The 7th ranked and defending National Champion Louisville Cardinals (6-1) return to action tonight at 7pm in the KFC Yum! Center for the first time since Friday’s 69-38 drubbing of Southern Mississippi. The previously undefeated Golden Eagles, of Conference USA, were hit by a proverbial wrecking ball as the Cards quickly jumped out to a 13-0 lead largely on the strength of three pointers by Terry Rozier, making his starting debut, and Wayne Blackshear. The Cards never looked back and cruised to victory in what could be considered a bit of a revenge game, as Coach Donnie Tyndall previously guided 13th seeded Morehead State to an upset win over the Cards in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
The foe tonight is a familiar one in that the two teams squared off in The Ville almost exactly one year ago. The Missouri Kansas City Kangaroos (1-5), realigning from the Summit League to the WAC, were defeated in the Yum! Center last December 8, 99-47 as the Cards were paced by Russ Smith’s still career high 31 points, while Luke Hancock chipped in 15 of his own, and Montrezl Harrell 14. The Cards had their way with the overmatched Roos in every facet of the game as they turned UMKC’s defense into Swiss cheese, shooting better than 60 percent in the first half, and turning them over 10 times in the first 10 minutes and 16 times before the half.
Tonight’s game should be more of the same. The Roos come limping in winners of only one of their six games this season. Victors of a 79-67 game against Tennessee-Martin, the Roos sport losses to Emporia State, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and have been run out of the building versus Creighton, Omaha and Iowa State. One player the Cards will need to focus on is point guard Martez Harrison. The 5-10 guard from Kansas City is the Roos best player and director of the team’s offensive attack. Through the early part of this season the freshman is averaging 17.5 points per game, dishing out 3 assists. However he is no threat from behind the arc. Though the Roos do have two other players in seniors Trinity Hall and Nelson Kirksey that each average 11 points, they are a largely punch-less team, scoring only 71 points a game, or good for 230th (out of 351 schools) in D1 college basketball, and hitting on only 42 percent of their shots from the field.
In all this should be a no contest and the Cards roll to a lopsided win.
Go Cards, Beat UMKC!
Louisville Cardinals Stats:
|
Player |
|||||||||||
|
7 |
26.4 |
18.9 |
2.9 |
3.9 |
1.7 |
0.1 |
2.4 |
.461 |
.840 |
.340 |
|
|
7 |
26.4 |
15.0 |
3.1 |
2.7 |
2.4 |
0.0 |
1.7 |
.469 |
.773 |
.429 |
|
|
7 |
26.4 |
12.3 |
9.7 |
1.4 |
1.4 |
0.7 |
1.3 |
.593 |
.556 |
1.000 |
|
|
7 |
22.9 |
9.3 |
3.0 |
0.6 |
1.6 |
0.9 |
0.1 |
.408 |
.800 |
.464 |
|
|
6 |
17.0 |
8.7 |
2.3 |
1.2 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
0.5 |
.343 |
.880 |
.261 |
|
|
6 |
18.3 |
7.5 |
6.0 |
0.7 |
1.2 |
0.3 |
1.2 |
.593 |
.419 |
.000 |
|
|
7 |
14.9 |
4.1 |
2.0 |
1.7 |
0.3 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
.294 |
.500 |
.333 |
|
|
7 |
20.6 |
3.0 |
4.6 |
0.3 |
1.1 |
1.1 |
0.4 |
.750 |
.750 |
.000 |
|
|
7 |
14.9 |
2.9 |
3.9 |
0.6 |
0.1 |
0.9 |
0.4 |
.385 |
.500 |
.000 |
|
|
5 |
8.6 |
2.2 |
1.0 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.2 |
1.0 |
.333 |
.500 |
.000 |
|
|
5 |
2.2 |
0.8 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
.500 |
.500 |
.500 |
|
|
7 |
4.6 |
0.6 |
0.9 |
0.3 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
0.1 |
.200 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
6 |
3.3 |
0.5 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
0.2 |
.200 |
.000 |
.200 |
|
|
4 |
3.8 |
0.0 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.5 |
0.3 |
.000 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
Totals |
7 |
— |
82 |
40 |
14 |
11 |
5 |
9 |
.454 |
.649 |
.348 |
UMKC Stats:
|
Player |
|||||||||||
|
6 |
28.5 |
17.5 |
2.8 |
3.0 |
2.3 |
0.0 |
4.2 |
.465 |
.649 |
.133 |
|
|
6 |
27.7 |
11.7 |
7.0 |
0.3 |
1.3 |
0.5 |
1.8 |
.421 |
.692 |
.222 |
|
|
6 |
26.0 |
11.2 |
4.3 |
2.8 |
1.2 |
0.0 |
3.0 |
.383 |
.727 |
.313 |
|
|
6 |
19.5 |
9.8 |
5.8 |
0.5 |
1.0 |
0.8 |
1.5 |
.563 |
.250 |
.167 |
|
|
4 |
25.3 |
7.8 |
1.0 |
2.0 |
0.8 |
0.0 |
3.0 |
.355 |
.750 |
.286 |
|
|
6 |
21.3 |
5.7 |
2.3 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
.382 |
.500 |
.400 |
|
|
6 |
16.2 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
0.8 |
.625 |
.500 |
.000 |
|
|
6 |
10.2 |
3.2 |
1.2 |
0.7 |
1.2 |
0.0 |
0.8 |
.417 |
.818 |
.000 |
|
|
6 |
22.0 |
2.7 |
2.0 |
2.0 |
1.2 |
0.0 |
0.7 |
.304 |
.500 |
.000 |
|
|
1 |
3.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
.000 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
4 |
2.3 |
0.0 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
.000 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
3 |
6.3 |
0.0 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
1.3 |
0.0 |
0.3 |
.000 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
3 |
13.3 |
0.0 |
0.3 |
0.7 |
1.3 |
0.0 |
1.7 |
.000 |
.000 |
.000 |
|
|
Totals |
6 |
— |
71 |
34 |
12 |
11 |
2 |
17 |
.423 |
.620 |
.229 |
Erich Kline
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