Louisville Faces #9 Arkansas in Maui Opener

Mark BlankenbakerNovember 20, 2022

The Louisville men’s basketball team leaves home for the first time this season to compete in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, starting against No. 9/10 Arkansas at 5 p.m. ET Monday in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii.

The Cardinals have opened the season with three consecutive one-point losses to Bellarmine, Wright State and Appalachian State. Arkansas is 3-0 after beating North Dakota State, Fordham and South Dakota State at home.

Louisville is 4-3 all-time against the Razorbacks, including a 3-2 mark on neutral courts – four of them in the NCAA Tournament.

GAME 4

#9/10 Arkansas (3-0) vs. Louisville (0-3)

November 21, 2022 | 5 p.m. ET

Lahaina Civic Center | Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

MEDIA INFO

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

Watch: ESPN2 (Dan Shulman, pxp | Jay Bilas, analysis)

Live Stats: Maui Tournament Stats

TOP STORYLINES

• Louisville has participated in the Maui Invitational three times before in 1989, 2000 and 2004. The Cardinals are 5-4 all-time in the event and 21-11 overall in the state of Hawaii.

• UofL has won 45 of its last 101 games against AP ranked opponents. The Cardinals are 62-69 against Top 25 teams over the last 12 years, as well as 23-33 against Top 10 teams over that span.

• Louisville is the first team since at least 1980 to lose its first three games of the season by one point each, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Including last year’s 51-50 loss to Virginia in the ACC Tournament, the Cardinals are the first team to lose four straight games overall by one point since Stetson in 1981-82.

• Per Ken Pomeroy, Louisville is 338th in the country in Division I experience with an average of 0.91 years.

• Through three games, the Cardinals have been outscored by a combined 113-92 in the first half, but have outscored their opponents 106-88 in the second half.

• Senior guard El Ellis’ 72 points are the most by a Louisville player in the first three games of a season since Wes Unseld had 101 points against Georgetown College (45), Kansas (20), and Northwestern (36) to open the 1967-68 season. Ellis is the first Cardinal to score at least 29 points in back-to-back games since Reece Gaines (current team video coordinator) did it against TCU and Marquette on March 6-7, 2002. Ellis was tied for eighth in the country in scoring (24 ppg) as of Saturday.

HISTORY VS. ARKANSAS (UofL Leads 4-3)

Last Meeting: Louisville 96, Arkansas 66

Nov. 17, 2009 | St. Louis (Hall of Fame Showcase)

Reginald Delk scored 20 points in a reserve role to double his previous career high and sparked key surges in both halves, helping No. 20 Louisville open with a 96-66 victory over depleted Arkansas in the Hall of Fame Showcase.

Jared Swopshire added 10 points and 11 rebounds for his first career double-double. Rotnei Clarke had 16 points for Arkansas.

Delk, who scored his 20 points in 22 minutes, had a pair of 3-pointers in the final 4 1/2 minutes of the first half as the Cardinals outscored Arkansas 20-5 and seemingly took control with a 48-31 cushion.

Arkansas scored 14 straight points to open the second half while Louisville was 0-for-6, cutting the deficit to 48-45. The Cardinals answered with 10 straight points, seven from Delk, and pulled away from there.

Louisville was 15 for 38 from 3-point range, behind Delk (4 for 5), Preston Knowles (3-for-5) and Jerry Smith (4-for-10).