Keys to the game: No. 11 Louisville travels to No. 20 Tennessee

No. 11 Louisville travels to Knoxville to play No. 20 Tennessee (7-3) for its second true road test of the year. The Cards are seeking revenge after losing 77-55 against the Volunteers at the KFC Yum! Center last winter.

Louisville is trending in the right direction, coming off two solid wins against No. 22 Indiana and Memphis. Tennessee isn’t feeling nearly as good, looking to respond in a big way after dropping its last three games.

Known for its top-ranked defense, the Volunteers are looking to regain confidence on offense after being held to under 63 points in consecutive games. The Cardinals have ridden their elite shooting to a 9-1 record, and there seems to be no stopping Pat Kelsey’s second-ranked offense. 

Former Naismith Coach of the Year, Rick Barnes, has found great success at Tennessee. Once ranked as the No. 13 team in the nation this season, Barnes is making a change in the hope of getting back on track. True freshman big DeWayne Brown will get his first career start against the Cards with the injury to Cade Phillips. As talented as the Volunteers are, they will now be starting two freshmen against a veteran-heavy Cardinal team. 

Physical rebounding team

Tennessee averages 43.3 rebounds per game, with 36.0 percent of those coming on the offensive glass. Ranking as the 3rd best offensive rebounding team in the nation, this directly affects an area where Louisville has struggled.  

Louisville gives up 11.3 offensive rebounds per game, good for 239th in the country. The Cards faced a similar opponent last game, as Memphis is ranked in the top 30 for offensive rebounding. Giving up 16 offensive boards, Louisville was exposed in this aspect of the game. 

In all but one Tennessee loss, the Volunteers have been held far below their average rebounding number. Proving the importance of this aspect of their game, the better Louisville is on the glass, the more likely they will walk away with a win.

Five-star freshman Nate Ament leads the Volunteers with 7.1 rebounds per game, while big men Jaylen Carey and Felix Okpara combine for 12.1 per game. Six players average four or more rebounds per game, but with the injury to forward Phillips, Tennessee will be looking for someone else to help pick up the slack. 

Playing his most minutes since November, Louisville forward Khani Rooths grabbed eight rebounds in 18 minutes against Memphis. This performance gave a glimpse of potentially an increased role in Knoxville. The Cards will also need to rely on big men Sananda Fru, Aly Khalifa, and Kasean Pryor to win in the paint. 

“We’re going to play one of the most physical, rugged teams in college basketball… we’ve got to be ready for a battle. Hall of Fame coach. Number one rebounding team (Tennessee) in the country,” Kelsey said.

Louisville forcing turnovers

Louisville’s 78th-ranked defense has had its ups and downs. Frequently losing the turnover battle, the Cards average 8.1 steals per game. 

Tennessee has also faced adversity, ranking 258th in the nation with 13.2 turnovers per game. The Cards have a great opportunity to turn the tables and capitalize on this weakness. Louisville’s fast-paced offense thrives in transition, putting up quick shots. If the Cards can take advantage of Tennessee’s turnover issues, it will help generate offense. 

Maryland transfer guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie is the Volunteers’ primary ball handler. At home, he averages 3.1 turnovers a game compared to 5.4 assists. Ament is 6-foot-11, but handles the ball a lot. Averaging 3.6 turnovers over their three-game losing streak, Louisville needs to make Ament feel uncomfortable. 

Totalling 4 steals against Memphis, Louisville did a great job clogging lanes on defense. Tuesday night, the Cards will need big performances by defensive leaders Adrian Wooley and Kobe Rodgers to turn this defensive pressure into more turnovers. 

Staying hot on offense

Louisville is coming off its best shooting performance of the year, hitting 18 three-pointers on 51% shooting. The Cards have passed the century mark four times this season and average the fourth-most three-point attempts per game.

Tennessee has let its opponents shoot 25.6 threes a game, good for the second most in the SEC. Louisville will have the opportunity to shoot, but they will need to hit more than the average 29.7% from downtown that Tennessee opponents have shot. 

Louisville leading three-point shooter Ryan Conwell has been on a tear this season, hitting 42% of his three-point attempts, including 3 in each of the past two games. 

Getting hot at the right time, Wooley cashed in on five of his eight three-point attempts last game. J’Vonne Hadley and Pryor are also seeing an increase in shooting volume after combining for a perfect 6 for 6 from distance against Memphis. 

After not hitting a single three for only the second time this season, Isaac McKneely will have to snap out of this cold streak and get back to his normal 41.1 percent from three average.

Already beating one SEC opponent, Louisville is looking to end its regular season with a winning record against its across-the-border foe.