Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. North Carolina Tar Heels

The Cardinals return home in hopes of claiming their first ACC win against the league's preseason favorites.

North Carolina Tar Heels (11-6, 3-3 ACC) at Louisville Cardinals (2-15, 0-6 ACC)

- Tipoff: Saturday, January 14 at 2:00 p.m. EST
- Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- How To Watch: ESPN
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: North Carolina -15.0 (KenPom)
- All-Time Series: North Carolina leads 18-7
- Last Meeting: North Carolina won 70-63 on Feb. 21, 2022 (Dean Smith Center - Chapel Hill, N.C.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

• G El Ellis (6-3, 180, Sr.)
• G/F Mike James (6-5, 215, R-Fr.)
• F Jae'Lyn Withers (6-9, 220, R-Jr.)
• F Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 250, So.)
• F Sydney Curry (6-8, 270, Sr.)

North Carolina

• G R.J. Davis (6-0, 175, Jr.)
• G Caleb Love (6-4, 200, Jr.)
• G/F Puff Johnson (6-8, 200, Jr.)
• F Leaky Black (6-9, 205, Gr.)
• F Jalen Washington (6-10, 225, Fr.)

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Tar Heels, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of The Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. North Carolina

Game Notes

Louisville

• Redshirt freshman guard/forward Mike James was named ACC Rookie of the Week on Monday. James averaged 21.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals across two games last week. He had a career-high 24 points and eight rebounds Saturday against Wake Forest and made 9 of 16 total 3-pointers during the week.
• Mike James is the first Louisville freshman to score at least 17 points in three straight games since DeJuan Wheat did it in three straight games from Dec. 29, 1993, to Jan. 4, 1994. James has averaged 20 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 52% from both the field and the 3-point line over the last three games.
• After averaging 4.8 points and 3.3 rebounds with two total 3-pointers over the previous four games, redshirt junior forward Jae’Lyn Withers has averaged 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds with seven 3s in the last three games coming off the bench.
• Over the last eight games, senior guard El Ellis has averaged 19.6 points, 6.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals. As of Friday, Ellis was one of 15 players in the nation with at least 295 points and 80 assists this season. After having a positive or even assist-to-turnover ratio just three times in the first nine games of the season, Ellis has been positive or even in seven of the last eight games. Over the last four games, he has just 11 total turnovers in 152 minutes of game action. •After averaging 1.7 points and 3.6 rebounds across the first nine games, senior forward Sydney Curry is averaging 9.3 points and 7.3 rebounds over the last eight games while shooting 64% overall. His career-high 19 rebounds against Florida A&M were the most by a Cardinal since Luke Whitehead grabbed 19 boards against Marquette on Jan. 31, 2004.
• Last game: Another Louisville comeback attempt fell short, as the Cardinals dropped an 83-70 decision at Clemson on Wednesday night.
• KEY FIRST HALF RUN: the Cardinals jumped to a 16-7 lead with 15:13 left in the half after a 9-0 run that lasted two and a half minutes. The Tigers answered back with 26-6 run, pulling in front 33-22. El Ellis made the final shot for before the half, making a 3 to bring the score to 40-28 heading into the locker room.
• KEY SECOND HALF RUN: After a three and a half minute field goal drought, the Cardinals cut down the score with a 7-0 run, led by four free throws from Mike James. Louisville was able to bring the score within six multiple times in the final three minutes but never came any closer.
• UofL shot 22 of 54 (.407) from the field, 9 of 20 (.450) from 3-point range, and 17 of 23 (.739) from the free-throw line. The Cardinals outscored the Tigers from behind the arc 9-8, marking the sixth time this season outscoring their opponent from 3-point range. Louisville shot 17-of-23 (.739) from the free throw line for the third time this season.
• Four Cardinals scored 10 or more points for the fourth time this season: Mike James (17), El Ellis (12), Jae’Lyn Withers (11), and Sydney Curry (10). Other games include Cincinnati, Western Kentucky, and NC State. The Cardinals’ bench outscored the Tigers 20-14, the eight consecutive game where Louisville’s bench has outscored their opponent.
• Mike James continued his recent surge, tallying a team-high 17 points on 4 of 11 from the floor and 9 of 11 from the free throw line. James is the first Louisville freshman to score at least 17 points in three straight games since DeJuan Wheat did it in three straight games from Dec. 29, 1993, to Jan. 4, 1994. The guard added in five rebounds, one assists, and one steal in his 35 minutes of action.
• El Ellis registered 12 points, making it his ninth straight game with double-digit points and his 15th of 17th game of the season. Ellis had a team-high five assists, playing the entire 40 minutes. The guard recorded three steals, his seventh straight game with at least one steal, and has a total of 20 steals on the season.
• Jae'Lyn Withers reached double figures for the seventh time this season, scoring 11 points to go with two rebounds, one block, and one steal. The forward shot 4 of 6 from the field and 3 of 3 from beyond the arc, the second time this season he has shot 100% from 3-point range. Withers has averaged 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds with seven 3s in the last three games coming off the bench.
• Sydney Curry totaled 10 points and had a game-high six rebounds through 35 minutes of play. The forward shot 3 of 5 from the field and cashed in on four of six free throw attempts on the night. Curry is averaging 10.5 points and 7.25 rebounds over the last eight games. 

