Louisville has its hands full with the North Florida Ospreys. North Florida scores at an exceedingly high rate and it starts with Point Guard Dallas Moore. Moore is averaging 24.3 points per game, shooting 55.6% from 3-point range and is adding 8.3 ASSISTS PER GAME and has just 1 turnover on the season along with just one foul. That’s pretty sparkling basketball against any level of competition.
Trent Mackey also is hitting an extremely high percentage from outside and is 16 of 24 from three point range in 3 games. INSANE. Big men Chris Davenport is 6 of 11, and Beau Beech is 8 of 18. Small Forward DeMarcus Daniels doesn’t shoot as many 3s and prefers to do much of his damage inside the arc but is 3 of 6 on the season.
So to sum that up…..NORTH FLORIDA SHOOTS THE 3. AND WELL. The Ospreys hit the 5th best percentage beyond the arc in the country…..but stats lie because North Florida has 100 attempts through 3 games, and 3P% rank 1-4 don’t come close to North Florida’s rate of 3 pointers: Michigan 40 3-point attempts, Houston 16 3PA, Western Illinois 42 3PA, and North Dakota with just 30 3PA! North Florida has attempted SIXTY more 3 pointers than Michigan so the Ospreys shoot at a high rate and they hit at a high rate!
The Cards will have to defend the 3 and will need to crash the boards. That being said UofL has a pronounced advantage inside and North Florida wouldn’t be described as an outstanding defensive team.
Louisville probably won’t get many turnovers or fast breaks in this game. But they probably won’t have many forced turnovers either. The big question will be whether or not the Cards rebound and shoot the ball well enough to beat the hot shooting NF team.
This will be no walk in the park for the Louisville.
Team Stats
| Louisville | North Florida | |
| Points Per Game | 86.5 (43rd) | 99.5 (8th) |
| Avg Scoring Margin | +38.0 (5th) | +17.0 (47th) |
| Field Goal % | 52.1% (29th) | 54.1% (13th) |
| 2-point FG% | 56.3% (53rd) | 55.9% (64th) |
| 3-point FG% | 41.2% (51st) | 52.3% (5th) |
| Free Throw % | 62.3% (267th) | 70.0% (133rd) |
| Rebound Rate | 58.8% (26th) | 48.6% (196th) |
| Blocks Per Game | 6.0 (38th) | 5.5 (56th) |
| Steals Per Game | 7.0 (108th) | 3.5 (305th) |
| Assists Per Game | 17.0 (51st) | 20.5 (14th) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 10.5 (54th) | 6.0 (1st) |
| Opponent Turnovers Per Game | 15.5 (82nd) | 7.5 (330th) |
| Team Fouls Per Game | 22.5 (209th) | 21.0 (135th) |
| Opponent Shooting % | 25.7% (1st) | 46.6% (237th) |
| Opponent 2-point FG% | 30.4% (2nd) | 48.6% (175th) |
| Opponent 3-point FG% | 16.7% (3rd) | 39.3% (272nd) |
| Opponent Block Per Game | 3.0 (139th) | 2.5 (99th) |
| Opponent Steals Per Game | 4.5 (75th) | 3.0 (20th) |
| *351 teams Play Division 1 |
Starters
Trey Lewis can be a really outstanding defender and he’s going to be put to the test here. It will be interesting to see how well Damion Lee does against this defense and whether or not the Cards try and match North Florida’s scoring early on or if they persist with an inside game plan.
Also because North Florida uses its big men to step out and shoot 3s so often I wonder if Pitino will elect to go with Anas Mahmoud and Ray Spalding defensively more often to provide perimeter length OR if Pitino will elect to go with his decided advantage offensively with Chinanu Onuaku inside.
