Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Cardinals are heading to South Bend for a rematch with the Fighting Irish.

Louisville Cardinals (11-12, 5-8 ACC) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (16-7, 9-3 ACC)

- Tipoff: Wednesday, February 9th at 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Ind.
- How To Watch: ESPNU
- How To Listen: WKRD 790 AM
- Betting Favorite: Notre Dame -9.0 (KenPom)
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 26-16
- Last Meeting: Notre Dame won 82-70 on Jan. 22, 2022 (KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

• F Dre Davis (6-6, 210, So.)
• F Matt Cross (6-7, 210, So.)
• C Sydney Curry (6-8, 270, Jr.)
• G Noah Locke (6-3, 210, Sr.)
• G Mason Faulkner (6-1, 185, Gr.)

Notre Dame

• F Nate Laszewski (6-10, 235, Sr.)
• F Paul Atkinson, Jr. (6-9, 230, Gr.)
• G Blake Wesley (6-5, 185, Fr.)
• G Prentiss Hubb (6-3, 175, Sr.)
• G Dane Goodwin (6-6, 208, Sr.)

Main Storylines

Here are the more significant storylines to follow ahead of Louisville's matchup with Notre Dame: Points of Emphasis: Louisville vs. Notre Dame

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Fighting Irish, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of The Tape & Prediction: Louisville vs. Notre Dame

Game Notes

Louisville

• Louisville fell 92-69 at Syracuse on Feb. 5 as the Orange shot 55.2 percent from the field, including 12-of-23 three pointers (.522), only the fourth team to shoot 50 percent or above from the field against the Cardinals. Jae’Lyn Withers led UofL with 13 points, his first time leading the Cardinals in scoring this season, the ninth different player to lead UofL in scoring, and the fifth straight game Louisville’s leading scorer has come off the bench.
• El Ellis has scored in double figures in the last three games, including a career-high 25 vs. North Carolina. He is averaging 11.1 points per game over the last 10 games -- tops for the Cardinals in that stretch while hitting 18-of-43 threes (.417), including 17.7 ppg in the last three.
• Sydney Curry has scored 67 points in his last seven games after combining for 33 points over his first 12 games this season (8 pts., 10 reb., 3 assists at Syracuse). He is averaging 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds over his last seven games.
• Jae’Lyn Withers has averaged 8.0 points and 4.3 rebounds over the last six games while 48.6 percent shooting, scoring in double figures in three of those six. He averaged 4.2 points in the first 17 games of the season.
• Jarrod West needs five assists for 500 in his career. Mason Faulkner handed out his 500th career assist at Syracuse. Faulkner is third in the ACC in assist-turnover ratio (2.68) while West is sixth (2.29). West is third in the nation in career steals among active players with 286.
• Louisville has averaged 29.3 points per game from its bench this season. The Cardinals have had 29 double-figure scoring efforts off the bench this season, including three at Syracuse. Louisville’s bench has contributed 30 or more bench points on 12 occasions this season (36-14 bench scoring advantage at Syracuse). The Cards are 15th in the nation in bench minutes (42.2 percent).
• Louisville made 10 three-pointers at Syracuse, its 11th game this season and fifth straight with at least eight made threes. The Cardinals made a season-high 15 three-pointers against North Carolina two games ago, its most in eight years and a span of 257 games.
• Louisville grabbed 12 offensive rebounds at Syracuse, its third straight game with at least 10
• Louisville used its 11th different starting lineup against North Carolina
• Louisville has averaged just 9.9 turnovers over its last seven games. The Cardinals have committed single-digit turnovers, in three of its last five games, and four of the last seven, but had 14 turnovers at Syracuse
• Louisville’s leading scorer has come from the bench 11 times this season, including the last five straight
• The Cardinals grabbed 11 offensive rebounds against North Carolina, their 10th game with at least 10 this season
• Opponents have shot nearly 10 percentage points higher against the Cardinals in their 12 losses (.471) than in their 11 victories (.372) ...

Notre Dame

• Notre Dame is the first team in the nation this season to have five 1,000 career point scorers on its roster - Paul Atkinson Jr., Dane Goodwin, Prentiss Hubb, Trey Wertz and Nate Laszewski.
• With nine wins in their first 12 ACC games, the 2021-22 team has matched the 2014-15 squad for the best start to ACC competition in program history.
• KenPom.com's adjusted defensive efficiency ranking of 64th for Notre Dame is the best for the Irish since they finished the 2016-17 season 61st.
• Notre Dame has held its last five ACC opponents to 65 points or less - the best streak for the program since it joined the league in 2013-14. The Irish have also held six ACC opponents to 65-or-less this season, the 2014-15 season owns the most with seven such games.
• Dane Goodwin:
• Has established himself as one of the most efficient and skilled scorers in the country.
• The only major conference player in the nation with 14.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .500 FG, .400 3FG, .850 FT numbers.
• Has scored in double figures in 22 of 23 games this season.
• ACC Co-Player of the Week (12/27/21) who has become an All-ACC level guard this season.
• Blake Wesley:
• One of two true freshmen in the country with 300 points, 70 rebounds, 60 assists and 25 steals (Dillon Jones, Weber State).
• National Freshman of the Week on January 10 (CBSSports/BWAA) and three-time ACC Freshman of the Week (including this week).
• In his first career start in Purcell Pavilion, hit the game-winning jump shot with :12 left to defeat No. 10/12 Kentucky.
• Paul Atkinson, Jr:
• Averaged 17 pts and 10 reb in three games last week to earn ACC Player of the Week accolades.
• Turned in his best game in an Irish uniform with 23 points and 11 rebounds at Miami, shooting 11-of-16 from the field.
• 2019-20 Ivy League Player of the Year at Yale, did not participate in 2020-21 as the Ivy League canceled all intercollegiate athletics.
• Ranked by ESPN+ as the fourth-best transfer prospect in 2020-21.
• Prentiss Hubb:
• Leads the country in assist/turnover ratio in conference games (6.1).
• Has continued his penchant for game-winning plays this season, securing the win over Virginia on Saturday with two free throws at :04 remaining; a driving lay up with :19 left to be the game-sealing basket at Howard (his first game back at the DMV after playing he area during his prep career) and the game-winning jumper at Pittsburgh with :05 left.
• Preseason All-ACC Second Team.
• Nate Laszewski:
• Suffered a leg bruise in the first half at NC State that limited him to just five minutes played.
• Became the 67th player in Notre Dame men’s basketball history to surpass 1,000 career points against Duke.
• Led ND to victory over NC State with 18 pts, 11 reb, including a personal 8-0 run to erase a five point deficit early in the second half.
• Scored over 20 points four times last season and has six 20-point games in his career.

(Photo of Prentiss Hubb, Noah Locke: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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