Louisville's backcourt steps up in absence of Mikel Brown Jr.
The Louisville Cardinals defeated California in their ACC opener, 90-70. The Cardinals now have a record of 11-2 and start conference play 1-0.
Mikel Brown Jr. sits out again due to back injury
A major storyline in this contest was the absence of Mikel Brown Jr., who has been dealing with a nagging back injury. Earlier in the day, Brown Jr. was listed as probable coming into the game. However, moments before the official start of the game, the freshman guard was ruled out. This is the third game in a row he has missed due to injury.
With the absence of Brown, Louisville had to lean on the rest of the backcourt to hold it down. In Pat Kelsey’s postgame radio interview with the Louisville Sports Radio Network, he was asked about injuries. He mentioned the phrase, “next man up,” and the team bought into that approach and delivered.
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Backcourt Performance
The injury to the freshman guard led to Adrian Wooley being slotted back into the starting lineup, in which he was one of the few bright spots in his previous start against Tennessee.
This was yet another recent standout performance for the sophomore guard. This was his most complete performance since arriving at Louisville. He was such a steady, efficient presence on both ends of the floor.
Offensively, the Alabama native served as a connector, making quick passing reads to open shooters and bigs diving to the rim. He was also dynamic as a slasher, using his strong frame to absorb bumps and finish with evasive footwork. He also knocked down a handful of jumpers from deep. Overall, was a superb performance from him offensively, as he was efficient and played within the flow of the game.
Defensively, Wooley brought his typical, hard-nosed approach to that end of the floor. He was a stalwart at the point-of-attack, sliding his feet to contain drives, while using his length to contest pull-up jumpers. He was also responsible for slowing down California’s most dynamic offensive weapon, Dai Dai Ames, in the second half. The Kennesaw State transfer played a major role in holding him to 5 points and 1-for-8 from the field in the second half.
During Kelsey’s postgame interview with the Louisville Sports Radio Network, he had the following to say on Adrian Wooley, “He’s a competitor too, man. You go on the road, and you are trying to win on the road in tough environments. He’s just a dude that you look at, and he doesn’t blink, he’s not afraid, he wants the moment, he wants the shot, he’s a competitor.”
Wooley finished with 21 points, four rebounds, two assists, and zero turnovers on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and 3-for-7 from three.
Another major backcourt contributor for the Cardinals was Ryan Conwell, who led the Cardinals in scoring with 26 points. As usual, Conwell provided a major spark on the offensive end. He stayed aggressive throughout and displayed his dynamic shotmaking from deep, both off the catch and off the dribble. He knocked down 6-of-13 attempts from the three-point line, while also converting all four of his free-throw attempts.
Veterans Kobe Rodgers and Isaac McKneely contributed as well to the victory.
Rodgers was energetic defensively and added value on the glass, coming up with five rebounds (three offensive). He also added three points, one assist, and one block. McKneely knocked down three triples and made solid passing reads against California’s zone. He finished the night with 11 points, three assists, and one rebound.
The Cardinals will continue their West Coast road trip and face off next against Stanford, facing off at 8 pm ET on Friday night.
RELATED — How it happened: No. 16 Louisville stomps Cal, picks up first ACC win
