Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Virginia Cavaliers

The Cardinals cap off the 2022-23 regular season with a rematch on the road against the Cavaliers.

Louisville Cardinals (4-26, 2-17 ACC) at Virginia Cavaliers (22-6, 14-5 ACC)

- Tipoff: Saturday, March 4 at 2:00 p.m. EST
- Location: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.
- How To Watch: ESPN2
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Virginia: -19.0 (KenPom)
- All-Time Series: Virginia leads 21-5
- Last Meeting: Virginia won 61-58 on Feb. 15, 2023 (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 Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 250, So.)

Virginia

• G Kihei Clark (5-10, 167, Gr.)
• G Reece Beekman (6-3, 190, Jr.)
• G Armaan Franklin (6-4, 200, Sr.)
• F Jayden Gardner (6-6, 233, 5th)
• F Ben Vander Plas (6-8, 236, Gr.)

Comparison

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

Game Notes

Louisville

• This will be Louisville’s seventh game against a ranked opponent this season. The Cardinals have won 45 of their last 107 games against AP ranked opponents but are 0-6 this season, most recently dropping a 61-58 home result to Virginia when the Cavaliers were ranked seventh. Louisville has a 62-75 record against Top 25 teams over the last 13 years.
• Senior guard El Ellis is averaging 22.0 points per game over the last six games while shooting 51% from the field, 36% from 3 and 91% from the free-throw line. 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 17 of the last 21 games. In his last 16 games since 2023 began, he has 75 assists against just 48 turnovers.
• Over the last five games, junior forward JJ Traynor is averaging 12.0 points and 6.2 rebounds while making 8 of 13 shots from 3-point range. Traynor has made more than three times as many 3s this season (22) as he did in his first two seasons combined (7). He scored a career-high 16 points in back-to-back games against Clemson and Duke.
• Redshirt freshman guard/forward Mike James ranks fourth in the ACC among freshmen in scoring at 9.7 points per game. Over the last 16 games, James is averaging 12.1 points and has increased his volume to 9.3 shots per game.
• Louisville started the game at Duke on Feb. 20 with an 18-9 lead, marking the eighth loss for the Cardinals this season in which they’ve led by at least eight points at one time, including six times in ACC play.
• Last game: Louisville was unable to capture a victory in the final home game of the regular season, falling 71-54 to Virginia Tech.
• KEY FIRST HALF RUN: An early 14-2 run by the Hokies put them ahead of the Cardinals 20-10 with 7:15 to go in the first half.
• KEY SECOND HALF RUN: The Cardinals had a 14-6 run that lasted 5:26 and put them within three points of the Hokies with 9:07 left in the game. Virginia Tech followed that up with a 17-2 run spanning 5:35. This put the Hokies in front 67-49 with 3:32 to go.
• UofL shot 24 of 57 (.421) from the field, 2 of 14 (.143) from 3-point range, and 4 of 9 (.444) from the free-throw line.
• El Ellis tallied 14 points on 6 of 15 shooting from the floor and 1 of 1 from the free throw line in what could be his final game at the KFC Yum! Center. Ellis has only missed two free throws since the game against Florida State on Feb. 4, shooting 29 of 31 (93.5%) from the line. The guard also pulled down two rebounds and recorded a steal in 36 minutes of action.
• J.J. Traynor scored nine points on 4-8 shooting from the floor and 1-2 from outside the arc. Traynor added in a team-high six rebounds and two blocks through 31 minutes of play. The forward had two more dunks against the Hokies and accounts for over half of the Cardinals’ dunks this season.
• Mike james scored 14 points on 6 of 16 shooting from the field and 2 of 2 from the free throw line. James added five rebounds for the Cards in 33 minutes of play.

Virginia

• • A Virginia win vs. Louisville clinches a share of the ACC regular season title and top-3 seed at the ACC Tournament. 
• Virginia will honor Francisco Caffaro, Chase Coleman, Armaan Franklin, Jayden Gardner and Ben Vander Plas, and managers Jackson Selby and Anna Williamson on Senior Day. 
• UVA ranks first nationally in assist/turnover ratio (1.82) and turnovers per game (8.7), 10th in scoring defense (60.6 ppg), 13th in fouls per game (14.1), 20th in turnover margin (3.8) and 24th in assists per game (15.8).
• Virginia is 230-54 (.810), including a 14-1 mark (9-0 ACC) in 2022-23, in 17 seasons at John Paul Jones Arena. UVA was 10-1 at JPJ in 2020-21 and is 192-38 (.835), including a 157-23 (.872) mark the past 11 seasons. UVA is an ACC-leading 86-13 (.867) in league home games over the past 11 seasons. Duke is second at 85-15 (.850). UVA has won 10+ home games for 13 straight seasons.
• UVA leads the ACC in scoring defense (60.5), assists (15.8 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.82).
• Reece Beekman ranks first in the ACC (2nd nationally) in assist/turnover ratio (3.4), and third in assists (5.0 apg) and steals (1.6 spg).
• Kihei Clark ranks second in the ACC in assists (5.7 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (2.9).
• Kadin Shedrick ranks seventh in blocks (1.2 bpg) and Ryan Dunn ranks 10th (1.0 bpg).
• Armaan Franklin ranks 14th in 3-pointers per game (2.0).
• Jayden Gardner ranks 19th in rebounding (5.5 rpg).
• UVA is averaging 67.9 points per game, and shooting 44.5 percent from the field, including 36 percent from 3-point range and 69.7 percent free throws (lowest since 67.3 percent in 2013-14).
• UVA is averaging just 57.1 points over its past seven games after averaging 71.5 points in its first 21 games.
• The Cavaliers have scored 64 or fewer points in each of their last seven games, shooting 41.4 percent from the field, 27.8 percent from 3-point range and 61.7 percent from the free throw line.
• UVA hasn’t scored 70 or more points in nine games, reaching 76 in a win over Boston College on Jan. 28.
• UVA scored 70 or more points in its first six games (11 overall) for the first time since 2003-04 (8 games).
• UVA scored at least 70 points in six straight games for the first time since December of 2014.
• UVA shot 44.9 percent from the field, including 32.3 percent from 3-point range, last season.
• UVA ranks 10th nationally in scoring defense at 60.5 ppg.
• The Cavaliers ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense in 2021-22 at 60.1 ppg.
• UVA has limited its opponents to 41.9 percent field goal shooting, including 34.6 percent from 3-point range.
• The Cavaliers have forced 22 shot clock violations and have averaged 28 shot clock violations since 2019.
• UVA is 11-1 when out-rebounding its opponents.
• In 2021-22, the Cavaliers limited their opponents to 40.3 percent shooting and 33.6 percent from 3-point range.
• Bennett-coached teams have led the nation in scoring defense seven times and finished in the top-five nationally 11 times.

(Photo of Brandon Huntley-Hatfield: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleReport
Twitter - @UofLReport
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter