Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers

The Cardinals cap off their three-game home stand to start the season with a matchup against the Mountaineers.

Appalachian State Mountaineers (2-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) at Louisville Cardinals (0-2, 0-0 ACC)

- Tipoff: Tuesday, November 15 at 6:00 p.m. EST
- Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- How To Watch: ACC Network
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -10.0 (KenPom)
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 1-0
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 80-53 on Nov. 23, 2009 (Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky.)

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.)

Appalachian State

• G/F Donovan Gregory (6-5, 190, Sr.)
• G Tyree Boykin (6-1, 190, Gr.)
• G Terence Harcum (6-3, 190, So.)
• F Tamell Pearson (6-10, 223, Gr.)
• F C.J. Huntley (6-11, 221, Jr.)

Comparison

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

Game Notes

Louisville

• Louisville has lost three straight games by one point for the first time in program history, including last year’s 51-50 loss to Virginia in the ACC Tournament. This is the first time the Cardinals have lost consecutive games in the same season by one point since Feb. 7-10, 1962, when they lost 79-78 to DePaul and 80-79 to Bradley. Per ESPN Stats & Info, UofL is just the third team since 1980 to lose each of its first two games by a single point, and the first since Arkansas State in 1991-92.
• Louisville went on an 8-2 run starting at 2:05 to close the half with a 37-24 lead. The run by UofL answered a 7-0 Wright State scoring run that started with 6:34 left in the half. Wright State finished the game with a 6-0 run in the last 1:03, including the game-winning buzzer-beater shot from Trey Calvin.
• The Cardinals’ biggest lead came early in the second half after an 8-2 run brought the score to 46-36 with 16:34 remaining in the game. UofL shot 30 of 59 (50.8%) from the field, 5 of 18 (27.8) from 3-point range and 7 of 8 (87.5) from the free-throw line.
• Saturday’s loss to Wright State was just the third-ever for Louisville in November in the KFC Yum! Center. The Cardinals are 48-3 in the arena in November since it opened in 2010.
• Redshirt junior forward Jae’Lyn Withers had 15 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high five steals against Wright State. It was the first time a Cardinal has had at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in a game since Terrence Williams had 23 points, 12 rebounds and five steals against Providence on Jan. 13, 2007. There were only five total instances nationally all last season of a player tallying at least 15 points, 11 rebounds and five steals in a game.
• Senior guard El Ellis’ 29 points against Wright State were the most by a Louisville player since Jordan Nwora scored 37 against Boston College on Jan. 29, 2020. Ellis scored the final 13 points of the game for the Cardinals.
• Guard/forward Mike James pulled down a career-high five rebounds in scoring eight points. James went 3 of 6 from the field and 1 of 2 from the three-point line.
• Forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield recorded his UofL career high with 10 points, just two points shy of his overall career-high (12 points at Tennessee). He shot 4 of 10 from the field and pulled down six rebounds.

Appalachian State

• App State has started the season 2-0 with a 142-74 win over D3 Warren Wilson and a 79-74 overtime win over N.C. Central.
• A win over Louisville would give App State its first 3-0 start to a season since 1997-98 (21-8, 13-2 SoCon). It would also be the first win over an autonomy-5 opponent since Virginia Tech in 2014.
• The Mountaineers have five players averaging double figures so far this season: Tyree Boykin (17.0), Terence Harcum (14.0), CJ Huntley (13.5), Donovan Gregory (11.0), Christopher Mantis (11.0).
• The Mountaineers rank first in the nation in blocks per game (9.5) with 19 through their first two contests. Justin Abson has led the way with three against Warren Wilson and five against N.C. Central in his first two collegiate games. Three of his blocks against the Eagles came in the last two minutes of overtime when App State held its five-point lead to win. Abson ranks sixth in the nation in blocks per game (4) and first in the Sun Belt.
• App State secured its second win at home, defeating N.C. Central 79-74 (OT). After trailing at the half, Donovan Gregory sparked a second-half run by scoring or assisting 11 straight points to start the half. This was App State’s 19th comeback win after a halftime deficit under fourth-year head coach Dustin Kerns.
• App State scored the most points in school history during its season opener in a 142-74 victory over Warren Wilson. The Mountaineers’ 142 points were the second-highest of any team this season. App State made 39 free throws, the most of any team in a game this season at a clip of 90.7%.
• Tyree Boykin has scored four three-pointers in each of his first two Division I games with the Mountaineers after a very successful career at Union University, where he was named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year last season.
• After averaging 1.7 ppg last season, Christopher Mantis stepped up and led the offense in the first game of the season with a career-high 22 points, including 16 (four three-pointers) during App State’s 41-12 run in the first half.
• Terence Harcum was instrumental in App State’s overtime victory against N.C. Central with 14 points, three rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block during his second career start.
• After zero points and just eight minutes of play due to foul trouble in the first half against N.C. Central, Donovan Gregory sparked App State’s comeback, opening the second half with a gritty and-one finish, and scoring or assisting on the Mountaineers’ first 11 points of the second half. Gregory finished with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.

(Photo of Sydney Curry: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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