Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Miami Hurricanes

The Cardinals are staying on the road for a rematch of their ACC opener against the Hurricanes.

Louisville Cardinals (3-21, 1-12 ACC) at Miami Hurricanes (19-5, 10-4 ACC)

- Tipoff: Saturday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
- How To Watch: ACC Network
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Miami: -23.0 (KenPom)
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 13-7
- Last Meeting: Miami won 80-53 on Dec. 4, 2022 (KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, Ky.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

• G El Ellis (6-3, 180, Sr.)
• G/F Mike James (6-5, 215, R-Fr.)
• F J.J. Traynor (6-8, 190, Jr.)
• F Jae'Lyn Withers (6-9, 220, R-Jr.)
• F Sydney Curry (6-8, 270, Sr.)

Miami

• G Nijel Pack (6-0, 184, So.)
• G Isaiah Wong (6-4, 184, Rr.)
• G Wooga Poplar (6-5, 182, So.)
• G Jordan Miller (6-7, 195, Sr.)
• F Norchad Omier (6-7, 248, So.)

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Hurricanes, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of The Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. Miami

Game Notes

Louisville

• Louisville is facing Miami in a rematch of the ACC opener for both teams earlier this season. The Cardinals fell 80-53 to the Hurricanes on Dec. 4, 2022 at the KFC Yum! Center.
• Last game: Louisville was blown out 91-57 at Pitt for their worst loss of the season. The loss also set the program record for most losses in a single season with 21.
• KEY FIRST HALF RUN: With the game tied at 14, the Panthers went on a 24-3 surge that began at the 13:24 mark and elapsed 8:53 to open up a 21-point advantage. Pitt started the game hitting 11 of their first 14 shots from the field while connecting on six of their first eight shots from behind the 3-point line. 
• KEY SECOND HALF RUN: The Panthers continued their hot shooting out of the locker room, going on a 10-1 run over the first 3:33 of the half while hitting their first six shots of the half from the field, four of which came from beyond the arc.
• UofL shot 16 of 58 (.276) from the field, 10 of 27 (.370) from 3-point range, and 15 of 18 (.833) from the free-throw line.
• The Cardinals pulled down 16 offensive rebounds on the night, their highest total this season.
• Pitt’s 17 made 3-point baskets on 54.8% shooting on 3-pointers also set season highs for a Louisville opponent.
• Mike James tallied 11 points, all of which came in the first half, on 4 of 10 shooting from the floor and 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. James also grabbed four rebounds and dished out three assists in 27 minutes of action.
• Hercy Miller doubled his previous career-high with 10 points, hitting two of his four 3-point attempts and cashing in on all four attempts from the charity stripe. Miller also secured three rebounds, all on the offensive glass, and blocked the first shot of his career in 20 reserve minutes.
• Emmanuel Okorafor notched six points and six rebounds in his fourth game as the Cardinal, while playing 19 minutes off the bench. Okorafor also swatted four shots, the most blocks by a Louisville player since Malik Williams blocked four shots at Seton Hall on Dec. 1, 2018. He is also the first Louisville freshman to achieve the feat since Chinanu Onuaku finished with six blocks against Savannah State on Nov. 24, 2014.
• The Cards are in the midst of an eight-game stretch to end the regular season that will see them play seven games vs. teams in the top 65 of the NET Rankings. Their five opponents from Pitt to Duke have an average NET Ranking of 38.
• Over the last 15 games, senior guard El Ellis has averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals. As of Wednesday, Ellis was one of 21 players in the nation with at least 400 points and 110 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 13 of the last 15 games. In his last 10 games since 2023 began, he has 56 assists against just 32 turnovers.
• Over the last 10 games since 2023 began, redshirt junior forward Jae’Lyn Withers is averaging 11.6 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 21 of 42 (50%) from beyond the arc. Among players with at least 1.5 made 3s per game, Withers ranks second in the ACC in conference play in 3-point shooting at 49%.
• On Jan. 19, Louisville added freshman forward/center Emmanuel Okorafor to the roster. Okorafor is a 6-foot-9 native of Lagos, Nigeria, and became eligible immediately after arriving from NBA Academy Africa. Okorafor is averaging 4.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks across four games since making his debut.
• Over the last 10 games since turning to 2023, redshirt freshman guard/forward Mike James is averaging 12.7 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 44% from the field and 43% from the 3-point line. In the first 14 games of the year, James averaged just 6.9 points while shooting 44% overall and 31% from 3-point range

Miami

• Miami has won three (3) straight against Louisville after never previously taking even back-to-back contests in the series.
• Four (4) coaches own at least 150 wins at three-plus DI schools: Jim Larrañaga, John Calipari, Lefty Driesell and Cliff Ellis.
• Isaiah Wong, who owns 99 career starts, is the only Power Six (6) player averaging at least 16.0p/4.0r/3.0a/1.5s this year.
• Jim Larrañaga has 23 10-wins league campaigns in 37 years as a DI head coach and has hit that mark seven of 12 seasons at Miami after it did so four times in 20 years (ACC/BE) before him.
• Miami, Providence and UCLA are the only three DI teams with at least 13 home victories and no such losses this season.
• Miami's Norchad Omier, Purdue's Zach Edey and Syracuse's Jesse Edwards are the only DI players averaging 13.5ppg and 10.rpg on 60% shooting.
• After going 43-69 (.384) in ACC play from 2004-11, Miami is 115-100 (.535) in Jim Larrañaga’s 12 seasons, good for the fifth-most ACC wins of any team in the league over that span.
• Miami is one victory away from its 20th 20-win season, including its eighth in just 12 years under Jim Larrañaga. If the Hurricanes defeat Louisville, getting to 20 in just 25 games would tie for the seventh-fastest mark in program history.
• The Hurricanes earned an 81-59 wire-to-wire victory Monday night over RV/No. 24 Duke to improve to 8-9 against the Blue Devils under Jim Larrañaga. Miami is also 7-10 versus North Carolina in Coach L’s 12 years, good for a 15-19 combined record versus the ACC’s two schools with five-plus national titles.
• With a 74-64 victory over Providence, his alma mater, on 11/19/22 in Uncasville, Conn., Jim Larrañaga earned the 700th win in his 39-year head coaching career. He is the 53rd NCAA coach, at any level, to reach 700, including just the 35th with Division I experience
• In eight of Jim Larrañaga’s 11 years, Miami has placed higher in the final ACC standings than it was picked in the preseason poll. Six times, it finished multiple spots above its preseason spot, including four-plus places higher thrice, with an eight-spot jump in 2021-22.
• Miami entered 2022-23 with four players who have a 30-point showing in their careers: Jordan Miller (one), Norchad Omier (three), Nijel Pack (three) and Isaiah Wong (one). The only other ACC school with four such individuals to begin the season was NC State.
• Miami limited Louisville to 29.8 percent (17-of-57) shooting in its 80-53 road win on 12/4/22. It marked the first time the Hurricanes held a foe under 30 percent since 11/22/17, when La Salle shot 28.8 percent (15-of-52) in a neutral-site game in Reading, Pa.
• Miami dropped 107 points in the win over Cornell on 12/7/22, its most since 11/16/09 versus Nova Southeastern (108) and most against a DI foe since 3/2/89 against Savannah State (107).
• Miami is 44-1 in Jim Larrañaga’s 12-year tenure when posting 18-plus assists (35-1 with 19-plus, 23-1 with 20-plus), including 10-0 during the 2022-23 campaign with a high of 23 at Florida State on 1/24/23.
• The Hurricanes shot 60.4 percent (32-of-53) overall and 66.7 percent (12-of-18) from 3-point range in the win over Boston College. The fieldgoal percentage was their highest since 1/1/22 versus Wake Forest (61.5 percent; 32-of-52) and their fourth-best ever in ACC play.
• Miami’s 23-point win, 86-63, at Florida State marked the largest road triumph by either side in series history.
• Miami has finished top-50 nationally in KenPom in seven of Jim Larrañaga’s 11 years at the helm. In the prior 11 years before his arrival, the Hurricanes placed top-50 in the year-end rankings just three times.
• Through 2/8/23, the Hurricanes, at 6-4, are one of just 12 teams in the nation with at least six Quad 1 victories, just eight of which are more than a game above .500 in such contests. Over the last two seasons, the Hurricanes own a 13-9 (.591) ledger versus Quad 1 opponents and a 21-13 (.618) mark against Quad 1/2 teams.
• Then-No. 22 Miami posted a 66-64 triumph over sixth-ranked Virginia on 12/20/22. It marked the 11th top-10 victory for the Hurricanes in Jim Larrañaga’s 12 seasons.

(Photo of Mike James, Norchad Omier: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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