Men's Basketball Set to Host Villanova Wednesday on ESPN
January 24, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2012
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GAME NOTES
Louisville Game Notes 
| Villanova Game Notes
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Following a solid league road win, the No. 25-ranked University of Louisville men's basketball team returns home to square off with Villanova Wednesday night at the KFC Yum! Center. The Jan. 25 contest will be televised on ESPN, with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play) and Len Elmore (color) calling the action.
The Cardinals (15-5, 3-4 BIG EAST) secured their third BIG EAST victory of the year on Jan. 21, defeating Pittsburgh on the road by a score of 73-62. Kyle Kuric, who missed the previous two games with an ankle injury, came off the bench to score a game-high 21 points behind five 3-pointers. Chane Behanan also had a strong offensive performance, registering 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Gorgui Dieng chipped in 13 points and 14 rebounds. Pittsburgh, which lost its eighth-straight contest, dropped to 0-7 in the BIG EAST. The Panthers, led by 14 points apiece from Lamar Patterson and Ashton Gibbs, were 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) from beyond the arc.
The Cardinals continue to rank among the nation's elite on defense, placing fourth nationally in steals per game (9.9) and sixth in field goal percentage defense (37.2). Offensively, Kyle Kuric is averaging 16 points and 7.3 rebounds over the last four games, and Russ Smith is scoring 18.7 points over the last three while recording 4.7 steals over that stretch.
Villanova (10-10, 3-5) is coming off its second-straight win, squeaking past St. John's in overtime, 79-76, on Jan. 21. Maalik Wayns tallied a team-best 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting, while Dominic Cheek added 20. JayVaughn Pinkston came off the bench to register 13 points and 12 rebounds. For the game, though, the Wildcats managed to shoot just over 38 percent (29-of-75) and connected on only 57.7 percent (15-of-26) from the charity stripe. St. John's was led by D'Angelo Harrison's 28 points.
The Wildcats are under the direction of 11th-year head coach Jay Wright, who's guided the program to a 234-121 overall mark and seven-straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Wayns leads the team in points per game (18.7) and assists (95), while Mouphtaou Yarou (11.6 points per game) is grabbing a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game. Villanova was picked to finish eighth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, and Wayns was selected to the all-BIG EAST preseason second team.
THE SERIES - Louisville vs. Villanova
The Cardinals and Wildcats have played each other 16 times, with each team winning eight contests apiece. Louisville, which has won three of the last five meetings, lost last year's contest, 88-74, on Jan. 12 at the Wells Fargo Center. Preston Knowles had a game-high 24 points, but Villanova, led by Corey Stokes, outscored Louisville by 13 points in the second half to seal the win. Chris Smith had 18 points had Peyton Siva had 14 and seven assists in the losing effort. The Wildcats connected on 60.7 percent (17-of-28) of its second-half shots. The last time the two teams faced each other in Louisville, Scottie Reynolds dropped 36 points to lead the Wildcats to a 92-84 victory.
GAME FACTS - Louisville vs. Villanova
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 25
Time: 7:02 p.m. ET
Site: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Ky. (22,000)
TV: ESPN will televise the game, with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play) and Len Elmore (color) calling the action.
Radio: WKRD (790 AM) will broadcast the game on radio (WHAS 840 AM will join in progress), with Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Doug Ormay (color) calling the action. The contest also will be available on BIG EAST Radio, with Brock Bowling (play-by-play) and John Celestand (color) calling the action.
Series History: The all-time series is tied at eight apiece (The Cardinals: 2-2 in Louisville, 2-5 in Philadelphia, 4-1 neutral).
Officials: John Cahill, Michael Stephens, Earl Walton
Next U of L Game: Saturday, Jan. 28 at Seton Hall, Newark, N.J., Prudential Center, 8 p.m. ET (BIG EAST Network/WHAS-TV)
