Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Chattanooga Mocs

The Cardinals continue their three-game home-stand to open up the 2023-24 season with a matchup vs. the Mocs.

Chattanooga Mocs (1-0, 0-0 SoCon) at Louisville Cardinals (1-0, 0-0 ACC)

- Tipoff: Friday, Novemver 10 at 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.
- How To Watch: ACC Network Extra
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: Louisville -7.0
- All-Time Series: Series Tied 5-5
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 106-65 on Nov. 22, 2010 (KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, Ky.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

• G Skyy Clark (6-3, 205, So.)
• G Tre White (6-7, 205, So.)
• G/F Mike James (6-5, 200, R-So.)
• F J.J. Traynor (6-8, 190, Sr.)
• C Dennis Evans (7-1, 215, Fr.)

Chattanooga

• G Honor Huff (5-10, 162, So.)
• G Myles Che (6-2, 190, Fr.)
• G/F Demetrius Davis (6-9, 195, Sr.)
• F Jan Zidek (6-9, 240, Gr.)
• F Sam Alexis (6-9, 230, So.)

Comparison

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

Game Notes

Louisville

• The Cardinals started the season with a victory Monday, rallying from an eight-point halftime deficit to defeat UMBC. Chattanooga began its campaign with an 89-44 win Monday over Covenant.
• Louisville’s win over UMBC on Monday marked its 19th victory in the program’s last 20 season openers. The Cardinals have also now won 22 of their last 23 home openers.
• Redshirt sophomore Mike James tallied a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double against UMBC. James’ 25 points were the most by a Cardinal in a season opener since Montrezl Harrell had 30 against Minnesota in 2014. The last 25-plus outing in a season opener before that was Marques Maybin vs. Hawaii in 2000.
• James’ performance was just the 15th time since 2000 that a Louisville player has recorded at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in a game, and the first since Jordan Nwora against Florida State on Jan. 4, 2020.
• Louisville’s 39 free throw attempts against UMBC were its most since taking 41 against Michigan State in 2018. Across their two exhibition games and the season opener, the Cardinals have made 78 of 106 total free throws while their opponents have attempted just 63.
• The Cardinals’ 60 points in the paint against the Retrievers were the program’s most in a game since tallying 60 against Louisiana on Dec. 7, 2013.
• Newcomers Ty-Laur Johnson (12 points), Skyy Clark (11) and Tre White (11) all scored in double figures Monday. It was the first time in at least 25 years that three new Cardinals have all reached double figures in their debut.
• Louisville is returning 47.1% of its scoring, 57.1% of its rebounding and 28.1% of its assists from the 2022-23 season. Redshirt sophomore Mike James returns as the team’s leading scorer, averaging 10.1 points per game in 2022-23. James is also the leading returner in assists. Junior Brandon Huntley-Hatfield led the Cardinals in rebounding and returns with a previous average of 5.4 boards per game.
• Freshman center Dennis Evans is 7-foot-1 is the tallest player to ever play for the Cardinals and is Louisville’s first player to stand at least 7 feet tall since Anas Mahmoud on the 2017-18 squad. Evans is the tallest Cardinal since Clarence Holloway in 2007-08, who was also 7-1, however Holloway ultimately never played for Louisville.
• The Cardinals picked up a trio of Division I transfers from the portal, all entering their second year of eligibility: Skyy Clark (Illinois), Tre White (USC) and Danilo Jovanovich (Miami). The three players played in a combined 43 games with 1,106 minutes between them before arriving at UofL. White and Clark combined for 355 points in their freshman seasons at their respective schools.

Chattanooga

• Chattanooga rolled its way to a lopsided 89-44 victory over NCAA DIII Covenant College in the 2023-24 season opener on Monday night inside McKenzie Arena. Graduate transfer forward Jan Zidek (Pepperdine) scored a game-high 25 points & tied a career-high in FG's made (11) after finishing 11-13 FG (3-4 3PT). Sophomore Sam Alexis added nine points, 13 rebounds, five blocks and four assists during the victory.
• Chattanooga was slotted to finish fifth in both the coaches and media preseason Southern Conference polls that were released in late October at media day festivities in Asheville, N.C. The Mocs received a first-place vote in the coaches poll while Honor Huff was tabbed to the All-SoCon Preseason team.
• The 2023-24 version of Chattanooga men’s basketball is poised to showcase a high-flying, fast-paced, and free-shooting product that collectively competes under a team slogan of “See, Share, Shoot” implented by the coaching staff.
• Sophomore guard Honor Huff (10.0 ppg in ‘22) will return to play this year after being ineligible last season due to the Southern Conference’s intra-conference transfer rules. Huff was voted to the SoCon All-Freshman Team in his one season of play before transferring to Chattanooga with coach Earl. He was named to the All-Southern Conference Preseason Team heading into the 2023-24 season.
• Many new faces will be in play for Chattanooga this season. 10 total newcomers from the transfer portal, high school signings and walk-ons, will go along with just three returning letter winners to form a fresh roster for coach Earl. Forwards Demetrius Davis, Sam Alexis and Randy Brady are the only returning Mocs who saw action last season, with Davis being the only starter.
• Chattanooga added transfer guard Rudy Fitzgibbons III (7.9 ppg in ‘21-22) from the Citadel to go along with graduate transfer forwards Tyler Millin (4.0 ppg) from MTSU and Jan Zidek (7.3 ppg off the bench) from Pepperdine. Florida transfer guard Trey Bonham (5.6 ppg) is currently ineligible due to the two-time transfer rule, but is awaiting a rule change or waiver from the NCAA in order to play this season.
• Head coach Dan Earl, who enters his second season as the UTC bench boss, is no stranger to this style of basketball, a style that he has created over the past several seasons in the SoCon. Earl’s teams, including last year’s squad (first), have finished either first or second in NCAA DI in three-pointers made per game in the past three seasons (excluding 2020-21 COVID year).
• Chattanooga, who finished 18-17 overall, reached the Southern Conference Tournament title game for the second-straight season last year during Earl’s first season in the Scenic City. The Mocs will look to replace 79.1% of its scoring from the previous season, including all-around star Jake Stephens, as the program welcomes a total of 10 newcomers to the 2023-24 bench.

(Photo of Skyy Clark: Jared Anderson - Louisville Report)

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