Points of Emphasis: Louisville vs. Wisconsin
(Photo of Louisville Players: Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After having three games cancelled or postponed because of a pause in team activities, the Louisville men's basketball program will finally make their return to the court. Hitting the road for the first time this season, Louisville now travels north up to Madison to face Wisconsin. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 19th at 12:00pm EST, and can be viewed on ESPN2.
Here are a couple of the more significant storylines to follow ahead of Cardinals' matchup with the Badgers:
Spread the Wealth
It's a small sample size, but it's safe to say that this year's Louisville men's basketball team is surpassing most people's expectations early in the season. Through four games, the Cardinals are boasting five double-digit scorers led by Carlik Jones' 17.3 points per game. While this could change going forward as more players come back from injury, it still doesn't change the fact that Louisville has several legitimate scoring options.
However, Wisconsin is not far behind them as the Badgers currently have four double-digits scorers though six games. Forward Micah Potter leads the charge with 12.8 points per game, but D'Mitrik Trice, Nate Reuvers and Brad Davison are not far behind him. Aleem Ford is the only starter who does not average double figures.
Another Frontcourt Test
One aspect of Louisville's early success has been the play of the front court in the absence of defensive anchor and co-captain forward/center Malik Williams. Jae'Lyn Withers, Quinn Slazinski and JJ Traynor were thrust into bigger than anticipated roles when it was announced Williams would be out for 12 weeks, and so far they have produced.
Louisville has had a couple early tests down in the paint when they hosted Seton Hall and Western Kentucky, and they will have another one when they take on the Badgers.
According to KenPom.com, Wisconsin has the No. 7 defense in the nation, and their post presence has a lot to do with it. The Badgers have blocked 36 shots so far this season, which is the sixth-most in the nation. Forward Nate Reuvers is the main threat in this department, as he has collected 13 of his team's total.
They also are giving up two-point baskets at just a 39.2% clip, which is the 17th best mark in D1. Their style of play also does not allow a ton of free-flowing ball movement, as opposing teams are assisting on just 40.5% of their field goals against them, good for 28th best defensively. For more contest, the national assist/field goals made average is 52.3%.
Protect the Rock
While the Badgers are led primarily by their defense, their offense isn't half bad either. They've scored over 70 points in all five of their wins, even scoring over 80 twice, and their lone loss to Marquette still saw them put up 65 points.
The main reason? Wisconsin is incredibly good at not shooting themselves in the foot. The Badgers are averaging just 7.8 turnovers per game, which is the second-best in D1 only to Butler's 6.0. They cough up the ball on just 11.5% of their possessions, with 5.4% of their possessions resulting in a non-steal turnover.
Simply put, Wisconsin doesn't make a done of mistakes when it comes to ball movement. Louisville could potentially have a tough time making the Badgers truly feel uncomfortable.
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