Louisville basketball vs. Georgia Tech gameday primer
For some reason, Louisville basketball is back in action for an early Monday afternoon game against Georgia Tech. There is a sense of urgency in the air for Louisville fans wanting much more out of their beloved program right now.
The Cardinals have dropped two of their last three games. And, now, are up against a Georgia Tech team that just handled a Florida State team that had been playing as good of basketball as anyone in the entire country.
Star sophomore David Johnson is just one player that has been struggling a fair bit for Louisville as he tries to rediscover his game after a hot stretch earlier in the season. Johnson has shot under 40 percent from the field in four of the past five games and his confidence in his three-point shot seems to be hanging by a thread after he appeared to take a massive step in the right direction with it this season. Much of the success of the team depends on him.
This is a hugely important week for Louisville as they face Georgia Tech, Syracuse, and Virginia; all three such teams are potential NCAA tournament squads.
Georgia Tech is just the first leg of the week and an opportunity for Louisville to stand their ground.
Let’s preview a key matchup between Louisville and Georgia Tech
Who: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-5) at Louisville Cardinals (10-4)
Where: KFC Yum! Center; Louisville, Kentucky
When: Monday, Feb. 1, at 2pm eastern time
Spread: Louisville -4.5
TV: ACC Network
Important links
Projected starting lineups (via gocards.com)
Louisville Cardinals (10-4, 5-3)
F 11 Quinn Slazinski 6-8 215 So. Houston, Texas
‘F 14 Dre Davis 6-5 220 Fr. Indianapolis, Ind.
C 24 Jae’Lyn Withers 6-8 215 R-Fr. Charlotte, N.C.
G 1 Carlik Jones 6-1 185 Gr. Cincinnati, Ohio
G 13 David Johnson 6-5 210 So. Louisville, Ky
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (8-5, 4-3)
F 4 Jordan Usher 6-7 213 Sr. Canton, Ga.
F 5 Moses Wright 6-9 233 Sr. Raleigh, N.C.
G 0 Michael Devoe 6-5 197 Jr. Orlando, Fla.
G 3 Bubba Parham 5-10 160 Sr. Snellville, Ga.
G 10 Jose Alvarado 6-0 179 Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y
Players to watch for Louisville
G David Johnson – As was mentioned earlier, Johnson is a player with all of the upside in the world. Louisville fans know the potential he has to hit a hot streak at any time. But he’s having too many cold spells right now to feel comfortable with his play. A projected NBA lottery pick like himself needs to pull his game together quickly.
F Jae’Lyn Withers – Withers will be a key responsibility for guarding Georgia Tech forward Moses Wright. Withers is still trying to find consistency as an offensive player, but he is Louisville’s best rebounder. He is another player that has all-world potential despite playing out-of-position.
G Carlik Jones – He had his first off game where he never heated up against Clemson. As the old man of the group, Jones needs to bounce back in a big way if they want to beat Georgia Tech.
Final thoughts
This is a huge week for Louisville basketball to make a statement as it pertains to their standing in the conference. The team is a relatively unknown commodity in the ACC right now. A win in this game would be important, but Georgia Tech is frankly playing better basketball right now than Louisville.
Two teams trending in opposite directions does not seem to fare very well for the team trending the wrong way. Georgia Tech lacks high quality depth so forcing them into foul trouble would instantly cause them issues.
The top three of Alvarado, Wright, and Usher is as strong as they come in the conference.
Score prediction
Louisville 71, Georgia Tech 70
This game feels like a real toss-up. The teams are both inconsistent. Louisville is the desperate team while Georgia Tech is the team playing better in recent games.
A solid game by David Johnson would go a long way in this one.