Louisville basketball: 3 bold predictions vs. Clemson
By Jacob Lane
Looking to bounce back from their frustrating loss to Georgia Tech, we give our boldest predictions for Louisville basketball vs. Clemson.
It’s been an interesting couple of days for Louisville basketball after they suffered their first loss since ripping off 10-straight games in ACC play against Georgia Tech.
A loss in ACC play is no big deal, it happens. When you play in one of the country’s best conferences and get matchups with really good teams each and every night, it’s not crazy to drop a game here or there.
But Wednesday night wasn’t just any regular game. It was supposed to be a game where Louisville turned it on from the start and never looked back, at least that’s how I saw it.
Louisville struggled mightily with Georgia Tech during their first meeting on January 22nd in a game that seemed to wake the Cards up. It took a rough first half for Louisville to punch back but it ended in a victory and it was onto the next.
Another slow start stimied Lousiville early and led to them getting down by as many as 11 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. Thanks to solid play from their bench, in particular from big man Malik Williams and David Johnson, Louisville was able to climb back into things but ultimately wasn’t enough.
As if a loss was enough, it came in a game where Louisville’s star player Jordan Nwora was irrelevant from start to finish. His intensity wasn’t anywhere near the level that it had been in previous games where he had starred offensively and it led to poor defensive play and ultimately a trip to the bench during crunch time.
Jordan Nwora and the entire Louisville program will look to bounce back against a fairly average Clemson team who they defeated 80-62 just a few Saturday’s ago. The Tigers come into Saturday’s matchup having won their last game in blowout fashion over Pittsburgh after losing three straight tough games.
Clemson will be looking to take advantage of what Georgia Tech exposed on Wednesday night when the Cardinals come to town and without the right mental capacity, the Cards could struggle again.
What do I expect to happen? Here are my three bold predictions for the Cards vs. Clemson.
Who: Louisville Cardinals at Clemson Tigers
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, South Carolina
When: Saturday, February 15th at 4:00 PM ET
How to watch: ACC Network
Spectrum 524 and 937
DirecTV 612
Spread check: TBD