The University of Louisville men’s basketball team has been very good on the road this season. The Cardinals however, will face their toughest test away from the KFC Yum! Center on Saturday night.
UofL (19-3 overall, 7-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference), which is No. 8 in this week’s USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 9 in The Associated Press Top 25, plays at Virginia (20-1, 8-1), which is No. 3 in both national polls, at 7 p.m. Saturday (the game will be televised on ESPN) in Charlottesville, Va. The Cavaliers are alone atop the ACC standings while the Cards, who are 5-1 on the road (including 4-1 in the league) this season, are by themselves in third.
Virginia, with its “Pack Line” defense, is one of the top teams nationally on D. The Cavs lead Division I in points allowed per game (50.9) and are second (behind No. 1 Kentucky) in defensive efficiency.
“This is as good an execution team as there is in the country, at both ends of the floor,” U of L coach Rick Pitino said at his Thursday press conference. “This is a great basketball team. Certainly we’re going to have to really execute to come away with the victory.”
UVA had victories in its first 19 games of the season before falling to visiting Duke, 69-63, last Saturday night. The Cavs bounced back, though with a 75-64 win at North Carolina on Monday night.
“Virginia in the last five minutes of the game, they just wear you out,” said Pitino, whose team is coming off a 63-55 win at Miami (Fla.) on Tuesday night. “Physically they’re very big. They basically don’t give you a good look, they put you under duress. (Plus) they shoot it well, they pass it well and they’ve got great size.”
The Cavs are led by 6-foot-6 junior guard Justin Anderson (13.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg), 6-5 junior guard Malcolm Brogdon (13.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg), 6-8 junior forward Anthony Gill (11 ppg, 6.5 rpg), 6-11 junior post player Mike Tobey (7.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg), 6-8 senior forward Darion Atkins (7.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and 6-2 sophomore point guard London Perrantes (5.7 ppg, 4.6 apg).
“Apparently they’ve got one of the best arenas in the ACC and I’m excited to see it,” Pitino said.
Virginia leads the all-time series against U of L, 5-3. The Cards, however, won the last meeting (72-56) on Feb. 17, 1990 in Charlottesville.
Photo courtesy University of Louisville Men’s Basketball Facebook Page
