Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. Winthrop Eagles

The Cardinals cap off their home stand with a matchup against the Eagles.

Louisville Cardinals forward Noah Waterman (93) attempts a jump shot against Bellarmine Knights guard Tyler Doyle (2) during their game on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Winthrop Eagles (4-2, 0-0 Big South) at Louisville Cardinals (2-1, 0-0 ACC)

- Tipoff: Friday, November 22 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 -14.0
- All-Time Series: First Meeting
- Last Meeting: N/A

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

• G Chucky Hepburn (6-2, 190, Sr.)
• G J'Vonne Hadley (6-6, 215, 5th)
• G/F Terrence Edwards Jr. (6-6, 205, 5th)
• F Noah Waterman (6-11, 230, 6th)
• C James Scott (6-11, 220, So.)

Winthrop

• G Kasen Harrison (6-2, 200, Sr.)
• G Paul Jones III (6-4, 170, Fr.)
• G Bryce Baker (6-5, 200, Jr.)
• F Kelton Talford (6-7, 200, Sr.)
• F K.J. Doucet (6-7, 230, Sr.)

Comparison

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

Additional Coverage

• What Pat Kelsey, Louisville Players Said After 100-68 Win vs. Bellarmine

Game Notes

Louisville

• UofL head coach Pat Kelsey faces off against his former team Winthrop in the Friday night match up. There are other
  Winthrop connections on staff as well: Brian Kloman was an assistant coach under Kelsey there and Jermaine Ukaegbu played for Kelsey there, graduating in 2019.
• In his nine seasons at Winthrop, Pat Kelsey posted a 186-95 record and won seven conference championships.
• As of Nov. 21, Louisville is second in the country in three point attempts per game (36.7) and third in the country in
  turnover margin (9.3). The Cardinals are also 10th in turnovers forced per game (19.0).
• Louisville’s 48 first-half points against Bellarmine on Nov. 19 were the most since leading Eastern Kentucky 50-32 at halftime on Dec. 14, 2019.
• The 48-point victory over Morehead State on Nov. 4 was Louisville’s largest margin of victory since a 104-54 win vs. Southern on Nov. 13, 2018, and largest in a season opener since a 92-38 win vs. South Alabama on Nov. 18, 2001.
• Louisville was selected ninth in the ACC Preseason Media Poll.
• The Cardinals received four votes in the preseason AP Poll released on October 14. That is the first time Louisville has
  received votes in a national poll since Nov. 29, 2021.
• Louisville has the chance to potentially play seven ranked teams all before January 2.
• Louisville has 11 players who were on teams that played in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The roster in total has made 14 NCAA Division I Tournament appearances at their previous schools, playing in 20 NCAA Tournament games across their careers.
• Head coach Pat Kelsey has won 11 total conference championships across his 261-122 career record, including four NCAA Tournament bids. Kelsey has recorded winning seasons in 11 of his 12 complete seasons as a head coach.
• Last game: Louisville raced past crosstown foe Bellarmine, taking down the Knights to the tune of 100-68.
• KEY FIRST HALF RUN: Louisville used a 9-0 run of all 3-pointers to take a 13-7 lead with 13:51 on the clock. The Cardinals then used a 16-2 run to extend their advantage to 38-21. Louisville scored 48 points in the first half, its highest scoring first half since leading Eastern Kentucky
  50-32 at halftime on Dec. 14, 2019.
• KEY SECOND HALF RUN: Bellarmine went on an 8-0 run from 14:25 to 13:04 in the second half to cut into Louisville’s lead, making it 61-43. Louisville ended the game on a 14-4 run from 3:18 until the buzzer sounded.
• Louisville shot 35-64 for 54.7% from the field, while shooting 12-35 for 34.3% from behind the arc, and shot 18-24 from the charity stripe.
• Louisville improved to 115-0 when scoring at least 100 points in non-overtime games.
• Louisville’s 79.3% (23-29) shooting percentage on two-point shots is the second highest in program history, which is only eclipsed by 83.3% (20-24) which came from an 87-58 win against North Carolina Central on Nov. 17, 2019.
• The Cardinals out-rebounded the Knights, 37-23.
• Winning the turnover battle, Louisville only committed 9 turnovers to Bellarmine’s 16.

