Louisville is set to welcome in-state rival Western Kentucky. Will they be able to keep Charles Bassey in check?
TV schedule: Tuesday, December 1, 6:00 pm ET. ACC Network
Arena: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky
A rivalry that hasn’t presented much buzz in recent history will certainly attract some attention this season as the Louisville Cardinals are set to host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Tuesday, December 1st, as a part of their bubble schedule at the KFC Yum! Center.
While both teams have been tested already this season, Tuesday’s matchup will look to prove things to both sides. On the Hilltoppers’ side, they’ll look to see if their veteran-heavy roster is ready to compete with power conference talent. On the Cardinals’ side, they’ll be looking to see if their young, inexperienced big men can handle a pro prospect in Charles Bassey.
There’s no surprise who the Hilltoppers will be looking to run their offense through on Tuesday. Star big man Charles Bassey, a 6’11 Junior from Nigeria, will look to exploit the Cardinals’ lack of size on the interior. According to ESPN, Bassey is averaging 15.7 points and 10 rebounds through three games this season, including a 21-point, 14 rebound performance in a victory over Memphis.
This should be worrisome to Chris Mack and his staff as they are without Senior center, and captain, Malik Williams. Williams will be sidelined until mid-February with a foot injury. Mack has praised Williams in the past, saying he is one the best defenders in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Without Williams’ presence down low, they will be forced to look to Freshmen Jaelyn Withers and JJ Traynor. Aidan Igiehon may be another name called on Tuesday night, although he has seen minimal minutes compared to Withers and Traynor to begin the season.
That may seem like a daunting task from Louisville’s perspective, but they shouldn’t write this one off. Louisville’s backcourt is made up of two highly-rated players in David Johnson and Carlik Jones. Johnson was selected to the preseason Watchlist for the Naismith Trophy.
While Jones is a graduate transfer from Radford University who was the only player in the country last season to average more than 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Johnson and Jones will likely pair up to make one of the best backcourts in the country this season and Cards fans can look for these two to fill up the stat sheet on Tuesday to avoid an early-season upset.
Overall, this should be a great matchup that will test both teams on both sides of the court. The Hilltoppers are just 8-27 all-time against the Cardinals and haven’t won since the 2008-2009 season.
This season would be the perfect time for coach Stansbury’s squad to get back on track against their in-state rivals. Look for this one to be a dog fight until the finish, however, Louisville’s guard play should dictate the pace late in the game and lead them to a narrow victory.