Mark Pope says Louisville plays "really aggressive"

The Cardinals can be very disruptive on both ends.

Nov 22, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope smiles during the second half against the Jackson State Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky is getting ready for the rivalry matchup with Louisville on Saturday in Rupp Arena, and they are ready for everything that comes with it. In rivalry games there is always a lot of physicality from both teams. Louisville is going to bring an aggressive style on both ends of the floor when the two teams face off.

The Cardinals play very disruptive on the defensive end and a very aggressive style on offense. Mark Pope knows just how aggressive they are, and says they can be a dangerous team to face.

"They can be super disruptive. They're really aggressive. Chucky (Hepburn) is playing at an elite level. He's a veteran, veteran guy. He causes so much chaos on the defensive end and also causes chaos on the offensive end. It kind of feels like they're 6'6'' across the frontline. Guys that can shoot it, drive it, make decisions, play, and have some real physicality to the game. Then they've got some real length. You think about playing Noah (Waterman) at 6'11'' at the three, the four, and the five, everything he can do. They're a terrific team with massive upside. They're really, really dangerous. I think that's how they feel is super dangerous on any given night. When all the pieces come together, they can be a really, really dangerous team."

- Pope on Louisville.

Louisville guard Chucky Hepburn, as Pope mentioned, is a catalyst for the Cardinals on the defensive end, especially. He is 2nd in the nation in steals per game, averaging 3.2 per game, and is 3rd in total steals with 32 on the season. He'll look to make things happen, but they also turn the ball over a lot on offense, averaging 13.1 turnovers per game. Both teams can feed off turnovers when they square off.

It's Cats and Cards in Rupp Arena at 5:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.