Winthrop

• Eagles are in their 47th season of basketball overall and 40th in the Big South Conference
• On Nov. 17 the Eagles captured the program’s 800th win all-time (801-613)
• The victory was also the 100th career
  win for head coach Mark Prosser
• Winthrop is 128-94 all-time in the month of November and has been .500 or better in the month for 11 straight seasons
• Eagles are facing an ACC opponent for
  the second time this month and have
  an all-time record of 5-42 against ACC
  opponents
• This will be the first time Winthrop
  has ever faced one of its former head
  coaches
• Mark Prosser coached his 100th game as head coach of the Eagles on Nov. 17 and captured his 100th career win the same day
• The win also marked the 800th in program history
• Eagles went 2-1 in the Rock Hill Classic and all three matchups being one possession games
• The 100th win for Prosser came on a buzzer-beater by junior transfer Bryce Baker with a corner three
• It was the first buzzer beater win for the Eagles since Keon Johnson’s jumper as time expired in an 86-84 victory at Radford on Jan. 13, 2016
• In games versus D1 opponents this season the Eagles are 3-2 overall and averaging 76.8 ppg while allowing 74.8 ppg
• In the first half of games vs. D1 opponents this season the Eagles are scoring 33.8 ppg while allowing 35.2 ppg (Trailed at the half in all three games of the Rock Hill Classic)
• In the second half of games vs. D1 opponents the Eagles are averaging 43.0 ppg and allowing 39.6 ppg
• Through six games the Eagles have a +9.2 advantage on the glass and are averaging 15.3 offensive rebounds per game (12.8 per game vs. D1 opponents)
• The first loss of the season came at Virginia Tech, 58-52, which is the only road game of the season so far
• The loss came two days after the Eagles earned their 2-0 start since the 2021-22 season after the win over Little Rock
• The 58 points were the second-lowest the Eagles have ever allowed vs. an ACC opponent
• This was the first loss by the Eagles when holding an opponent under 60 points since falling 57-55 to UNC Asheville at home on Jan. 29, 2021
• In the win over Little Rock, the Eagles opened the second half on a 16-4 run for a double-digit lead and never looked back
• For the second straight game this season, the Eagles dominated the glass 52-32
• It was also the second straight game the Eagles had 20-plus offensive rebounds (21 vs. Little Rock)
• Eagles opened with a 60-point victory over Piedmont on Nov. 4
• The 60-point win was the second-largest margin of victory in program history
• Hauled in 63 rebounds vs. Piedmont, first time grabbing 60 or more rebounds in a game since 2019 vs. Pfeiffer (61)
• The Eagles matched a program record for offensive rebounds with 28 that was set Dec. 2, 2023 against Coastal Carolina
• Also finished with 64 points in the paint and 38 second-chance points
• Ryan Jolly made his debut as an Eagle against his former team and finished with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting
• Bryce Baker came off the bench as he also debuted for the Eagles and finished with 16 (4-for-8 from three)
• Eagles received five votes in the preseason CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 and 17 in the most recent poll released Nov. 11 (Ironically three votes shy of the team they just beat - Little Rock)
• Hold an all-time mark of 128-94 in the month of November, 135-148 in the month of December, 252-185 in January and 230-152 in February
• Last year the Eagles won five games in November, the most since the 2013-14 season (5)
• It was just the 8th time in program history the team won five games in November
• Since 2016-17 the Eagles are 21-5 in home games during the month of November, 29-17 in December, 26-9 in January and 42-17 in February
• This is the program’s 1,416th game as it holds an all-time record of 801-614
• The 2023-24 team set the NCAA D1 program record for free throws made (601) and free throws attempted (856) for a single-season
• The 18.8 free throws made per game were a program record, as were the 26.8 free throw attempts per game
• Attempted 238 more free throws than opponents and made 601, which was nearly as many as opponents attempted (618)
• Winthrop led the nation in free throw attempts per game (26.8)
• Eagles finished 9th in the nation in total free throw attempts, 16th in free throws made
• Through six games this year the Eagles are averaging 31.5 free throw attempts a game and have attempted 63 more free throws than their opponents
• The 31.5 free throw attempts rank 10th nationally (games through Nov. 19)
• Winthrop has more made free throws (129) than opponents have free throw attempts (126)
• Voted to finish second in the Big South Conference Preseason Poll (1 first-place vote) for the second time in the last three seasons
• Winthrop has 10 or more threes in 37 games in the Prosser Era (Hold a 29-8 record in those 37 contests)
• Over the last four seasons Winthrop is 80-13 when leading at the half (138-24 since the start of the 2015-16 season/152-33 since the 2014-15 season)
• In the last 12 seasons the Eagles are 173-27 when leading at the half, 46-91 when trailing and 10-4 when tied
• In Big South contests since 2013-14, the Eagles are 116-16 when leading at the half, 34-39 when trailing and 7-3 when tied
• In the last 201 victories, the Eagles have won by double-figures in 123 of them (61%)
• Over the last 12 seasons Winthrop is 164-62 when attempting 20 or more free throws, 47-13 when attempting 30 or more, 8-3 when attempting 40 or more and 1-1 when attempting 50-plus
• During that same time span, Winthrop is 77-73 when it has less than 20 free throw attempts
• Have won nine of the last 11 games attempting 30 or more free throws after having lost 4-of-5 prior
• In the last 12 seasons Winthrop is 75-11 when making 10 or more threes and attempting 20 or more free throws in same game

(Photo of Noah Waterman: Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)

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