Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Coppin State Eagles

Coppin State Eagles (0-3, 0-0 MEAC) at Louisville Cardinals (1-1, 0-0 ACC)

- Tipoff: Wednesday, November 15 at 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- How To Watch: ACC Network Extra
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -20.0 (KenPom)
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 1-0
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 75-49 on Dec. 12, 2001 (Freedom Hall - Louisville, Ky.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

G Skyy Clark (6-3, 205, So.)
G Tre White (6-7, 205, So.)
G/F Mike James (6-5, 200, R-So.)
F J.J. Traynor (6-8, 190, Sr.)
C Dennis Evans (7-1, 215, Fr.)

Coppin State

G Zahree Harrison (6-0, 190, R-Jr.)
G Camaren Sparrow (6-4, 185, Fr.)
G/F Preist Ryan (6-6, 205, Fr.)
F Khali Horton (6-8, 200, Fr.)
F Justin Winston (6-8, 220, R-Sr.)

Comparison

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

Game Notes

Louisville

After grabbing just seven total rebounds in UofL’s two exhibition games, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield has pulled in 24 boards over the first two regular-season games. His 14 rebounds against Chattanooga were a career high.
Redshirt sophomore Mike James tallied a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double against UMBC. James’ 25 points were the most by a Cardinal in a season opener since Montrezl Harrell had 30 against Minnesota in 2014. The last 25-plus outing in a season opener before that was Marques Maybin vs. Hawaii in 2000. James’ performance was just the 15th time since 2000 that a Louisville player has recorded at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in a game, and the first since Jordan Nwora against Florida State on Jan. 4, 2020.
Louisville’s 39 free throw attempts against UMBC were its most since taking 41 against Michigan State in 2018. Across their two exhibition games and the first two games of the regular season, the Cardinals have made 91 of 126 total free throws while their opponents have attempted just 82.
Louisville has been outscored by 51 points from the 3-point line in its first two games, but the Cardinals have found success inside, outscoring their two opponents 98-60 in the paint. UofL’s 60 points in the paint against UMBC were the program’s most in a game since tallying 60 against Louisiana on Dec. 7, 2013.
Newcomers Ty-Laur Johnson (12 points), Skyy Clark (11) and Tre White (11) all scored in double figures against UMBC. It was the first time in at least 25 years that three new Cardinals have all reached double figures in their debut.
Last game: Louisville was unable to overcome a 21-point second half deficit, falling 81-71 to Chattanooga.
KEY FIRST HALF RUN: Despite an 8-0 run by the Cardinals in the middle of the half that put them up 17- 16, Louisville was unable to regain control for the remainder of the half. The run began at 12:30 and elapsed 2:15 of game time. The Mocs went on an 11-2 run to close out the half. Starting at 5:39 and elapsing 4:23, the run put Chattanooga up 33-23.
KEY SECOND HALF RUN: Louisville ended the second half on a 20-8 run that began at 6:41 and elapsed 5:37, putting the Cards within 8 points at 65-73. A handful of Louisville fouls placed the Mocs at the line where they knocked down eight free throws in the last 42 seconds of action.
UofL shot 26 of 68 (38%) from the field, 6 of 18 (33.3%) from 3-point range, and 13 of 20 (65.0%) from the free-throw line.
Louisville and Chattanooga were even in the rebound battle with 41 each. The Cards had 38 points in the paint while the Mocs tallied 18 points in the paint.
Louisville is 3-6 in November home games after going 59-0 from 1991 to 2021

Coppin State

Under first year head coach Larry Stewart, Coppin State has opened up their 2023-24 campaign with an 0-3 mark on the season.
According to KenPom, Coppin State is ranked as the No. 360 team in all of D1 college basketball. The only teams behind them are Le Moyne and Mississippi Valley State.
The Eagles opened up their season with a 100-55 loss at Virginia Tech, before returning home for a 70-49 loss to Towson.
Last game: In their second road game of the season, Coppin State fell 74-60 to Mount St. Mary's (Maryland).
Malik Battle led all players with 16 points and shot a perfect 10 for 10 from the stripe. Battle is now placed fourth all time in CSU history in single game free-throws with a one hundred percent free-throw field goal percentage.
Greg Spurlock went for a career high 14 points, with five rebounds, two steals, and shot 6 of 12 from the field.
Justin Winston also scored in double figures as he finished with ten points, and three steals.
Camaren Sparrow matched Winston with three steals, while tallying four points, four rebounds and hit both free-throws.
Aa'Reyon Jones led the team with two assists, paired with two steals and went in for a breakaway slam.
Preist Ryan went for four points and pulled down four rebounds.
Ronnie Williams matched Ryan with four points along with a block and a steal.
Toto Fagbenle and Ryan Archey chipped in two points a piece.
As a team, Coppin outnumbered Mount St. Mary's on the defensive end. The Eagles scored 17 points off of 21 turnovers that they forced onto Mount St. Mary's.
Coppin nearly quadrupled the mount in team steals (15-4).
The Eagles also outnumbered the Mount in bench points (40-23).

(Photo of Tre White: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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