The University of Louisville will square off against the Tennessee Volunteers tonight at 5:00 inside the Barclays Center in Brookyln, NY. The Cards are 12-7 all-time against the Volunteers (2-1 on neutral floors). UofL also won the last meeting between the two schools in the 2008 NCAA East Region Semifinals (Sweet 16) in Charlotte, NC.
#5 Tennessee is 3-0 on the season with wins over Louisiana and Georgia Tech. The Rick Barnes led Vols return a veteran unit with 5 starters as juniors or seniors along with the 2018 SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams. Admiral Schofield was also 2nd team ALL-SEC a year ago. The Volunteers have experience, but they also have a great deal of size.
One area the Cards may have an advantage is their bench, surprisingly, as Tennessee relies heavily on its starting group to play the bulk of its minutes. The Cards are #1 in the country in fouls drawn in 2018-19 and will have its early offensive rankings put to the test by a very good defensive team.
Team Stats
| Louisville | Tennessee | |
| Strength of Schedule (Ken Pom) | 340th | 148th |
| PPG | 91.7 (9th) | 76.5 (123rd) |
| Avg Scoring Margin | 23.7 (15th) | 17.5 (33rd) |
| Field Goal % | 53.5% (9th) | 47.7% (70th) |
| Effective FG% | 61.1% (9th) | 53.6% (96th) |
| 2-pt FG % | 64.7% (5th) | 51.3% (155th) |
| 3-pt FG % | 37.3% (90th) | 39.4% (60th) |
| FT % | 78.0% (32nd) | 68.0% (185th) |
| FT Attempted Per Game | 42.3 (1st) | 25.0 (56th) |
| Opp FT Attempted Per Game | 19.7 (155th) | 17.5 (103rd) |
| Rebound Rate | 61.2% (5th) | 54.5% (63rd) |
| Blocks Per Game | 3.0 (206th) | 4.0 (124th) |
| Steals Per Game | 4.7 (283rd) | 4.5 (293rd) |
| Assists Per Game | 13.0 (173rd) | 19.5 (15th) |
| Turnovers Per Game | 12.0 (70th) | 12.0 (84th) |
| Opp Turnovers Per Game | 14.3 (138th) | 13.0 (213rd) |
| Team Fouls Per Game | 19.7 (193rd) | 17.0 (69th) |
| Opp Team Fouls Per Game | 29.0 (1st) | 23.0 (36th) |
| Opp Shooting % | 41.5% (110th) | 33.9% (9th) |
| Opp Effective FG% | 48.8% (136th) | 38.4% (7th) |
| Opp 2-pt FG % | 44.0% (59th) | 39.0% (16th) |
| Opp 3-Pt FG % | 37.5% (261st) | 25.0% (25th) |
| Opp Blocks Per Game | 1.0 (11th) | 1.5 (29th) |
| Opp Steals Per Game | 4.0 (24th) | 6.5 (190th) |
Starters
| Christen Cunningham | Jordan Bone | |
| 6-2, 190, Sr. | 6-3, 174, Jr. | |
| Minutes | 21.0 | 29.7 |
| Points | 4.3 | 14.3 |
| FG % | 20.00% | 47.20% |
| 3P % | 16.70% | 18.20% |
| FT% | 100.00% | 70.00% |
| Rebounds | 1.3 | 3.0 |
| Assists | 2.7 | 4.0 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.3 | 2.3 |
| Fouls | 1.7 | 1.0 |
| Darius Perry | Jordan Bowden | |
| 6-2, 195, Soph | 6-5, 193, Jr. | |
| Minutes | 24.7 | 32.3 |
| Points | 14.7 | 8.7 |
| FG % | 73.70% | 35.00% |
| 3P % | 66.70% | 58.30% |
| FT% | 90.90% | 100.00% |
| Rebounds | 1.7 | 5.0 |
| Assists | 2.0 | 4.0 |
| Steals | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Turnovers | 1.3 | 0.7 |
