Men's Basketball Hosts UNC Wilmington on Sunday
December 13, 2014 | Men's Basketball
GAME FACTS - Louisville vs. UNC Wilmington
Date: Dec. 14, 2014
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Site: KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court, Louisville, Ky. (22,000) (72-9 in 5th yr.)
Television: ESPNU- Tom Hart, play-by-play; Brooke Weisbrod, analyst
Radio: WHAS (840 AM)- Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Doug Ormay, analyst (Sirius 91, XM 91)
Series History: First meeting (Louisville has won its last nine games against first-time opponents)
UofL National Ranking: 5th USA Today, 5th Associated Press
Officials: Raymond Styons, Jr., Tim Clougherty, Louie Andrakakos
Next UofL Game: Dec. 20 at Western Kentucky; Bowling Green, Ky., Noon ET (Fox Sports 1)
Louisville returns home to the KFC Yum! Center as the Cardinals face UNC Wilmington in the Billy Minardi Classic on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. The 13th Annual Billy Minardi Classic, presented by Kentucky One Health, Sun Tan City and Planet Fitness, originated in 2002 to honor the memory of Billy Minardi, brother-in-law of UofL Coach Rick Pitino who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
Louisville beat Indiana 94-74 on Dec. 9 in the Jimmy V Classic in New York as Terry Rozier (26 points) and Chris Jones (24 points) each set career scoring highs. Montrezl Harrell had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Louisville has four players averaging double figures. Harrell leads the Cards in scoring with 16.8 points per game. Rozier ranks second on the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game while Jones averages 13.3 points and Wayne Blackshear with 13.0. The Cardinals are solid on the boards, Harrell leads the team with 9.6 rebounds per game while Chinanu Onuaku ranks second on the team with 6.6 rebounds per game. Mangok Mathiang is third with 6.2 rebounds and Blackshear is fourth with 6.0 rebounds.
Louisville's impressive early season defensive figures have the Cardinals among the nation's leaders in a several categories. With 10 steals in their last game against Indiana, the Cardinals are averaging 11.3 steals, ranking fourth in the nation. UofL has produced double-digit steals in seven of its eight games this season. Louisville's +25.9 scoring margin is fourth in the nation, its +5.5 turnover margin is 11th and rebounding margin of +11.5 is seventh nationally. The Cardinals are seventh in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 52.4 points per game. UofL has limited its opponents to just 33.5 percent shooting from the field, ranking fourth in the nation, and the Cardinals are 10th in the nation in three-point field goal defense, allowing 25.0 percent.
The Seahawks (3-2) beat St. Andrews 105-47 in their last game on Dec. 3, with the 58-point win as the largest margin of victory in school history. UNCW shot 70.3 percent from the field for the game while limiting NAIA member St. Andrews to 30.5 percent accuracy. Freddie Jackson scored a career-high 33 points to lead UNC Wilmington, connecting on 14-of-16 field goals, including 5-of-6 three-pointers.
UNCW had an 11-day break before facing the Cardinals. Jackson, a 6-4 senior, leads the Seahawks in scoring, averaging 18.0 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 55.7 percent from the field. UNC Wilmington is ninth nationally in field goal percentage (.523), ninth in three-point field goal percentage (.432) and 16th in steals (9.6).
UNC Wilmington is coached by former UofL assistant Kevin Keatts, who is in his first season with the Seahawks after helping the Cardinals produce a 96-21 record over the last three years (2011-14). Keatts is one of 27 former Pitino assistants or players who have risen to a collegiate head coaching position. Pitino has a collective 37-10 record in games against his former assistants.
Sunday's game will be the Cardinals' first-ever matchup against UNC Wilmington. Louisville has a collective 13-3 record against current members of the Colonial Athletic Association, having previously faced seven of its 10 members. UofL's opening two games of the 2013-14 season were against CAA members College of Charleston and Hofstra.
CARDINAL NOTES:
• Louisville Coach Rick Pitino needs one victory for his 350th at Louisville, where nearly half of his collegiate wins during his Hall of Fame career have come (349- 117). He gained his 700th collegiate coaching victory on Nov. 26. He is one of five active collegiate coaches in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
• Louisville has won its last nine games against first-time opponents. The last time the Cardinals lost to a first-time foe was in falling to California in the 2010 NCAA Tournament first round. UofL is a collective 31-2 against first-time opponents over the last 14 years under Coach Rick Pitino.
• Louisville has a 28-5 record in December over the last four years, including a 16-1 mark the last three seasons.
• Louisville has a 172-40 record (.810) against non-conference opponents in Coach Rick Pitino's 14 seasons (includes post-season). The Cardinals are 118-11 at home in regular season nonconference games under Pitino, including a 42-2 mark over the last five seasons in the KFC Yum! Center.
• Louisville's 104 victories over the last four years are the most wins in the nation in that stretch. Louisville is the only school in the nation with three straight 30- win seasons, including a school-record 35 victories by its 2012-13 NCAA Title team.
• Louisville has won 33 straight games at home against non-conference opponents, the fifth-longest current streak in the nation.
