Cardinals Face No. 3 Michigan State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday

Wednesday, December 2

East Lansing, Mich.

7:15 PM ET

University of Louisville

Michigan State

Cardinals Face No. 3 Michigan State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday

December 01, 2015 | Men's Basketball

Cardinals and Spartans square off Wednesday Night in a Top 25 matchup

By: Kim Pemberton

GAME 6
Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Site: Breslin Center, East Lansing, Mich. (14,797)
Television: ESPN Mike Tirico, play-by-play; Dan Dakich, analyst; Allison Williams, reporter.
Radio: WHAS (840 AM) Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Bob Valvano, analyst (Sirius/XM channel 84/MSU broadcast)
Series History: Louisville leads 5-4 (2-0 in Louisville, 1-2 in East Lansing, 2-2 neutral)
Last Meeting: MSU 76, UofL 70 (OT) (March 29, 2015 in Syracuse, N.Y., NCAA East Region Championship)
UofL National Ranking: 22nd USA Today, 24th Associated Press
Next UofL Game: Dec. 5 vs. Grand Canyon, 12:02 p.m. ET, KFC Yum! Center (ESPN3)

Louisville will play its first true road game of the season as the Cardinals face the Michigan State Spartans in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday in East Lansing, Mich. The game is a rematch of last year's NCAA East Region Championship in Syracuse, N.Y.

Louisville beat Saint Louis 77-57 in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday to claim the championship of the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational as Mangok Mathiang was named the game's MVP.

Three Cardinals are averaging double figures, Damion Lee leads the trio of top scorers with 17.4 points per game. Trey Lewis ranks second on the team in scoring with 12.4 points while Quentin Snider ranks third with 10.0 points per game. Snider also leads the team in assists with 4.4 per game. Chinanu Onuaku leads the team in rebounding with 7.4 per game while Mangok Mathiang ranks second in rebounding with 7.2 per game.

As a team, the Cardinals are shooting 52.3 percent from the field while holding opponents to 32.4 percent shooting. They are also shooting 36.4 percent from behind the arc. They are averaging 46.0 rebounds and 15.2 assists per game.

Ranked third in the nation in both the AP and USA Today polls, Michigan State has won its first seven games of the season, including a 77-64 victory over Providence in the championship game of the Wooden Legacy in Anaheim, Calif. on Sunday.

One of three 2015 Final Four participants the Cardinals face this season, Michigan State leads the nation in assists (23.7) and is third nationally in rebounding margin (+18.3) and assists-to-turnovers ratio (2.05). A preseason All-Big Ten selection, 6-5 senior guard Denzel Valentine had a triple-double against Kansas on Nov. 17. He had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in last year's game against Louisvillle.

Louisville has a 5-4 series advantage over Michigan State, with four of the matchups coming in NCAA Tournament play and three in regional finals. Michigan State prevailed 76-70 in overtime over the Cardinals in last year's meeting in the East Region Championship in Syracuse, N.Y. (3-29-15). Wayne Blackshear led UofL with 28 points.

CARD FILE:

Louisville's 128 victories over the last five years are the second-most wins in the nation in that stretch. Louisville and Wichita State are the only schools in the nation to win 30 games in three of the last four seasons, including a school-record 35 victories amassed by Louisville's 2012-13 NCAA Championship team.
Louisville has committed nine or fewer turnovers in seven of its last nine games dating back to last season. The Cards lead the ACC in turnover margin (+5.2, 24th in NCAA).
UofL leads the nation in rebounding margin (+21.4) and scoring margin (+33.6), is second in scoring defense (51.2), and third in field goal percentage defense (.324).
Rick Pitino will coach his 500th game at Louisville when the Cardinals play at Michigan St. on Dec. 2 (373-126 record).
Mangok Mathiang produced his first career double-double with career-highs of 17 points and 13 rebounds against Saint Louis, adding two blocked shots and a steal. He was honored as the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational MVP in his first start of the season.
Trey Lewis scored a season-high 22 points and grabbed a season-best seven rebounds against Saint Louis, adding two assists and two steals.
UofL has a 20-2 record during the month of December over the last three years, winning eight of its last nine in that month.