Louisville basketball vs Tennessee preview, recruiting news, more in our latest mailbag

This week’s Louisville basketball mailbag needs very little introduction.

On Saturday, the Cardinals (1-0) host No. 12 Tennessee (1-0) — a prime opportunity to deliver first-year head coach Pat Kelsey a signature win during Week 1 of the 2024-25 season, against a team coming off a trip to the Elite Eight this past spring.

“It’s going to be a great test for us,” Kelsey said Wednesday, during his radio show on WLCL 93.9-FM. “We’re really excited about the opportunity.”

Kelsey is 1-13 against ranked opponents across his 12-year career; the lone victory occurred Nov. 11, 2019, with Winthrop against No. 18 Saint Mary’s on the road. If he can orchestrate an upset in front of what’s sure to be a boisterous crowd at the KFC Yum! Center, U of L would make a strong case for cracking the AP Top 25 for the first time since Jan. 25, 2021.

Oh, and the early signing period is right around the corner. A busy time, indeed.

Now, let’s get to your questions:

Is Tennessee about to mob Louisville in the paint? — Chucky Ball Game

Louisville’s Kasean Pryor (7) tries to control a loose ball against Morehead State’s Kade Ruegsegger (3) during their game at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. on Nov. 4, 2024

Not so fast, my friend. A few things to consider:

Tennessee barely outscored Gardner-Webb in the paint, 38-34, during its 80-64 win Monday night. The Runnin’ Bulldogs outrebounded the Volunteers, 32-29, and, with a 10-8 advantage on the offensive glass, had a slim lead in second-chance points, 12-7.

After the game, coach Rick Barnes said starting forward Felix Okpara, a 6-foot-11, 235-pound junior who transferred in from Ohio State, is playing through a “pretty serious” hip pointer injury. Okpara tallied two points at the free-throw line, grabbed nine rebounds, picked up four fouls, turned the ball over three times and blocked one shot in 25 minutes of run against Gardner-Webb.

“He absolutely refuses to come out of practice and play,” Barnes said. “He’s going to play.

“I thought he was slow…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/louisville-basketball-vs-tennessee-preview-101726262.html

Author : The Courier Journal

Publish date : 2024-11-08 10:17:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.