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Louisville Assistant Nolan Smith Previews Syracuse (1/2/23)

Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Syracuse Orange

The Cardinals return home to host the Orange for their first game of the new year.

Syracuse Orange (9-5, 2-1 ACC) at Louisville Cardinals (2-12, 0-3 ACC)

- Tipoff: Tuesday, January 3 at 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- How To Watch: ESPNU
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Syracuse -8.0 (KenPom)
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 19-11
- Last Meeting: Syracuse won 92-69 on Feb. 5, 2022 (Carrier Dome - Syracuse, N.Y.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

  • G El Ellis (6-3, 180, Sr.)
  • G/F Mike James (6-5, 215, R-Fr.)
  • F Jae'Lyn Withers (6-9, 220, R-Jr.)
  • F Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 250, So.)
  • F Sydney Curry (6-8, 270, Sr.)

Syracuse

  • G Judah Mintz (6-3, 172, Fr.)
  • G Joseph Girard III (6-1, 190, Sr.)
  • F Chris Bell (6-7, 180, Fr.)
  • F Benny Williams (6-9, 108, So.)
  • C Jesse Edwards (6-11, 230, Sr.)

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Orange, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of The Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Syracuse

Game Notes

Louisville

  • Over the last five games, senior guard El Ellis has averaged 21.0 points, 5.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals while making 37 of 45 free throws (82.2%). He set career highs against Western Kentucky with 30 points and 10 assists. Ellis is the first Cardinal to hit those marks since current team video coordinator Reece Gaines did it against TCU on March 6, 2002. It’s the 22nd time nationally since 2018 that a player has reached those numbers, and Ellis is the first player in Division I to do so this season. 
  • After averaging 1.7 points and 3.6 rebounds across the first nine games, senior forward Sydney Curry is averaging 10.8 points and 7.8 rebounds over the last five games while shooting 68% overall. His career-high 19 rebounds against Florida A&M were the most by a Cardinal since Luke Whitehead grabbed 19 boards against Marquette on Jan. 31, 2004.
  • Sophomore forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield has made 10 of 14 total shots from the field (71.4%) in the last two games. He went 9 of 23 from the field (39.1%) combined in the previous four games.
  • One of the Cardinals’ strengths as a team has been getting to the free-throw line. Louisville ranks 86th in the country in free throws made per game at 14.3 and 80th in free-throw percentage at 73.8%. Louisville has shot at least 20 free throws in each of the last five games and is 87 of 115 (75.7%) from the charity stripe over that span. The Cardinals have made more free throws in the last five games than its opponents have even attempted (77).
  • Per Ken Pomeroy, Louisville is 341st in the country in Division I experience with an average of 0.88 years.
  • Last game: Louisville fell 86-63 to arch-rival Kentucky in the Battle of the Bluegrass.
  • KEY FIRST HALF RUN: Kentucky jumped out to an early lead, scoring a 15-2 run starting at 18:48 and covering five minutes, including six points from Jacob Toppin. The Cardinals cut the lead to eight at 30-22 before a 9-0 run from Kentucky to extend the lead to 17.
  • KEY SECOND HALF RUN: Louisville came out of the locker room with a 7-0 run over the first three minutes of the half to cut the Wildcats’ lead to eight. Kentucky answered Louisville’s run with its own 11-2 burst and eventually led by 27.
  • UofL shot 22 of 47 (.468) from the field, 2 of 13 (.154) from 3-point range, and 17 of 23 (.739) from the free-throw line. It was the fourth time this season the Cardinals have shot over 45% from the floor. The Cardinals outscored the Wildcats at the charity stripe 17-16, the ninth time this season they have outscored their opponent from the free throw line. Louisville has now recorded at least 20 free throw attempts for the fifth consecutive game. 
  • Louisville’s bench outscored the Wildcats 17-9, making it the seventh time this season the Cardinal bench has outscored its opponent.
  • El Ellis led the Cardinals with 23 points to score more than 20 points for the fifth game this season while playing 36 minutes. Ellis’ four steals were a career high. The guard made 8 of 10 free throws. In the last three games, Ellis has made 26 of 31 shots for 83.9% from the line.
  • Brandon Huntley-Hatfield was second on the team in points with 10 and went 5-of-7 from the paint in his 31 minutes of play. This was his seventh double-digit point scoring game this season. The forward led the team with four rebounds, his sixth time leading the team in rebounds this season. Huntley-Hatfield added a block, making it his seventh time leading the team in blocks this season.
  • Mike James notched eight points, shooting 3-of-9 from the field, 1-of-3 from 3-point range, and 1-of-1 from the free throw line. James added to the stat sheet with two rebounds, one assist, and one steals while recorded 30 minutes.
  • Kamari Lands scored nine points, shooting 50% from the field for the third time this season. The forward made 3-of-4 free throws and is shooting 91.7% from the charity stripe throughout the season

