Men's Basketball Opens NCAA Tournament Against Manhattan
March 19, 2014 | Men's Basketball
March 19, 2014
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ORLANDO, Fla. - The University of Louisville men's basketball team begins play in its 40th NCAA Tournament in school history in a city that Cardinals' athletics teams already have achieved much success.
The Cardinals' men's and women's basketball teams each defeated UCF in Orlando, and Louisville's football team defeated Miami (Fla.) in the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl at the Citrus Bowl. Louisville, the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, is looking to continue that success beginning with its late Thursday night matchup against 13th-seed Manhattan at the Amway Center at 9:50 p.m. ET.
The March 20 game will air on TNT, with Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Dan Bonner (analyst), and Kristine Leahy (reporter) calling the action. Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) will announce the game on WHAS 840 AM. The contest also is available on SIRIUS channel 93 and XM channel 192.
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Manhattan, coached by former Louisville assistant Steve Masiello, boasts a 25-7 record that includes a 15-5 mark in the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Jaspers earned the conference's automatic bid after defeating top-seeded Iona in the league championships.
The Jaspers, who have won their last five games, posted a 71-68 victory over the Gaels on March 10. George Beamon scored a game-high 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while three other players tallied double-digit points. Ashton Pankey collected a team-best nine rebounds, while Manhattan edged Iona 38-28 on the boards. The Jaspers shot 50 percent (13-of-26) from the field in the second half, including a 5-of-11 stint from 3-point range.
Manhattan is making its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance overall and first since 2004.
Louisville (29-5) also secured its conference's automatic bid, beating Connecticut on March 15 for the AAC Tournament title. The Cardinals, who also won a share of the league's regular-season title, have won four their conference's tournament titles over the last five years.
The Cardinals, winners of five straight, are being led by Russ Smith's 18.3 points per game and Montrezl Harrell's 8.2 rebounds per contest. Smith also leads the team in 3-pointers made (68), free throws made (133), assists (159), and steals (70).
Over the last 10 games, Smith and Harrell are each shooting better than 50 percent, averaging 18.5 points and 17.1 points, respectively. Luke Hancock, the 2013 Final Four Most Outstanding Player, is contributing 12.3 points per game. Notably, Stephan Van Treese is grabbing 7.6 rebounds over that stretch.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisville leads the all-time series with Manhattan 6-2, winning the last five contests. The two schools last met in 2012, with the Cardinals posting a 79-51 victory over the Jaspers on Nov. 11 in the KFC Yum! Center. Russ Smith scored a game-best 23 points. The Cardinals outscored the Jaspers 51-32 in the in the second half, while forcing Manhattan into 27 turnovers for the game.
GAME FACTS - No. 4-seed Louisville vs. No. 13-seed Manhattan
Date: Thursday, March 20
Time: 9:50 p.m. ET
Site: Amway Center, Orlando, Fla. (18,500)
TV: TNT will broadcast the game, with Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Dan Bonner (analyst), and Kristine Leahy (reporter) calling the action.
Radio: WHAS 840 AM will broadcast the game, with Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) calling the action. The broadcast also is available on SIRIUS channel 93 and XM channel 192.
Series History: Louisville leads 6-2 (3-0 in Louisville, 2-1 in Manhattan, 1-1 neutral).
