Game day central: Louisville basketball looks to stay hot vs. Georgia Tech

Keys to the game

Georgia Tech’s health

Perhaps the biggest storyline for the Jackets entering this game is the health of their star players. Three massive contributors- Michael Devoe, Jose Alvarado, and Evan Cole- all sat out practice on Monday.

While Alvarado and Cole are expected to give it a go on Wednesday, Devoe is a huge question mark. Tech’s prized recruit from the 2018 class and their leading scorer, Devoe is arguably their most important player.

If Devoe is unable to go, there is a huge talent and experience disparity behind him in Khalid Moore and Asanti Price.

Georgia Tech needs Devoe to be a full-go to truly take a stab at winning this game.

Louisville must come out strong against Tech’s zone

Georgia Tech’s record may be a bit deceiving, but make no bones about it, the Yellow Jackets are a talented team, and it all starts with their defense.

Ken Pomeroy’s 35th ranked D, the Jackets don’t mind one bit mucking a game up in an effort to make things interesting late.

Louisville’s goal is going to be to disrupt that from the jump, and that all starts with coming out focused and ready for the challenge that Georgia Tech’s defense provides.

Tech used a 2-3. 1-3-1, and man-to-man in their recent upset big against Duke, forcing the Blue Devils to shoot over them, and doubling down to challenge their bigs at the rim early and often.

Tech utilized a 2-3 zone almost exclusively last season against the Cardinals, and they found ways around it. However, Louisville was hot from beyond the arc early in that contest, and they shouldn’t rely on a good shooting night to pull away to what is supposed to be an inferior opponent.

The Cardinals must get out in transition

The best way for Louisville to avoid a defensive stalemate is for the Cardinals to continue what they did in their previous game and get out in transition.

For a team that was largely built upon jumping passing lanes and being the aggressor for 94 feet all game, it was tough for players like Darius Perry, Dwayne Sutton, and Ryan McMahon to learn to play within Mack’s defense. However, the full capabilities of his philosophy came to fruition on Saturday early on when Louisville let the defense flow into them and then got active with their hands.

The Cardinals can do the same with Devoe (if healthy), Alvarado, Moore, and company on Wednesday. Tech has a propensity to turn the ball over, and their eight main rotation players cough it up 17.4 times per game. If Louisville can limit their offensive possessions, it will lead to a ton of easy run-outs for the Cards.

Predictions

Louisville 73, Georgia Tech 61

• Jordan Nwora reaches 20 points
• Malik Williams records a double-double
• Fresh Kimble dishes out 5+ assists