Tennessee heads to Louisville for an intriguing opening week clash. Will the Volunteers secure an early road win or do the Cardinals have a surprise in store for them?
TV schedule: Saturday, November 9, 12:00 pm ET. ACCN
Arena: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky
Basketball is going quite well at Tennessee (1-0) and the Volunteers are looking to back this another season to remember. There are a few different pieces, but there’s considerable talent back from last season’s Elite Eight run, with a team capable of doing serious damage in the SEC. Tennessee got the season started on the right foot on opening night against Gardner-Webb.
North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier scored a team-high 18 points in his debut with the Volunteers and might prove to be the major transfer addition of the offseason, hoping to compare to the production that Dalton Knecht had last year. Veteran point guard Zakai Zeigler (13 points, 9 assists on Monday) remains one of the best backcourt weapons in the league while returner Jordan Gainey also had 16 points in the season opener.
Tennessee entered the season at 12th in the AP Top 25 and currently find themselves 14th in KenPom’s ratings. This is once again expected to be a team with an elite defense and enough offensive firepower to win important games. It’s hard to make conclusions after just one contest, but the Volunteers did what they needed to do against Gardner-Webb, even if the interior defense relented a bit.
Defending their home court, Louisville (1-0) continues the first stages of an important new era under coach Pat Kelsey. The Cardinals are looking to put the last few seasons of embarrassment in the rearview with higher expectations and a new-look roster. Things certainly went according to plan in a blowout over Morehead State on opening night, though their second game is against a significantly stronger foe.
Numerous talented pieces will emerge in this Louisville lineup, but Kasean Pryor really stood out on the opening night. The South Florida transfer led the charge with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Colorado transfer J’Vonne Hadley dropped 15 points on opening night. The Cardinals are still working out lineups and strengths, but three other players had 12 points and there certainly seems to be strides made to start the season.
You won’t find Louisville near the national polls after their recent struggles and complete rebuild, though the Cardinals have worked their way up to 54th in the KenPom ratings. There’s no shortage of difficulties ahead for these Cardinals, but they easily handled a mid-major foe that would’ve given them trouble these last two seasons. The defense was sensational, and the offense made shots in the paint, but Saturday brings a whole different level of opponent.
Knowing nothing else about these two teams, you’d be significantly more encouraged by Louisville’s performance on opening night. As is the case this time of year, both teams are still mixing, matching, and adjusting their lineups, though there’s a major advantage for the Volunteers here. While Louisville’s entire rotation is new, Tennessee can lean on an elite point guard in Zeigler and a few other very strong returners.
The defense will determine how this game progresses, as we know that the Volunteers have an elite defense and can apply pressure to turn a game upside down. New pieces like Lanier have already shown their strength in this lineup, and Tennessee has enough firepower to handle this hostile trip. Louisville absolutely has a chance at home, and this is the kind of game they could win later in the year, but we lean towards the Volunteers putting things together for forty minutes.
Prediction: Tennessee 77, Louisville 73