Points of Emphasis: Louisville vs. Prairie View A&M

Here are the more significant storylines to follow ahead of Louisville's men's basketball's matchup with the Prairie View A&M Panthers.

(Photo of Carlik Jones, JJ Traynor: Scott Utterback/Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Thanks to some clutch plays and a little bit of luck, the Louisville men's basketball program passed their first test of the season. Louisville utilized a pair of late free throws from JJ Traynor as well as a missed one from Seton Hall with 0.7 left in order to escape with a 71-70 victory over the Pirates. Continuing their five game home-stand to begin to 2020-21 season, Louisville now prepares for Prairie View A&M. Tipoff is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 29th at 6:00pm EST, and can be viewed on your Regional Sports Network.

Here are a couple of the more significant storylines to follow ahead of Cardinals' matchup with the Panthers:

Roster Overhaul

Despite being ranked as the No. 213 team in the country according to KenPom.com a season ago, Prairie View A&M still had a moderately successful season. Their 19-13 record clinched the Southwestern Athletic Conference regular season crown, and head coach Byron Smith was named the SWAC Coach of the Year.

The problem is, almost none of their top players are coming back.

SWAC Player of the Year forward Devonte Patterson graduated, as did First Team All-SWAC guard Gerard Andrus (15.4 points, 5.5 rebounds). In fact, Prairie View A&M lost their five top scorers, with guard Faite Williams' 4.9 points per game their high-returning production.

Fortunately for the Panthers, Williams seems to have taken a step forward through two games. In Prairie View A&M's 71-66 loss to Little Rock and 64-61 win over Evansville, Williams is averaging 11.0 points with a high of 18.

Junior guards Jawaun Daniels & D'Rell Roberts have also taken steps forward, as they are averaging 13.5 & 13.0 points per game respectively so far in this young season.

Coughing It Up

Heading into their matchup with Louisville, Prairie View A&M is rated as the No. 313 team in the country according to KenPom. But, if there is going to be *any* chance that the Panthers pull off the momentous upset, it'll be because of their ability to force turnovers.

The Panthers forced 17.72 turnovers per game last season, a mark good for 7th in the nation, as well as 8.7 steals which was 14th nationally. According to KenPom.com, they forced a turnover on 23.7% of their opponent's possessions, good for 10th in D1.

Two games into the new season, and this style of play has still held up even with a nearly completely new roster. The Panthers forced 19 turnovers in the loss to Little Rock, and 15 in their win against Evansville.

The Hits Keep Coming

Louisville was already dealing with a thin roster heading into the season. Forward/center Malik Williams is out twelve weeks with a foot injury, guard Charles Minlend is out six weeks with a knee injury, and guard Josh Nickelberry has been day-to-day also with a knee injury.

In Louisville's win against Seton Hall, the injury but once again paid a visit to the Cardinals.

Just a few minutes into the second half against the Pirates, forward Samuell Williamson limped to the locker room after suffering what appeared to be a leg injury. Just a few short minutes later, it was declared that the sophomore would be out for the rest of the game with a right toe injury.

If Williamson is forced to miss any extended amount of time, the Cardinals would be down to just eight scholarship players. That might not mean much against Prairie View A&M, but with Western Kentucky, UNC Greensboro & No. 9 Wisconsin on the horizon, Louisville could be due for a rough stretch.

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