Louisville-Arkansas preview: Cards open Maui Invitational against top 10 Hogs

Louisville Cardinals (0-3) vs. No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks (3-0)

Maui Invitational Quarterfinals

Sport Time: 5 p.m.

Location: Lahaina Civic Heart: Lahaina, Maui, HI

Tv: ESPN2

Announcers: Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and Jay Bilas (analyst)

Favourite: Arkansas by 16

Sequence: Louisville leads, 4-3

Final Assembly: Louisville gained, 96-66, on Nov. 17, 2009 on the Corridor of Fame Showcase in St. Louis

Sequence Historical past:

Projected Beginning Lineups:

Statistics:

Related Movies:

Arkansas’ Season to Date:

About Arkansas:

Fourth-year head coach Eric Musselman has reinvigorated an Arkansas program that had been extra down than up since its heyday within the early-mid ‘90s. The Razorbacks have performed in back-to-back regional finals, their first appearances within the Elite Eight since going to back-to-back nationwide title video games in 1994 and 1995.

Now, the Hogs seem poised to take the subsequent step.

The dangerous information for Musselman this season is that he has 11 new gamers. The excellent news is that these gamers are comprised of the nation’s second-ranked recruiting class and one of many prime switch hauls within the nation.

Pound-for-pound, you’ll be able to most likely rely the variety of groups in faculty basketball with extra expertise than Arkansas on one hand. The present 2023 NBA mock draft from NBADraft.internet has a whopping 4 Razorbacks being chosen within the first spherical, and two within the prime 10.

The following stage dialog in Fayetteville begins with All-American candidate Nick Smith. The freshman star, who has been billed as “the very best NBA prospect in faculty basketball this season,” has but to see the ground in three video games this season as he nurses a proper knee harm. He’s nonetheless listed as “day-to-day” by the college and there’s no phrase on whether or not or not he’ll see the courtroom this week in Maui.

Arkansas’ greatest participant up to now this season has been Wichita State switch Ricky Council IV. The Wichita State switch enters Feast Week averaging team-bests in each factors (18.7 ppg) and assists (3.7 apg). Musselman loves to make use of the uber athletic 6’6 guard in iso conditions, the place he’s an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses.

Sophomore ahead Trevon Brazile, a Missouri switch, is at present averaging a double-double at 14 factors and 10 rebounds a recreation. Although he’s just a few inches taller, Musselman likes utilizing Brazile on the 5 the identical he used 6’7 Justin Smith throughout final season’s Elite Eight run. He’d be an issue wherever Muss put him as a result of he’s able to doing this:

Davote “Devo” Davis, the uncommon three-year veteran on this program, is the workforce’s different double determine scorer at 12.7 ppg. The 6’4 junior guard went from starter to sixth man final season, and the Razorbacks’ season totally hit its stride when he did. Davis is the kind of man that each nationwide title contender has to have: The one who’s prepared to do the soiled work whereas his extra hyped and maybe naturally gifted teammates get the eye from the professional scouts. Davis is a canine, and if Louisville doesn’t match his power, he’s totally able to consuming the Cardinals alive.

After taking part in two of its first three contest in opposition to opponents seeking to play a halfcourt recreation, the Playing cards will obtain a jolt in tempo on Monday. Musselman’s groups all the time play at one of many quickest tempos within the nation, and this Arkansas workforce shall be no totally different. The Hogs head to Maui taking part in on the Fifty fifth-fastest tempo in Division-I.

Whereas slowing Arkansas’ group of freak athletes down in transition shall be a job sufficient for U of L, discovering methods to attain on the tip of the ground is perhaps the hardest project the workforce faces.

The Razorbacks enter this week ranked third within the nation in adjusted defensive effectivity. Opponents are taking pictures simply 22.2 % from three in opposition to them (Twelfth-best within the nation), and solely 40.8 % contained in the arc (Twenty ninth-best within the nation). Arkansas can be turning their opponents over on 28.4 % of possessions — the Eighth-best mark in D-I — and recording steals on 16.9 % of possessions. For a Louisville workforce that enters the night with 50 turnovers in opposition to simply 27 assists, that is clearly a priority.