North Carolina

• Carolina is 11-6 overall, 3-3 in the ACC after a 65-58 loss at Virginia on January 10.
• The Tar Heels led by as many as nine points in the first half and by six with just over 15:00 to play before Virginia scored 11 straight as part of a 21-5 run to lead, 52-42, with 9:25 to play. Carolina closed to within three twice, but couldn’t get any closer as the Cavaliers won for the eighth straight time over UNC in Charlottesville.
• UNC played its second consecutive game without starting forward Pete Nance (strained back) and lost ACC Player-of-the-Year candidate Armando Bacot, the league’s leading scorer and rebounder, 78 seconds into the contest when he sprained his left ankle.
• Both Bacot and starting forward Pete Nance are doubtful to play at Louisville due to respective injuries.
• Bacot had scored 20 or more points in each of the previous five games and had earned his second ACC Player-of-the-Week award this season and fifth of his career for his play last week against Wake Forest and Notre Dame.
• Carolina held Virginia to 37.5% shooting from the floor in the first half, which helped the Tar Heels build a 24-15 lead, but the Cavaliers shot 53.6% in the second half. UVA made 2 of their 11 three-point attempts in the first half and 4 of 8 in the second.
• The Tar Heels made three of their last five three-point attempts over the final five minutes (all by Caleb Love) but were 5 of 19 from three prior to that.
• For the first time since the loss at Virginia Tech on December 4, the Tar Heels had more turnovers than assists. UNC went 6-1 in the previous seven starts when it had more assists than turnovers. This was the fifth straight loss when the Tar Heels had more turnovers than assists.
• Bacot earned his second ACC Player-of-theWeek award this season and fifth of his career for his play against Wake Forest and Notre Dame. He averaged 21.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.6 blocks and made 16 of 28 field goals in the wins over Wake Forest and Notre Dame. Only Antawn Jamison (ACC-record 12), Tyler Hansbrough (11) and Phil Ford (6) have won the award more than Bacot.
• Carolina is No. 25 in the country in KenPom and No. 32 in the NCAA’s NET.
• The Tar Heels lead the ACC in scoring (80.0 ppg) and are second in rebounding (39.8) and rebound margin (+4.5). Carolina is seventh in the league in scoring margin (+6.3).
• Last season, UNC was No. 1 in the ACC and No. 3 in the country in rebound margin (plus 8.5). This season, UNC is No. 2 in the conference and 74th nationally at plus 4.5 per game.
• The Tar Heels are sixth in the ACC in field goal percentage and 10th in field goal percentage defense.
• Carolina is 11th in the ACC in three-pointers per game (6.8), 13th in three-point shooting (.320) and 12th in three-point percentage defense (.347).
• Armando Bacot (third), Caleb Love (eighth) and RJ Davis (10th) each rank in the top 10 in the league in scoring.
• Bacot ranks fourth in the country in offensive rebounding, sixth in double-doubles (9) and ninth in rebounds per game and free throw attempts (115).
• Carolina’s schedule is ranked the fifth-most difficult in the nation (per KenPom) among all teams behind only Alabama, Creighton, Gonzaga and Kansas.
• The Tar Heels are 18th in offensive efficiency (115.0 points per 100 possessions), 21st best in getting to the free throw line and have committed the 21st-fewest turnovers per possession.
• The Tar Heels are 257th in three-point percentage and 331st in forcing turnovers.
• UNC is 269th in assists to field goals percentage at .475, but the Tar Heels have assists on 55.6% of their field goals over the last eight games. Last season, Carolina had assists on 54% of its field goals.
• Armando Bacot is 16th in the country in offensive rebound percentage, but as a team the Tar Heels are 173rd. Bacot has 70 offensive rebounds, 48 more than Leaky Black, who is second with 22.

(Photo of El Ellis, R.J. Davis: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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