Louisville Cardinals to Face Montana Grizzlies in First-Ever Matchup
The Louisville Cardinals (9-2) are set to host the Montana Grizzlies (6-6) in a non-conference basketball game at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. This will be the first time the two teams have ever played each other.
The game is scheduled to tip off at Noon and will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra.
Louisville enters the game as the heavy favorite.
Team Overviews
Louisville Cardinals:
The Cardinals have had a strong start to the season. Key players to watch include guards Adrian Wooley, Isaac McKneely, and Ryan Conwell, forward J’Vonne Hadley, and center Sananda Fru.
Montana Grizzlies:
The Grizzlies come into the game after a recent upset loss to NAIA school Montana Tech. However, they have also shown flashes of brilliance this season, including a road victory over UNLV and a close game against Texas A&M. The Grizzlies are led by junior guard Money Williams, who is averaging 19.4 points and 6.1 assists per game. Other key players include Te’Jon Sawyer and Brooklyn Hicks.
Keys to the Game
For Louisville:
- Control the paint: The Cardinals have a significant size advantage over the Grizzlies and should look to exploit this on both ends of the court.
- Defend the perimeter: Montana is a good shooting team from three-point range, so Louisville will need to make sure to close out on shooters and contest shots.
- Limit Turnovers: Taking care of the ball will be key for Louisville to control the tempo of the game and prevent easy scoring opportunities for Montana.
For Montana:
- Money Williams needs to have a big game: As the team’s leading scorer and playmaker, Williams’ performance will be crucial for the Grizzlies to have a chance at an upset.
- Continue shooting well from three: The Grizzlies need to maintain their strong three-point shooting percentage to keep the game close and put pressure on Louisville’s defense.
- Limit turnovers: Montana struggles with turnovers, and they cannot afford to give Louisville easy points.
- Find ways to get Defensive stops: The Grizzlies will need to be disruptive on defense and find ways to force Louisville into tough shots.
Facts and Figures
- Louisville is very successful when playing a team for the first time.
- Louisville has a strong record against non-conference opponents at home.
- Montana has struggled against ranked opponents throughout its history.
- Montana is not good in road games against top 25 teams.
- Louisville has a perfect record when scoring 90 or more points at home.
- Montana is better when they commit fewer turnovers than their opponent.
- Louisville is undefeated under coach Pat Kelsey when leading with five minutes left in the game.
- Louisville has won many consecutive games when holding an opponent under 50 points.
Prediction
Louisville’s size, talent, and home-court advantage will likely be too much for Montana to overcome. However, if Montana can shoot well from three-point range and limit turnovers, they could make the game interesting.