Syracuse

  • Syracuse has captured six of its last seven encounters, including a Dec. 31, 79-65 triumph against Boston College.
  • Sophomore forward Benny Williams posted the second double-double of his career versus BC (16 points-11 rebounds).
  • Senior guard Joseph Girard III had 24 points against BC and is tied for fi fth in career 3-pointers at Syracuse (249).
  • Senior center Jesse Edwards (14.1 ppg., 10.9 rpg.) is averaging a double-double. He's first in the ACC in field goal percentage (.634), rebounds (153), and blocked-shot average (3.0).
  • SU ranks seventh in Division I and first in the ACC in blocked-shot average (5.9).
  • Dec. 31: Joseph Girard III had a game-high 24 points and Syracuse defeated Boston College for the ninth straight time, 79-65. Benny Williams had his second career double-double (16 points-11 rebounds) and Judah Mintz contributed 18 points and six assists against the Eagles.
  • Dec. 20: Syracuse rallied from a 20-point, second-half deficit to pull within one but could not convert the game winner in an 84-82 loss to Pittsburgh. Judah Mintz tied his career-best with 24 points and had fi e boards and five steals.
  • Dec. 19: Judah Mintz was named the ACC Rookie of the Week. Mintz averaged 19.0 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals in wins against Monmouth and Cornell.
  • Dec. 17: The Orange broke open a 45-43 contest with 12 unanswered points and went on to defeat Cornell, 78-63. Joseph Girard III had 19 points and Jesse Edwards contributed his sixth double-double (11 points-12 rebounds) of the campaign.
  • Dec. 12: Syracuse had five players score in double digits and the Orange defeated Monmouth, 86-71. Judah Mintz led the way with a career-high 24 points. Jesse Edwards contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds for his fi fth double-double. Joseph Girard III (16 points), Benny Williams (13) and Maliq Brown (11) rounded out the double-digit point-getters.
  • Dec. 12: Judah Mintz was named the ACC Rookie of the Week for the fi rst time. He averaged 13.0 points, 7.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game in Syracuse victories against Oakland and Georgetown.
  • Dec. 10: Jesse Edwards (20 points-11 rebounds) and Judah Mintz (16 points-10 assists) posted double-doubles and the Orange defeated Georgetown, 83-64. It was the 98th Syracuse vs. Hoya contest.
  • Dec. 6: Jesse Edwards (18) and Joseph Girard III (18) led fi ve players in double digits and SU defeated Oakland, 95-66. Syracuse led by as many as 42 in the game and benefitted from 58 points in the paint.
  • Dec. 3: Jesse Edwards tied his career-best effort with 22 points and added 14 rebounds in a 62-61 victory at Notre Dame. Joseph Girard III added 20 points versus the Irish.
  • Nov. 29: Syracuse had its lowest scoring output of the season and lost at Illinois, 73- 44, in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Jesse Edwards contributed nine points and 17 rebounds. The Orange did not have a player score in double digits. 
  • Nov. 26: Bryant scored in the lane with 0.8 seconds left and emerged, 73-72. Jesse Edwards had a career-high 21 rebounds and 12 points for the Orange. Justin Taylor scored a collegiate-best 26 points in 26 minutes of work. 
  • Nov. 21: Joseph Girard III had a career-high 31 points to lead the Orange by Richmond, 74-71, in overtime. Judah Mintz had 16 points and Jesse Edwards contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and six blocked shots.
  • Nov. 19: Syracuse remained unbeaten in nine meetings with Northeastern by defeating the Huskies, 76-48. The Orange scored the game’s first nine points and never trailed. Joseph Girard (21), Jesse Edwards (19), and Judah Mintz (18) each contributed double-digit point efforts for the Orange.
  • Nov. 15: Colgate tied the Syracuse opponent record with 19 3-pointers and the Raiders beat the Orange for the second straight year, 80-68. Judah Mintz tallied a career-high 20 points and Benny Williams had a personal-best 17 points and eight rebounds.
  • Nov. 7: Syracuse had four players in double digits and outscored Lehigh from the line, 24-10, in a 90-72 Orange triumph. Joseph Girard had a squad-best 19 points, Jesse Edwards tallied 18 points and 11 boards, and Judah Mintz tallied 16 points

(Photo of J.J. Traynor: Jordan Prather - USA TODAY Sports)

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