Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. New Mexico State Aggies

The Cardinals return home from the Empire Classic for a matchup with the Aggies.

New Mexico State Aggies (3-4, 0-0 C-USA) at Louisville Cardinals (2-3, 0-0 ACC)

- Tipoff: Sunday, November 26 at 1:00 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 -7.5
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 4-1
- Last Meeting: Louisville won 70-65 on Dec. 22, 2007 (Freedom Hall - 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.)
• F Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 240, Jr.)

New Mexico State

• G Christian Cook (6-2, Jr.)
• G Jaylin Jackson-Posey (6-2, Jr.)
• G Jaden Harris (6-4, Jr.)
• F Robert Carpenter (6-7, Jr.)
• F Kaosi Ezeagu (6-10, Gr.)

Comparison

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

Game Notes

Louisville

• After allowing UMBC and Chattanooga to make 25 of 55 combined 3-pointers (45.5%) in the first two games, the Cardinals have held Coppin State, Texas and Indiana to 6-for-45 from 3-point range (13.3%) in their last three outings.
• As of Wednesday, Louisville ranked 24th in the country in free throw attempts per game (26.6) and 39th in offensive rebounds per game (14.4). Junior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield ranked 35th in rebounds per game (9.8) and 50th in total rebounds (49).
• Freshman guard Ty-Laur Johnson had a strong showing in his return to his native New York City, averaging 10 points and five assists against Texas and Indiana. Johnson now leads the Cardinals with 15 total assists this year.
• Despite playing just 12 minutes against Indiana, freshman forward Kaleb Glenn had a plus-minus in the game of +17. It was tied for the second-highest individual plus-minus in a game by a Cardinal this season.
• After going 0-for-8 from 3-point range in the team’s first three games, sophomore guard Skyy Clark has made 6 of 15 long-range shots in the last two games. Clark was named to the Empire Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 19.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists against Texas and Indiana.
• Louisville has made 23 more free throws than its opponents this season. The Cardinals have made at least 21 free throws in three of five games this season, including both games in New York, where they went a combined 48 of 60.
• Last game: Louisville capped off their appearance in the Empire Classic with a loss to Indiana, falling 74-66 to the Hoosiers.
• KEY FIRST HALF RUN: Indiana used a 14-3 run to go from down three to up eight by the 5:57 mark. Louisville scored the last five points of the half, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer from Skyy Clark, to cut its halftime deficit to 34-29.
• KEY SECOND HALF RUN: Louisville used a 21-5 run over five minutes to earn a 58-51 lead with nine minutes remaining in the game. UofL got 14 straight points from its freshmen during the run. Indiana held Louisville scoreless from 4:36 to four seconds remaining in the game, scoring 13 points of their own to clinch the victory.
• UofL shot 20 of 56 (35.7%) from the field, 5 of 19 (26.3%) from 3-point range, and 21 of 29 (72.4%) from the free-throw line.
• Louisville held the Hoosiers to a 9.1% clip from 3 as they netted only one shot from beyond the arc.
• Indiana outscored Louisville in the paint 42-28 

New Mexico State

• The last time out, NM State lost its last battle in the Cancun Challenge to Southern Illinois 54-81.
• Entering the season, NM State is the only program in the country with an entirely new roster as zero players from the 2022-23 campaign will take the floor for the Aggies this season.
• After spending the last 13 seasons as the bench boss at Sam Houston, Jason Hooten takes over an Aggie program in need of a refresh button.
• In their first season as a member of Conference USA, the Aggies were projected to finish eighth in the nine-team league according to a vote of the conference’s nine head coaches.
• The 2023 NM State roster features three Aggies who have spent time on Power Five rosters as Kaosi Ezeagu (Kansas State), Femi Odukale (Pitt) and Davion Bradford (Wake Forest and Kansas State) each played among the best of the best during their collegiate careers.
• NM State done well at not only getting to the charity stripe but also cashing in those free attempts. They are currently ranked 67th in the country in free throw attempts per game (23.6) and 66th in free throws made per game (17.1). Christian Cook is also ranked 25th in country in free throw percentage (94.7).
• Jordan Rawls is showing great handle of the ball this season and is leading the Aggies in assist averaging 4.6 a game with 32 total for the season. He is currently ranked 23rd in the country in total assist and 61st in assist/turnover ratio (3.2).
• Femi Odukale made his long-awaited NM State debut last Saturday, playing 23 minutes off the bench and recording 18 points, eight rebounds and four steals. He has since started two games and is currently averaging 16 points, seven rebounds and three assist for the Aggies.

(Photo of Tre White: Vincent Carchietta - USA TODAY Sports)

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