Cards Meet Notre Dame in KFC Yum! Center

Mason Faulkner looks up the court against Boston College in the KFC Yum! Center on Jan. 19, 2022.

Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics

January 21, 2022 | Men's Basketball

Purchase Tickets Chris Mack Press Conference Mason Faulkner Press Conference Russ Smith Press Conference Louisville notes vs Notre Dame Notre Dame Notes at Louisville Digital Game Program Gameday Fan Guide

Former All-America Russ Smith No. 2 jersey retirement will be at halftime of the game

By: Kenny Klein

Game Information
Site: KFC Yum! Center/Denny Crum Court, Louisville, Ky. (22,090) (178-31 in 12th year)
Television: ESPN - Doug Sherman, play-by-play; Chris Spatola, analyst.
Radio: WKRD (790 AM) Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Bob Valvano, analyst (XM channel 371, SiriusXM App 371)
Series History: Louisville leads 26-15 (15-3 in Louisville, 6-9 in Notre Dame, 5-3 neutral)
Last Meeting: UofL 69, Notre Dame 57 (Feb. 23, 2021 in KFC Yum! Center)
UofL National Ranking: unranked in USA Today & Associated Press polls
Next UofL Game: Jan. 24 at Virginia, Charlottesville, Va., 7:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Louisville plays its second straight home game in the KFC Yum! Center as the Cardinals face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. ET.

The game will feature the retirement of consensus All-America Russ Smith's No. 2 jersey at halftime. More information on Smith, the Cardinals' career steals leader (257) and fifth leading career scorer (1,908 points) from 2020-14, is available here.

After dropping three straight, Louisville defeated Boston College 67-54 on Wednesday as the Cardinals limited the Eagles to 29.2 percent shooting from the field. Sydney Curry scored a team-high 13 points, Noah Locke added 10 points (3-of-7 3FG), Mason Faulkner matched a season high with seven assists, and Jae'Lyn Withers added 10 points in his first double-figure scoring effort in 13 games.

After missing UofL's game at Pitt with an ankle injury, Curry returned against Boston College for his second start of the season. He has scored 35 points in his last two games after combining for 33 points over his first 12 games this season (22 pts., 10 reb. vs. NC State on Jan. 12). He is averaging 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds over his last four games.

Notre Dame (11-6, 4-2 ACC) had won six straight games before falling 79-73 at Virginia Tech last Saturday, then beat Howard 71-68 on Jan. 17 in its last game as Nate Laszewski posted a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. The Cardinals will play at Notre Dame on Feb. 9.

Notre Dame leads the ACC in three-pointers per game (8.9) and is 21st in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (10.5). Six players are averaging nearly eight points each, led by guard Dane Goodwin at 15.4 points per game (11th in the ACC).

Louisville has a 26-15 series advantage over Notre Dame and the Cardinals have won the last six meetings. In the last matchup, Louisville prevailed 69-57 over Notre Dame in the KFC Yum! Center (2-23-21) as Carlik Jones led five Cardinals in double figures with 18 points while Jae'Lyn Withers added 12 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.

Notes

Nine of the last 24 games in the series against Notre Dame have been decided in overtime, including four in multiple overtime periods. Louisville was a member of the Big East Conference with Notre Dame for eight seasons (2005-13). Notre Dame joined the ACC in 2013, a year prior to Louisville and it was the only year (2013-14) over the last 16 that the two teams did not play.
UofL assistant coach Mike Pegues played for Notre Dame coach Mike Brey at Delaware (1996-2000) when Pegues scored 2,030 career points.
Louisville has an all-time 16-11 record in games played on Jan. 22, winning tthe last two games played on that date.
Malik Williams has grabbed at least eight rebounds in 12 of his 17 games and is third in the ACC in rebounding (8.8 rpg) and 18th in the nation in defensive rebounding (6.9 per game). He needs 12 points for 800 in his career. He grabbed his 600th career rebound at Pitt.
Noah Locke, third in the ACC in three-pointers made per game (2.5), has scored in double figures seven of the last eight games and on 13 occasions this season. He passed 1,100 points in his collegiate career on Jan. 12. He has made at least three threes in 10 games and has made 20-of-40 threes over the last seven games (.500).
Mason Faulkner matched his season high of seven assists against Boston College in his first starting assignment, adding eight points and three rebounds. He has scored in double figures in four of his last eight games, including 12 points and three assists at Florida State. He is second on the team in assists (49 total), and is sixth in the ACC in assist-turnovers ratio in ACC only games (2.89; 26 assists, nine turnovers in ACC games).
Dre Davis missed the Cardinals' Jan. 19 game against Boston College after suffering a right ankle sprain in practice on Jan. 18. He is expected to play against Notre Dame. Davis has scored nine or more points in three of his last five games off the bench. He leads the Cardinals in free throw percentage (.818, 27-of-33).