The No. 6 Louisville Cardinals will get back into the swing of the season after a much-needed Thanksgiving break as they travel to Bud Walton Arena to take on the No. 25 Arkansas Razorbacks. Not only is the game a top-25 matchup for the Cardinals, but it will also feature some familiar foes in coach John Calipari and the historically unsuccessful Kenny Payne. The test will be yet another obstacle that Pat Kelsey and crew will face early in the season, helping them prepare for the exciting March anticipated later this season.
Another win for the Cardinals, especially on the road against a top-25 opponent, will significantly strengthen their resume and should be a highly regarded win come March. The Cardinals have fared well so far with their aggressive schedule, posting their first 7-0 start to a season since 2019-2020. This win would be a massive addition to the record, as the Cardinals now enter an extremely tough four-game stretch facing No. 25 Arkansas, the No. 22 Indiana Hoosiers, the Memphis Tigers, and the No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers. Notching an early win to start this stretch would be a huge motivation tool for the remainder of this brutal schedule.
Here are three keys for the Cardinals in their quest for a victory against John Calipari, Kenny Payne, and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
3. Interior defense has to continue the intensity
One of the most welcome surprises so far for this Louisville basketball team has been their increased intensity on defense, especially in their last few outings. Louisville’s interior defense has seen a sharp uptick not only in rebounding battles (winning the previous two games 45-36 and 59-21, respectively), but also in its ability to protect the rim and block shots. The Cardinals recorded 12 blocks in their last two games, including 10 against Eastern Michigan.
Louisville will need more of the same type of presence as it faces a more physical Arkansas team. John Calipari’s teams constantly strive to be the more physical team and to attack the basket at all costs. This is no different this season and should be anticipated not only by the Louisville backcourt, but by the big guys down low. The Cardinals will need big games from Sananda Fru and Aly Khalifa to be the necessary enforcers down low. This could also be a huge spot for returning star Kasean Pryor to have his presence felt with the level of intensity he tends to play with. Pat Kelsey will undoubtedly have plenty of strong players to help him accomplish this task on Wednesday night.
2. 3-point shooters need to find their shot opportunities
Louisville’s incredible weapon all season long has been their increased ability to shoot the 3-point shot at a high percentage. This is thanks to the early success of transfer guards Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely, who are shooting 45.2 percent and 42.9 percent, respectively, to start the season. Their presence has been an absolute force for the offensive side of the ball, always having a threat to go off and have a big night if one seems to be struggling in a given game. Coach Pat Kelsey will lean on these two to ignite the offense from the outside as they have in each game so far this season.
Pat Kelsey’s vision last year in the portal is coming to fruition with the play of these two above. The historically elite play of these two, along with Mikel Brown Jr., to this point in the season has all of Card Nation excited for the prospects of what this offense and team can look like come March. Throw in that transfer guard Adrian Wooley appears to be coming into his own in his role and with the team, finding his outside shot once again, and this Louisville outside shooting ability can even improve on its current status. The Cardinals will need their deadly 3-point shooting on full display if they want to walk away with a win.
1. Mikel Brown Jr. needs to have a big game
Freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr.’s best game this season came in Louisville's biggest contest on arguably college basketball’s biggest stage to this point when Louisville knocked off Kentucky, where Brown had 29 points and officially showed that his NBA lottery status was warranted. The Cardinals will need a similar performance on a similar stage, one that warrants the need for a superstar to step up and take over the game if needed. Another big game, where all the eyes of college basketball will be watching in prime time, is a recipe for success and another massive game for the budding star.
Arkansas has already shown this season that it has struggled against stiff competition, as its two losses have come against ranked opponents. In their last outing, the Razorbacks faced the top-10 Duke Blue Devils and fell 80-71. In the game, the Razorbacks struggled mightily with containing the freshman Duke star Cameron Boozer, who ended the game with a whopping 35 points on 13/18 shooting. This type of performance from Boozer should be a welcoming sign for Brown, highlighting that the Razorbacks have struggled with superstar talent. Brown should have ample opportunity to not only create offense with his smooth passing, but also be the offense with his driving and outside shooting.