On the lookout for causes for optimism? There are just a few.

For starters, Arkansas doesn’t shoot the ball notably nicely from the skin, connecting on simply 27.1 % of their three-point makes an attempt. Additionally, that is nonetheless a workforce loaded with youth and inexperience taking part in with each other. It hasn’t appeared to negatively impression them simply but, however additionally they haven’t precisely performed a assassin’s row of opponents in South Dakota State, North Dakota State and Fordham.

The up-tempo type ought to play to Louisville’s strengths higher than the tempo in opposition to App State or Bellarmine did, and if the Playing cards can achieve some early confidence and possibly shake the arrogance of their youthful opponents, then who is aware of? It’s definitely simpler stated than completed.

Notable:

—Louisville has participated within the Maui Invitational 3 times earlier than in 1989, 2000 and 2004. The Cardinals are 5-4 all-time within the occasion and 21-11 total within the state of Hawaii. They’ve by no means gained the Maui Invitational.

—That is the fourth time Arkansas has performed within the Maui Invitational. The Razorbacks went 2-1 in 1991, falling to Michigan State within the championship. In 2005, Arkansas went 1-2 with a second-day win over Kansas. The final time Arkansas got here to Maui was 2013 and the Hogs went 1-2 with a second-day win over Minnesota.

—This would be the eighth assembly between Arkansas and Louisville. Louisville owns a 4-3 benefit within the collection with 5 of the conferences approaching impartial courts — the primary 4 in the course of the NCAA Match. The groups performed a home-and-home collection in back-to-back years (1996-97 and 1997-98) with the visiting workforce successful every time.

—Louisville has gained 45 of its final 101 video games in opposition to AP ranked opponents. The Cardinals are 62-69 in opposition to High 25 groups during the last 12 years, in addition to 23-33 in opposition to High 10 groups over that span.

—Louisville is 0-3 to start out a season for the primary time since 1986-87.

—Arkansas has scored over 70 factors in every of the primary three video games whereas holding its opponents to fewer than 60 factors every time. In Arkansas’ historical past, the Razorbacks have scored a minimum of 70 factors and held opponents to fewer than 60 factors within the first three video games of the season simply two instances in 100 years.

—Louisville is the primary workforce since a minimum of 1980 to lose its first three video games of a season all by one-point. The Cardinals are additionally the primary workforce since Stetson in 1981-82 to lose 4 consecutive video games by a single level.

—By way of three video games, the Cardinals have been outscored by a mixed 113-92 within the first half, however have outscored their opponents 106-88 within the second half.

—Louisville guard El Ellis’ 72 factors are probably the most by a Louisville participant within the first three video games of a season since Wes Unseld had 101 factors in opposition to Georgetown Faculty (45), Kansas (20), and Northwestern (36) to open the 1967-68 season. Ellis is the primary Cardinal to attain a minimum of 29 factors in back-to-back video games since Reece Gaines (present workforce video coordinator) did it in opposition to TCU and Marquette on March 6-7, 2002.

—Arkansas’ 76 wins since Eric Musselman’s arrival in 2019 are probably the most of any SEC workforce over that span.

—Louisville is in search of its thirty second common season match championship in program historical past. The Cardinals gained the Bahamas Invitational final season.

—Louisville has a 244-67 file in opposition to non-conference opponents during the last 21 seasons (consists of post-season).

—Arkansas has six gamers with wing spans over seven toes. The Razorbacks’ workforce wing span common is 6-9.

—Louisville is 217-13 during the last 20 seasons and 14-1 during the last three when scoring 80 factors or extra.

—Louisville’s loss to Wright State final week was its first in 4 seasons when taking pictures higher than 50 % from the sector. U of L is 166-8 over the previous 20 seasons when taking pictures 50 % or higher from the sector.

—Louisville is 14-0 over the previous 10 seasons when limiting opponents to no multiple three-point area objective.

—Since 2004, Louisville is 131-0 when main by greater than 10 factors at halftime.

—Louisville has gained 162 consecutive video games when holding an opponent below 50 factors.

—Louisville has gained 156 consecutive video games when scoring a minimum of 85 factors in regulation.

Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Arkansas 75, Louisville 62