Louisville Basketball: 2020-21 keys for Cardinals to beat Kentucky Wildcats

Equal Kentucky’s frontcourt production

Last season, an argument can be made that Lousiville had the best frontcourt depth in all of college basketball. But after everyone else graduated or went pro, the lone key returner was Malik Williams. Yet he’s out as well, leaving a bunch of unproven underclassmen inside.

But all things considering, the young Cardinal big men have fared pretty well. Redshirt freshman forward Jae’lyn Withers is averaging 9.8 ppg and 6.5 rpg in six games, while JJ Traynor and Quinn Slazinski have also played well. Sophomore Samuell Williamson missed a couple of games this season but is averaging 11.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg, while playing and defending multiple positions on the court.

Kentucky’s frontcourt has so far essentially been about Olivier Sarr and Isaiah Jackson. The Wake Forest transfer Sarr has had his ups and downs. He scored 17 against Richmond and 22 versus Notre Dame but has put up 24 points combined in the other four games. He’s the only real offensive threat the Wildcats have inside, while freshman Isaiah Jackson is more of a defender and rebounder.

If Sarr doesn’t have a big game, and Kentucky can’t hit a bunch of three-pointers, they’ll be in big trouble against Louisville. While the Cardinals don’t have stars inside, they do have much more meaningful depth. If the total contributions are even between the two teams, the overall advantage would go towards the Cardinals.