Louisville's Jordan Nwora responds against EKU
Jordan Nwora didn’t allow a poor performance to linger.
The All-American forward had his worst performance of the season in Louisville men’s basketball’s loss to Texas Tech Tuesday, shooting 4 of 16 from the field and finishing with four turnovers. Nwora and the Cardinals bounced back against Eastern Kentucky (EKU) at the KFC Yum! Center Dec. 14, defeating the in-state opponent 99-67 with a strong offensive execution.
Nwora scored a team-high 26 points against EKU, going 10 of 14 from the field and making three shots from behind the arc. The 6-foot-8 junior said he got back into the gym and wanted to be efficient after Louisville’s first loss of the season.
“Games like that happen, you just have to move onto the next one,” Nwora said. “I obviously wanted to play a lot better. Tuesday was a really bad game for myself, but I wasn’t really thinking about playing great. I was just thinking about winning the game. If we win, that’s the most important thing for me.”
Louisville coach Chris Mack didn’t have to talk with Nwora to get a message across after he struggled against Texas Tech. Mack said he forced his offense and took quick shots.
“He has to understand he is circled in every scouting report and we’re also going to run stuff for him,” Mack said. “When he takes those shots, we’re not a good team. He understands that.”
Mack liked how Nwora responded against EKU.
“He’s a smart kid who has come a long, long way from a year ago,” Mack said. “He gets 26 points, but he doesn’t shoot 24 times to get it. It says a lot about his maturity, his coachability, and his talent.”
