No. 13 Louisville basketball aims to end losing streak when it hosts Miami

G Samuell Williamson, Louisville

The most highly touted freshman of the Super Six, many people expected more out of five-star Samuell Williamson. At this point, he hasn’t been spectacular but he’s shown flashes of what the hype around him was all about. Eventually, it looks like Williamson will develop into a primary scoring option in Louisville. Until then, Chris Mack needs him to be a primary bench contributor. Williamson is one of the guys who can help rebuild the Cardinal offense into a more balanced, effective attack. We saw what he can do if given the opportunity to shine (Bellarmine exhibition).

In the regular season, Williamson hasn’t played as much and he hasn’t been producing as a result. He hasn’t scored more than five points in a single game since November 17th. He hasn’t even scored in the last two games, although much of that can be attributed to him playing a combined 16 minutes. Still, Louisville needs more out of their entire team, and it can start with Samuell Williamson. He’s going to look for a repeat of what he did against Miami in their first matchup when he scored 13 points on 6 of 9 shooting from the field.

G Chris Lykes, Miami

Chris Lykes is an impact scoring star who can really change the complexion of the game when he’s playing well. He scored 18 points on 15 shots against the Cards in November, but they did a relatively solid job of containing him. Lykes only scored four points in the first 34 minutes of the game, and he got all of his other points when the Cards starters were on the bench in the final 6 minutes.

If Lykes can get into the lane and create his own shots against the Louisville guards, he could make it admirably easier for the Hurricanes offense. He’s undersized but he makes up for it with his quickness and ability to get past defenders. I’m not sure what to make of it but the Cards will be getting Lykes fresh off his worst game of the season. Against the second-ranked Duke Blue Devils, the junior guard only managed to score 8 points on 2 for 15 shooting from the field. The Cards have a great shot to win this game if Lykes shoots that poorly again, but it’s highly unlikely due to his talent.

C Steven Enoch, Louisville

If there’s one guy that has single-handedly been the main secondary option alongside Jordan Nwora, it’s been, Steven Enoch. Enoch has developed as an inside scorer who can still step outside and knock down a three-pointer. He’s still inconsistent at times, but the entire Louisville team seems to be. He splits minutes with Malik Williams, but Enoch is a really important player that the Cards need to lean on more as we get into the deep parts of conference play.

I know that the offense isn’t set up to a point where Steven can be the focal point, but I’d like to see the senior center get more touches in the paint. Enoch had a solid game when the Cards first faced Miami in November, as he racked up a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. He also recorded a block in that one and went 5 for 7 from the field. He compiled all of these stats in just 19 minutes of action. He’s going to be looking to have a big game as he matches up with one of the bigger centers in the entire Atlantic Coast Conference in Rodney Miller Jr..