Louisville, Ky – November 9, 2024 – Aidan King
The Louisville Cardinals hosted the Tennessee Volunteers for the 2nd home game of the season. The Vols come into the game ranked 12th in the nation after defeating Gardner-Webb (80-64) in their first game. Louisville is coming off a win, defeating Morehead State (93-45). This will be Cards head coach Pat Kelsey’s first-ranked matchup in Louisville. Kelsey has convinced Cardinal fans that basketball is back in Louisville. The crowd was electric and ready for some action.
The Cardinals started slow with 3 straight turnovers—Tennessee’s defense smothering the ball in a tough-man defensive scheme. With the Card’s offense struggling to get started, their defense truly shined through; the Cardinals played a tight-man defense and switched in and out of a full-court press that made it hard for the Vols to gain momentum. The Vols scored 10 unanswered points before Reyne Smith drained a 3 to get the Cardinals rolling. Early in the game, the Cardinals lacked consistency in their offense, often holding the ball too long or taking contested 3s; however, with time, the offense will start clicking. Vols led (40-26) despite the offense setbacks at the half.
Coming out of the half, the Cards finally seem to wake up. Multiple stretches with a Cardinal 3, then a Vol offensive foul took place, and the Yum Center would roar. However, like the first half, Tennessee would match the Cardinals with every shot. Little mistakes by the Cards were the name of the game; the Cardinals would make a big play and then blunder on the next play.
Final score: Vols win (77-55)
Cardinal Offense never fully got warmed up; Pat Kelsey’s game plan consisted of a very fast pace of play. Louisville plays at its best in transition and early in the shot clock. The Cards would show sparks of what they can do throughout the game but never caught their footing. One thing Louisville fans need to understand is Tennessee has one of the best defenses in the country, and the Cards played above average; they should be fine in ACC play. The best offensive player was Reyne Smith with 18 points, 5-13 inside the arc, and 4-12 from 3.
On defense, the Cardinals look solid. Cards play an aggressive man-to-man scheme and often switch it to a full-court press or half-court trap. The pace at which Louisville plays defense matters; they force the opposing team into awkward shots or straight-up turnovers. This team is more defense-oriented; they will again be fine in ACC play. No one player stood out on the defensive side of the ball; however, everyone played with a sense of urgency that was needed.