ shooting woes, and will likely need to in order to pull out a win.
Stay outside the painted area
Kentucky is just as imposing on defense, as they hold opponents to 42 points per game and get 12.7 blocks per game, which is eight and first in the country, respectively. Kentucky’s 12.7 blocks is 3.4 more blocks than the next closest team.
Despite being so imposing in the paint, Kentucky doesn’t clog the passing lanes too well. They grab 7.7 steals a game, which is in the bottom half of college basketball. Louisville has had an issue with turnovers dating back to last season, so if Kentucky is unable to put enough pressure on the ball handlers Louisville might have enough time hunt for great shots. The more great shots Louisville can get, the more they neutralize Kentucky’s height.
This game will likely come down to two main things: who will hit their shots and who will control possession. This game could really go either way, all depending on which sides of these teams show up on Saturday.
The in-state rivals will face off tomorrow night at Rupp Arena at 6 pm in what should definitely be a good one.
Photo Courtesy // Rachel Klotz, Louisville Athletics
