Big Red Louie
Fansided

Louisville Basketball: Ranking the Cards’s Non-Conference Schedule

By Presley Meyer

LOUISVILLE, KY - DECEMBER 17: V.J. King #0 and Mangok Mathiang #12 of the Louisville Cardinals react from the bench in the second half of the game against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at KFC YUM! Center on December 17, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville defeated Eastern Kentucky 87-56. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY - DECEMBER 17: V.J. King #0 and Mangok Mathiang #12 of the Louisville Cardinals react from the bench in the second half of the game against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at KFC YUM! Center on December 17, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville defeated Eastern Kentucky 87-56. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

In addition to a grueling ACC slate, Louisville basketball faces one of the toughest non-conference slates in the country. We take a look at Louisville’s non-conference schedule and rank their games.

The transition to the Chris Mack era is going to a difficult one for The University of Louisville basketball team.

Playing in the ACC conference is never going to be an easy task. Now, the Cards have the potential to play 5 or 6 top 25 teams before the first of the year rolls around.

Let’s take a look at who the Cards face in the first two months of the season, and how they stack up.

T-8. Nicholls State, Southern, Vermont, Central Arkansas, Lipscomb, Kent State, Robert Morris

Let’s not kid ourselves here. Sorry if you’re a Lipscomb fan here for a season preview, but truth be told, if Louisville even keeps it close with any of these teams, there are some bigger issues to work out.

A typical power- 5 non-conference schedule is typically loaded with some cup cakes. Louisville has 7 games that it should probably win, no questions asked.

7. Marquette*- NIT Season Tip off November 23rd

This game is only a possibility right now. Louisville faces off against Tennessee in the NIT Pre-Season Tip Off, and the winner plays the winner of Kansas- Marquette, while the losers play the losers (self-explanatory).

If the Cards square off against this old Conference USA foe, it will likely be because they lost to Tennessee. That said, the Golden Eagles are no slouches. They return some offensive fire power from a team that was nearly a tournament team last year, and ultimately made it to the NIT semifinals.

Prediction: Cards will not face Marquette

6. At Indiana- December 8th

Indiana has the chance to be really good this year. Obviously, the addition of once coveted Louisville recruit Romeo Langford along with a solid class puts Archie Miller in a much better spot in season two.

The Cards had no real problems with the Hoosiers in 2017, but this team should be much better. And the match-up is in Assembly Hall, which is not an easy place to win in any year.

Prediction: Louisville 72, IU 76

5. At Seton Hall- December 1st

The Pirates look to rebuild after losing nearly every important piece from a team that made it to the third round of the NCAA tournament.

Expect Seton Hall to be a fringe tournament team this year, with a real chance to take down the Cards and claim a marquee win. South Orange, New Jersey has never been too kind to the Cards, who will have to play a solid game coming off of a challenging match-up against Michigan State. The Pirates took one last year from the Cards at home, and Louisville will have to show some mental fortitude to go up north and get a win.

Prediction: Louisville 79, Seton Hall 71

More from Louisville Cardinals News

4. Tennessee– NIT Season Tip Off November 21st

Tennessee was really good last year, and they will be just as good this season. They bring back pretty much every piece from an SEC Championship in 2017, including the dynamic Grant Williams.

Rick Barnes is as solid as they come, and Tennessee will be looking to make a statement with a signature non-conference win.

Prediction: Louisville 78, Tennessee 75

3. Michigan State- November 27th

Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson are gone, but Michigan State will fill those holes with some key incoming pieces.

Nick Ward, Matt McQuaid, and Cassius Winston should be enough to make Michigan State a top 10 caliber team, but we will have to wait and see how they fare after the departure of their two most productive players.

Louisville and Michigan State have been trading wins and losses, and it’s the Cards’s turn to throw the next punch.

Prediction: Louisville 84, Michigan State 76

2. Kansas*- NIT Season Tip Off November 23rd

Again, a reminder that the Cards will likely have to beat Tennessee to face off against the Jayhawks. This Kansas team is likely to start the season ranked either No.1 or No. 2.

They lose Malik Newman and Devonte Graham, but the Jayhawks bring in a solid class along with a bevvy of transfer talent. Bill Self replaces Graham with Cal transfer Charlie Moore, and wings KJ Lawson and Dedric Lawson make them a serious title contender.

If the Cards do end up matching up against Kansas, it would be one of the toughest tasks they face all season.

Prediction: Louisville 68, Kansas 80

1. Kentucky- December 29th No surprise here, the Cats lose a ton from last season, but reloaded. They didn’t get their dream recruiting class, but supplemented their losses with Stanford grad transfer Reid Travis. He will be a handful, along with incoming freshmen Immanuel Quickly, Ashton Hagans, and Tyler Herro.

Factor in PJ Washington and you have a title contender once again. How Calipari makes everything mesh is always the question, but the Cards will have their hands full to end a brutal non-conference slate.

Prediction: Louisville 84, Kentucky 80

Home/Louisville Cardinals News