Louisville men’s basketball takes momentum on the road with a trip to Duke at 7 p.m. ET Monday in Durham, N.C. The game will air on ESPN. In the last three games, UofL is averaging 75.3 points while shooting 51% overall and 39% from 3-point range.

The Cardinals are coming off an 83-73 home win over Clemson Saturday, on the night they honored the 10-year anniversary of the 2012-13 team in front of a season-high 15,157 fans. Duke routed Syracuse 77-55 on the road Saturday.

Louisville is 9-12 all-time against Duke, but is 3-3 against the Blue Devils on the road and has won two straight in the series in Durham.

GAME 28

Louisville (4-23, 2-14 ACC) at Duke (19-8, 10-6 ACC)

February 20, 2023 | 7 p.m. ET

Cameron Indoor Stadium | Durham, N.C.

MEDIA INFO

Listen: Cardinal Sports Network (WLCL 93.9 FM & WGTK 970 AM flagship); Streaming (Paul Rogers, pxp | Bob Valvano, Analysis)

Watch: ESPN (Dave O’Brien, pxp | Cory Alexander, analyst | Andraya Carter, sideline)

Live Stats: Sidearm Stats

TOP STORYLINES

• The game is a homecoming for senior guard El Ellis, a native of Durham, N.C. It’s also a homecoming for UofL assistant coach Nolan Smith, a former Duke star player and staffer. Smith was a consensus first-team All-American and the 21st overall pick in the NBA Draft in 2011, leading the Blue Devils to the 2010 national championship and three consecutive ACC titles (2009-11). He later spent six years on staff with the Blue Devils as they claimed the 2015 national title.

• UofL’s Kenny Payne and Duke’s Jon Scheyer are two of three head coaches in the country to win national titles as a player and a coach (including as an assistant). The third is Austin Peay’s Nate James, a former Duke player and assistant.

• The Cards are in the midst of an eight-game stretch to end the regular season that will see them play seven games vs. teams in the top 80 of the NET Rankings. Their five opponents from Pitt to Duke have an average NET Ranking of 41.

• Senior guard El Ellis is averaging 27.3 points per game over the last three games while shooting 57% from the field, 45% from 3 and 90% from the free-throw line. After having a positive or even assist-to-turnover ratio just three times in the first nine games of the season, Ellis has been positive or even in 15 of the last 18 games. In his last 13 games since 2023 began, he has 65 assists against just 41 turnovers.

• Junior forward JJ Traynor averaged 12.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in two games last week. He had a career-high 16 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in Saturday’s win over Clemson. Traynor is just the fifth Cardinal since at least 2010 to post those numbers in a game, and the first since Anas Mahmoud against Siena on Dec. 6, 2017.

• Louisville had 13 or fewer turnovers just four times in the first 20 games of the season. The Cardinals have now had 13 or fewer turnovers in five of the last seven games. On the other side of the ball, Louisville is averaging 8.4 3-point makes per game in the last eight games after averaging just 5.9 made 3s across the first 19 games.

• Louisville has shot at least 20 free throws in 10 of the last 18 games. UofL made 26 of 28 free throws (92.9%) against Clemson on Saturday, its third-best performance ever from the stripe on at least 25 attempts.

• Freshman forward Kamari Lands has made 28 of 30 free throws across the last 18 games. Lands has made 45 of 48 free throws overall this season (93.8%), making him one of six players in the country – and the only freshman – shooting 93% or better from the stripe on at least 45 attempts.

• Sophomore forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield returned against Virginia on Feb. 15 from a foot injury that forced him to miss the previous eight games. He leads the team with 5.6 rebounds per game and is averaging 7.2 points per contest.

HISTORY VS. DUKE (Duke leads 12-9)

Last Meeting: Duke 74, Louisville 65

January 29, 2022 | Durham, N.C.

AJ Griffin scored 22 points, including consecutive 3-pointers during a late 12-0 run that helped No. 9 Duke escape Louisville 74-65.

The Blue Devils led 24-8 after 10 minutes before Louisville eventually rallied to forge several ties, the last at 60-all on El Ellis’ long 3-pointer with 8:28 remaining. Wendell Moore Jr.’s two free throws put Duke back up 62-60 before Paolo Banchero and Mark Williams followed with timely blocks, the latter of which set up Griffin’s critical 3 to make it 65-60.

Griffin then followed Williams’ block of Mason Faulkner with another big 3 for an eight-point lead with 4:50 left. Banchero added a jumper and Williams a layup for the double-digit cushion that helped Duke earn its third consecutive victory and fifth in six contests.

Ellis had 18 points off the bench and Dre Davis 16 for the Cardinals, who fell short in Mike Pegues’ second debut as interim coach.

Griffin made all five 3s taken and finished 8 of 13 from the field. Williams added 14 points with 11 rebounds and two blocks.

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@UofLSheriff50. Louisville native, University of Louisville Business School Grad c/o 2004. Co-Founder of TheCrunchZone.com

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