KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY
Tip-off: Wednesday, 7:00 pm ET
Line: N/A

#6 Kentucky looks for their fifth straight win over #10 Louisville in one of the most heated rivalries in college sports on Wednesday night.

Coach John Calipari’s Wildcats have won eight of the past nine encounters with Coach Rick Pitino’s Cardinals. The recent one-sidedness of this rivalry hasn’t dimmed the genuine dislike between the two fan bases in Lexington and Louisville that are less than 80 miles apart. Pitino is 5-12 as Louisville’s head man against Kentucky and 1-8 (1-7-1 ATS) against Calipari. Both teams enter Wednesday evening’s showdown at 10-1 with both losses coming to now-top 5 teams (Baylor, UCLA). This will be Kentucky’s first true road game of the season and it will be the first taste of the Bluegrass State battle for the Wildcats’ top five scorers. Coach Calipari has lost his first true road game of the season in five of his past seven seasons. If you believe in streak-busting: The Kentucky/Louisville rivalry has seen five game streaks end this season in women’s basketball (Louisville) and football (Kentucky). Last season’s affair was a 75-73 (UK -1.5) Wildcat win in Lexington, a furious Louisville second half comeback effort falling just short. Kentucky has won two of their last three in Louisville and the Cardinals haven’t covered in the series at home since 2002 (0-6 ATS). Louisville averages only 65.1 PPG in their past nine contests against Kentucky, only breaking 70 points twice. Their lone win against Calipari’s Wildcats was at home in 2012 (80-77, UK +7). Kentucky comes off a thrilling 103-100 (UK -1) win over #7 North Carolina in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Louisville has won five straight since losing to Baylor on Nov. 25. Included in that streak is a win over #15 Purdue (71-64, LOU -6) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Nov. 30. The Cardinals last three victories have all been at home, most recently on Saturday over Eastern Kentucky, 87-56 (LOU -26.5).

Once again Kentucky has a team loaded with young talent. Lone key returnee, sophomore G Isaiah Briscoe (15.9 PPG, 3.6 APG) doesn’t even have experience in this rivalry, as he pulled up lame with a pre-game injury in last season’s contest and didn’t play. Kentucky will be riding high after their thrilling 103-100 win over North Carolina, highlighted by the last three of Malik Monk’s 47 points falling through the net with 16 seconds left to seal the game. Monk (21.9 PPG, 50.3% FG) has been the offensive weapon that the Wildcats so desperately need this season amidst a roster of players who flourish in the open floor but struggle more in the half court. The explosive 6’3” freshman guard provides someone who can get (and make) their own shot at any time in the possession, and the only real three-point threat that Coach Calipari boasts. Fellow freshman backcourt mate, G De’Aaron Fox (15.9 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 7.2 APG) has been compared to a left-handed version of former Kentucky great, John Wall. Fox struggles with his jump shot but is explosive in the open floor and is the one Wildcat this season who plays ferocious defense. Defense, oddly enough, is the one area of this season’s Wildcats that has lagged far behind where John Calipari coached teams usually are at this stage. Kentucky has seen top flight opposition put up 97 and 100 points (UCLA, North Carolina) respectively. Both the Bruins and Tar Heels shot 53% from the field. Louisville doesn’t possess (on paper or on film) the depth of offensive weapons as those aforementioned opponents, but it’s clear that Kentucky will give you an opportunity to score (71.6 PPG, 154th NCAA). While Kentucky’s offense is definitely potent (95.2 PPG, 3rd NCAA), it’s partially built on having 80.9 possessions per game (5th NCAA). Their counterparts will want to slow the pace down, as Louisville is 171st nationally in pace. Up front, Kentucky will lean on F Edrice Adebayo (12.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG), another freshman. Adebayo is an energy player, but is also very raw. He’s scored in double-figures now in 8 straight games, but is also prone to early foul trouble which has kept him under 30 minutes in every game this season except one (UCLA).

For Louisville to get back in the winner’s circle for Pitino, the Cardinals will need to take advantage of the opportunities on offense that Kentucky has allowed against fellow high-caliber foes. Can Donovan Mitchell (11.7 PPG, 37.5% FG), Quentin Snider (11 PPG, 32% FG), and Deng Adel (9.7 PPG, 35.5% FG) capitalize on open perimeter looks? Unfortunately the numbers aren’t overwhelming for the perimeter leaders on Pitino’s Cardinals. Louisville excels putting the ball in the basket through second-chance points (45.0 RPG, 5th NCAA; 16 ORPG, 6th NCAA). The Cardinals will have an edge in the paint with their depth and athleticism on the front line featuring F Jaylen Johnson (9.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG) and Mangok Mathiang (6.7 PPG, 7.2 RPG). Unlike Kentucky, which experiences a drop off in frontcourt production if Adebayo is out, Louisville can mix and match amongst four players who average over one block per game, all of whom also play 18 minutes per game or more. Louisville blocks 12.7% of all shots (2nd NCAA). This will bode well against an opponent like Kentucky who, similar to Louisville, can struggle from long range. Coach Pitino’s main focus would seem to be to find a way to slow down Malik Monk, the one player who can make Louisville’s defense pay over the top. Mitchell, at 6’3”, 200lbs has the same measurable as Monk and boasts 2.5 steals per game, but Louisville has struggled with big-time scorers in the past this season. Grand Canyon University’s DeWayne Russell went off for 42 points on Dec. 4 against the Cardinals on 14-for-27 FG (11-for-16 FT). Russell, at 5’11”, controlled the pace of the game as a scoring point guard. If Mitchell is assigned to follow Monk all over the floor, Snider will have to more effectively funnel De’Aaron Fox and Isaiah Briscoe into the intimidating Louisville interior defense, since both are so adept at finishing at the rim when given the opportunity.