Tale of The Tape, Prediction: Louisville vs. Western Kentucky
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville (7-3, 1-0 ACC) is set to face Western Kentucky (7-4, 0-0 Conference-USA) on Saturday, Dec. 18 at 3:00 p.m. EST. Here's how the Cardinals stack up against the Hilltoppers:
- Rankings:
| WKU | Louisville | |
|---|---|---|
AP/USA TODAY | NR/NR | NR/NR |
NET | 143rd | 64th |
RPI | 187th | 49th |
SOS | 171st | 37th |
KenPom | 108th | 42nd |
Sagarin | 117th | 41st |
- Team Leaders:
| WKU | Louisville | |
|---|---|---|
Points | Jairus Hamilton (16.8) | Malik Williams (10.9) |
Rebounds | Jamarion Sharp (7.8) | Malik Williams (9.7) |
Assists | Dayvion McKnight (6.2) | Jarrod West (3.8) |
Steals | Dayvion McKnight (2.3) | Malik Williams (1.8) |
Blocks | Jamarion Sharp (4.9) | Malik Williams (0.7) |
- Scoring:
| WKU | Louisville | |
|---|---|---|
Points Per Game | 78.3 | 70.7 |
Field Goal % | 48.1% | 41.8% |
FGM/FGA Per Game | 29.7/61.8 | 25.7/61.5 |
Three Point % | 32.1% | 29.7% |
3PTM/3PTA Per Game | 7.4/22.9 | 7.7/25.9 |
Free Throw % | 68.5% | 70.7% |
- Rebounding:
| WKU | Louisville | |
|---|---|---|
Rebounds Per Game | 38.5 | 42.3 |
Off. Reb. Per Game | 9.3 | 12.0 |
Def. Reb. Per Game | 29.2 | 30.3 |
Rebound Margin | +0.8 | +6.2 |
- Defense:
| WKU | Louisville | |
|---|---|---|
Opp. Points Per Game | 65.1 | 64.3 |
Opp. FG% | 37.8% | 37.8% |
Opp. 3PT% | 30.7% | 28.6% |
Steals Per Game | 9.5 | 7.8 |
Blocks Per Game | 6.8 | 2.8 |
- Ball Handling:
| WKU | Louisville | |
|---|---|---|
Assists Per Game | 16.6 | 12.6 |
Turnovers Per Game | 14.3 | 14.7 |
Turnover Margin | +2.8 | -1.0 |
Assist/Turnover Ratio | 1.2 | 0.9 |
- ESPN Prediction: Per ESPN's Basketball Power Index, Louisville has an 55.1 percent chance to win against Southeastern Louisiana.
- KenPom Prediction: Per KenPom.com, the Cardinals have an 58 percent chance to take down the Hilltoppers, with a projected final score of 70-68 in favor of Louisville. Per current metrics, Southern Louisiana is the third-lowest ranked opponent Louisville will face for the rest of the season (Boston College, Pitt).
- Personal Prediction: Louisville 67, Western Kentucky 66.
(Photo of Malik Williams: Cindy Rice Shelton - Louisville Report)
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