Kentucky Wildcats vs. Louisville Cardinals: The Match Ups
Dec 22, 2012; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Alex Poythress (22) shoots the ball against Marshall Thundering Herd guard Chris Martin (0) in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Marshall 82-54. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Power Forward:
Alex Poythress- 14.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.7 bpg
Chane Behanan- 10.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 0.2 bg
Alex Poythress stands at 6-7 and Chane Behanan stands at 6-6. Poythress has the size advantage and the skill advantage. If Alex could ever put it all together, he could be the best player in the country. But the question is when will he do it. He has an outside shot to go with his inside game, shooting 46% from beyond the arch. He has all of the ability and size in the world, but many, including his own coach, question his effort. Behanan is a work horse and was the stand out player for the Cardinals during their Final Four run. His problem is his size, as he is small for his position. Plus his mouth writes checks that he and his team sometimes can’t cash. That’s why Rick Pitino put him on a media ban until after the Christmas break. This really shouldn’t be a contest. If Poythress shows up to play, which is questionable, he should be too much for Behanan to handle.
Center:
Nerlens Noel– 10.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 3.7 bpg
Stephan Van Treese- 2.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.4 bpg
This is match up is the heavy favorite for Kentucky. Noel has progressed into one of the top centers in the country and fills up the stat sheet every game. He is averaging near a double-double, and his stats are much closer to Anthony Davis’ from last season that people like to give him credit for. He should destroy Van Treese down low. But here is where there is an issue. He won’t be facing Van Treese. He will also see Zach Price and Gorgui Dieng. Noel should have no issues with price, but Dieng is the wild card. Kentucky better take advantage of the fact that Dieng has not played basketball in a month and may not be in game playing condition. Plus, how healthy is his wrist? Conflicting reports stated that he would not be 100% until a game or two after the Kentucky game. But that won’t stop Pitino from trotting him out there. I’m still not worried even if Gorgui does play. He has wilted whenever playing against a player of equal size and ability. Whether it is Patric Young, Jack Cooley, Anthony Davis, or any other talented big man, Gorgui always seems to disappear. Noel could make a statement.
Other Players to Watch for:
Kyle Wiltjer- 11.4 ppg, 5 rpg, 0.5 bpg
Wiltjer will be an X factor for the Wildcats. His scoring from the outside could be a match up problem for UofL. But if he isn’t hitting those three pointers, he can be a liability on defense. If Wiltjer can make five to eight threes, then Kentucky will win. But if he isn’t hitting, he might as well stay on the bench.
Willie Cauley-Stein- 7.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2 bpg
Caule-Stein could produce major problems for Louisville. The athletic big man can extend his defense from the middle and runs the court as well as any center in the country. A line up with WCS, Poythress and Noel on the floor at the same time would cause the Cardinals to shoot from the outside, which is a major weakness of this team. Expect to see the Twin Towers clogging up the lane early and often.
Motrezl Harrell- 6.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.9 bpg
Harrell is a beast but he’s been overshadowed by Chane Behanan as of late. The thought early in the season was that Harrell could challenge Behanan early for the starting spot due to a two game suspension. But when Behanan returned, the job was his. But still, Harrell provides the Cards with a very athletic and strong big man that is able to throw down monstrous dunks. If Behnan has trouble with Poythress, Harrell will provide a troubling match up.
Lucke Hancock- 6.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2 apg
Rick Pitino hyped Hancock as the best player on the team last season. The problem is that Hacock was a transfer and was not able to play. Pitino pumped him up based on what he saw at practice. We talkin’ bout practice. Needless to say Hancock has been a huge disappointment Cards fans have taken to booing him on a few occasions and he lost his starting job. He was supposed to be a knock down three point shooter but is a dismal 28% from beyond the arch. I doubt Hancock will give the Cats much trouble.
Don’t let Cardinal fans or the pundits fool you, this is as evenly matched of a game as there has been in recent years. As you can see by the numbers, the teams are almost mirror images of one another. I expect this to be a close, defensive game. I also expect Louisville’s shooting woes to be taken advantage of.
If Kentucky can get to an eight point lead early, the crowd will be taken out of the game and the Rick Pitino’s team will start jacking up threes to get back in it and to try and ignite the Chicken Bucket. But that’s only if Kentucky has matured since the awful outing against Notre Dame.
My prediction: Kentucky 64-63 in a nail-biter.
Go Cats. Beat Louisville.