| Trey Lewis | Dallas Moore | |
| 6-2, 190, Sr. | 6-1, 175, Jr. | |
| Minutes | 24.0 | 32 |
| Points | 9.0 | 24.3 |
| Field Goal % | 31.30% | 56.00% |
| 3-point % | 37.50% | 55.60% |
| FT % | 71.40% | 63.60% |
| Rebounds | 3.5 | 3.0 |
| Assists | 4.5 | 8.3 |
| Steals | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.0 | 0.3 |
| Fouls | 1.5 | 0.3 |
| Damion Lee | Trent Mackey | |
| 6-6, 200, Sr. | 6-3, 184, Sr. | |
| Minutes | 23.5 | 34.3 |
| Points | 16.0 | 18.7 |
| Field Goal % | 45.5% | 59.30% |
| 3-point % | 36.4% | 66.70% |
| FT % | 88.9% | 100.00% |
| Rebounds | 3.0 | 1.7 |
| Assists | 1.5 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Turnovers | 0.5 | 1.3 |
| Fouls | 1.5 | 2.0 |
| Deng Adel | Nick Malonga | |
| 6-7, 190, Fr. | 6-4, 197, Soph | |
| Minutes | 17.0 | 22.3 |
| Points | 4.5 | 6.3 |
| Field Goal % | 16.7% | 40.00% |
| 3-point % | 0.0% | 25.00% |
| FT % | 77.8% | 33.30% |
| Rebounds | 3.5 | 2.7 |
| Assists | 1.5 | 0.3 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Turnovers | 2.5 | 1 |
| Fouls | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| Jaylen Johnson | Chris Davenport | |
| 6-9, 215, Soph | 6-8, 210, Jr. | |
| Minutes | 17.0 | 26.3 |
| Points | 8.5 | 15.0 |
| Field Goal % | 57.1% | 61.50% |
| 3-point % | 0.0% | 54.50% |
| FT % | 25.0% | 63.60% |
| Rebounds | 6.5 | 9.7 |
| Assists | 0.5 | 3.3 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Turnovers | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| Fouls | 2.0 | 2.7 |
| Chinanu Onuaku | Beau Beech | |
| 6-10, 230, Soph | 6-8, 210, Sr | |
| Minutes | 19.5 | 25 |
| Points | 14.5 | 14 |
| Field Goal % | 72.2% | 50.00% |
| 3-point % | 0.0% | 44.40% |
| FT % | 60.0% | 100.00% |
| Rebounds | 7.0 | 5.7 |
| Assists | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| Steals | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 3.5 | 0.3 |
| Turnovers | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Fouls | 2.0 | 4.0 |
Bench
DeMarcus Daniels is the key guy off the bench for North Florida. He doesn’t do a lot of damage from outside but is a capable shooter if left open. Instead Daniels drives the lane. Whether or not Donovan Mitchell gets much run Saturday will depend on his defense and if he can cut down on the fouls.
It’s great bet that Quentin Snider despite not starting will be a huge factor in the game and will play a starter’s amount of minutes. We discussed Ray & Anas above and how they may help defensively on the perimeter against North Florida’s hot shooting big men.
| Quentin Snider | Osborn Blount | |
| 6-1, 180, Soph | 5-10, 173, Soph | |
| Minutes | 25.0 | 9.0 |
| Points | 10.5 | 2.5 |
| Field Goal % | 56.3% | 0.00% |
| 3-point % | 42.9% | 0.00% |
| FT % | 0.0% | 83.30% |
| Rebounds | 3.0 | 1.0 |
| Assists | 5.0 | 0.0 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| Fouls | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| Donovan Mitchell | Aaron Bodager | |
| 6-3, 210, Fr. | 6-5, 205, Jr. | |
| Minutes | 15.0 | 20.7 |
| Points | 7.0 | 4.3 |
| Field Goal % | 66.70% | 30.80% |
| 3-point % | 33.30% | 25.00% |
| FT % | 83.30% | 66.70% |
| Rebounds | 2.5 | 4.0 |
| Assists | 0.5 | 1.3 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 0.3 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 0.5 | 0.3 |
| Fouls | 3.5 | 1.7 |
| David Levitch | Demarcus Daniels | |
| 6-3, 180, Jr. | 6-7, 195, Sr. | |
| Minutes | 9.5 | 26.7 |
| Points | 3.0 | 13.3 |
| Field Goal % | 66.70% | 66.70% |
| 3-point % | 50.00% | 50.00% |
| FT % | 50.00% | 83.30% |
| Rebounds | 1.0 | 8.3 |
| Assists | 1.0 | 1.7 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 2.3 |
| Turnovers | 0.5 | 2.3 |
| Fouls | 0.5 | 3.3 |
| Mangok Mathiang | Ismila Dauda | |
| 6-10, 220, Jr. | 6-9, 250, Sr. | |
| Minutes | 19.5 | 6.5 |
| Points | 5.0 | 2.0 |
| Field Goal % | 71.40% | 50.00% |
| 3-point % | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| FT % | 0.00% | 100.00% |
| Rebounds | 6.0 | 2.5 |
| Assists | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Blocks | 2.0 | 0.5 |
| Turnovers | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Fouls | 3.0 | 0.0 |
| Anas Mahmoud | ||
| 7-0, 200, Soph | ||
| Minutes | 8.5 | |
| Points | 1.5 | |
| Field Goal % | 33.3% | |
| 3-point % | 0.0% | |
| FT % | 33.3% | |
| Rebounds | 4.0 | |
| Assists | 0.0 | |
| Steals | 0.5 | |
| Blocks | 0.0 | |
| Turnovers | 0.5 | |
| Fouls | 2.0 | |
| Ray Spalding | ||
| 6-10, 210, Fr. | ||
| Minutes | 8.0 | |
| Points | 2.5 | |
| Field Goal % | 50.00% | |
| 3-point % | 0.00% | |
| FT % | 20.00% | |
| Rebounds | 3.5 | |
| Assists | 0.0 | |
| Steals | 0.0 | |
| Blocks | 0.0 | |
| Turnovers | 0.5 | |
| Fouls | 1.5 |
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