Louisville basketball aims to declaw upset-minded Clemson

Match-ups to watch

Steven Enoch/Malik Williams vs. Aamir Simms

As far as I am concerned, this is the match-up of the game.

A red hot Malik Williams, a consistent, steady Steven Enoch going up against Aamir Simms, who is absolutely en fuego at the moment.

It will be interesting to see what strategy Louisville employs to try and stop Simms. It would seem like Williams is the obvious answer to a lanky, versatile center who can hit the three ball but, on the other end, Enoch could draw a big-time mismatch with Simms guarding him in the post.

It has been a while since Enoch has really been able to establish his post game. Could this be a prime opportunity to try to force the opponent into foul trouble and take advantage of a mismatch all game long?

If Louisville can effectively take Simms out of the game, they stand a great chance of coming away victorious.

Jordan Nwora offensive production vs. Jordan Nwora not impacting other areas of the game

Which Jordan Nwora shows up? The one who isn’t worried about his shot falling and gives 100 percent effort everywhere else. Or the Jordan Nwora who hangs his head when things don’t go his way?

Louisville has found ways to win without their star player providing a big impact, especially against the Cards last two opponents, Georgia Tech and Duke. Nwora is a combined 6/23 in those two games, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing that Louisville has had to figure it out with their star player struggling as that can only help long-term.

However, Nwora has to step up and play at the ACC Player of the Year and National All-American level we all know he’s capable of. Not hitting shots is no excuse to forget about other things that have an impact on winning like defense, rebounding, and passing, and when Nwora isn’t playing great offensively he has to find a way to stay engaged.

I think Nwora is in line for a big game against Clemson but he has to get out of his own way to do so.

Louisville’s rebounding vs. Clemson’s rebounding

Louisville will have a very noticeable size advantage when they take on the Tigers on Saturday, and that means that they must win the rebounding battle. I’ve said it for quite some time, but when rebounding at the level they are capable of there aren’t many teams better in the country than Louisville.

However, size advantages haven’t made a huge difference over Louisville’s previous games against Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, and Miami- all teams the Cardinals should dominate on the boards.

Clemson’s rebounding, however, is a glaring weakness overall. The Tigers rank 286th in the country in team rebounds, while allowing the 97th-most to opponents. Meanwhile, the Cardinals rebound at the 67th-highest rate.

The Tigers run a lot of 2-3 zone defense, which makes it difficult to rebound out of because it’s tough to put a body on the opponent when one’s “man” is not always in the vicinity.

The Cardinals will rely on their bigs as well as Nwora and Sutton to crash the glass and pick up some second-chance opportunities.

Predictions

Presley Meyer

Louisville 81, Clemson 65

• Louisville outrebounds Clemson by double digits
• Samuell Williamson scores in double figures
• Malik Williams records a double-double

Jacob Lane

Louisville 68, Clemson 59

• Steven Enoch and Malik Williams post a double-double
• David Johnson leads the team in scoring
• Ryan McMahon hits three threes