Louisville basketball is taking on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, and the Cardinals are seeking their third straight win. Louisville overcame its slow start against Notre Dame last game as the Cardinals' frontcourt gave Pat Kelsey’s squad a huge boost, with Sananda Fru, Khani Rooths, and Kasean Pryor combining for 32 points.
Part of the reason Pryor got some playing time was that the Cards' starting power forward, J’Vonne Hadley, played just three minutes before he was shut down for the remainder of the game. Cardinals fans saw their injury report late last night, and Hadley was the only player on it. They received good news as he is listed as probable. However, just this morning, he got downgraded and is now listed as a game-time decision.
Is J'Vonne Hadley playing against Wake Forest?
Kelsey announced after the game on Wednesday that Hadley had taken a big fall in practice earlier in the week, which had caused him some back pain. While he was listed as probable last night, he was also listed as probable in the previous game before playing just three minutes.
With Hadley getting downgraded just hours before tipoff, and with Wake Forest being 2-7 against ACC teams this year and 11-11 on the year, the Cardinals might turn to Rooths and Pryor to step up this afternoon. Louisville is the heavy favorite going into this afternoon’s matchup, making it seem like it wouldn’t be shocking if the Cardinals give more time to Rooths and Pryor again, and let Hadley get healthy, as they have a huge game against North Carolina State next week.
Louisville fans saw how long a back injury can keep a player out, as Mikel Brown Jr. was out for over a month. Hadley is essential to this team and its postseason run, so it's crucial not to rush his timeline. As for now, the forward is a game-time decision, with tipoff just an hour away.
The Cardinals and the Demon Deacons are tipping off at noon local time inside the LJVM Coliseum, from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
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