| Fouls | 3.3 | 2.7 |
| VJ King | Admiral Schofield | |
| 6-6, 215, Jr. | 6-6, 241, Sr. | |
| Minutes | 21.0 | 33.7 |
| Points | 11.3 | 12.0 |
| FG % | 44.40% | 39.00% |
| 3P % | 33.30% | 25.00% |
| FT% | 76.20% | 25.00% |
| Rebounds | 4.3 | 7.7 |
| Assists | 1.0 | 5.0 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Turnovers | 2.7 | 2.3 |
| Fouls | 2.7 | 2.3 |
| Dwayne Sutton | Grant Williams | |
| 6-5, 215, Jr. | 6-7, 236, Jr. | |
| Minutes | 28.0 | 31.3 |
| Points | 5.0 | 22.0 |
| FG % | 33.3% | 64.70% |
| 3P % | 20.0% | 57.10% |
| FT% | 72.7% | 72.00% |
| Rebounds | 5.3 | 8.3 |
| Assists | 2.0 | 3.7 |
| Steals | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Turnovers | 1.3 | 2.7 |
| Fouls | 1.7 | 3 |
| Steven Enoch | Kyle Alexander | |
| 6-10, 260, Jr. | 6-11, 215, Sr. | |
| Minutes | 21.0 | 28.7 |
| Points | 14.0 | 12.7 |
| FG % | 76.50% | 66.70% |
| 3P % | 100% | 50.00% |
| FT% | 88.20% | 81.30% |
| Rebounds | 5.0 | 6.3 |
| Assists | 0.3 | 1.0 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 2.7 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 1.3 |
| Fouls | 2.3 | 1.7 |
Bench
| Ryan McMahon | ||
| 6-0, 180, Jr. | ||
| Minutes | 18.0 | |
| Points | 8.0 | |
| FG % | 45.50% | |
| 3P % | 44.40% | |
| FT% | 100.00% | |
| Rebounds | 1.3 | |
| Assists | 3.0 | |
| Steals | 1.3 | |
| Blocks | 0.0 | |
| Turnovers | 0.3 | |
| Fouls | 1.3 | |
| Khwan Fore | ||
| 6-0, 185, Sr. | ||
| Minutes | 17.3 | |
| Points | 3.7 | |
| FG % | 37.50% | |
| 3P % | 33.30% | |
| FT% | 44.40% | |
| Rebounds | 1.0 | |
| Assists | 0.7 | |
| Steals | 0.0 | |
| Blocks | 0.0 | |
| Turnovers | 0.3 | |
| Fouls | 1.0 | |
| Jordan Nwora | Jalen Johnson | |
| 6-8, 215, Soph | 6-6, 187, Soph | |
| Minutes | 23.7 | 4.0 |
| Points | 18.0 | 2.5 |
| FG % | 53.10% | 100.00% |
| 3P % | 35.70% | 100.00% |
| FT% | 83.30% | 0.00% |
| Rebounds | 6.3 | 1.5 |
| Assists | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| Blocks | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Turnovers | 1.7 | 0.5 |
| Fouls | 2.3 | 1.0 |
| Akoy Agau | Yes Pons | |
| 6-8, 235, Sr. | 6-6, 209, Soph | |
| Minutes | 12.0 | 16.3 |
| Points | 7.0 | 3.7 |
| FG % | 100.0% | 62.50% |
| 3P % | 0.0% | 0.00% |
| FT% | 83.3% | 33.30% |
| Rebounds | 7.0 | 4.0 |
| Assists | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Steals | 0.0 | 1.0 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Turnovers | 1.0 | 0.3 |
| Fouls | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| Malik Williams | John Fulkerson | |
| 6-11, 215, Soph | 6-9, 197, Soph | |
| Minutes | 16.0 | 17.3 |
| Points | 8.7 | 4.0 |
| FG % | 64.30% | 71.40% |
| 3P % | 0.0% | 0.00% |
| FT% | 50.00% | 40.00% |
| Rebounds | 4.7 | 4.3 |
| Assists | 0.3 | 2.0 |
| Steals | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 1.0 | 0.7 |
| Turnovers | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| Fouls | 2.7 | 1.0 |
