Ryan Conwell and J'Vonne Hadley pave the way past Syracuse

The senior pairing of Ryan Conwell and J’Vonne Hadley was a tone-setter in the home finale for Louisville, setting the standard in the first half that led to an 18-point lead at halftime.

These two concluded their time at the KFC Yum! Center on a high note, defeating the Syracuse Orange 77-62.

Ryan Conwell raises the bar defensively

From the jump, the Indianapolis native was engaged on the defensive end. His competitive fire resonated throughout the team.

In terms of his individual impact, he did so in a multitude of ways, both as a defensive playmaker and stalwart. He moved his feet well laterally to contain the ball, walled up around the rim on drives, and generated steals both on/off the ball. He also drew a charge and defended multiple positions on the floor.

Louisville was well-prepared defensively, as they beat Syracuse to the spot on multiple actions and made them finish over the top. They fought over screens and forced a lot of perimeter jumpers over the top, especially in the first half.

“It was great to see the guys, the way that they prepared and practiced, and the way they fought tonight. On the defensive end, they just played nasty, gritty, and tough. I just thought our fight on pick-and-roll coverage was very good tonight,” said Kelsey in regards to their defensive tenacity and approach in practice leading up to the game.

In the first-half alone, the Cardinals held the Orange to 7-for-25 shooting from the field, including no three-point makes, as Syracuse missed all 11 of their attempts. They also only had two assists to seven turnovers.

For the game, the Orange shot 40.4 percent from the field, including only 21.1 percent from deep on 4-of-19 shooting. Their field-goal percentage raised due to subpar efforts in the second half from Louisville, but the Cardinals’ first-half efforts created large separation.

“The first half, that deficit, that was the difference,” said Adrian Autry, the head coach of Syracuse.

Conwell’s aggressive approach offensively

On the offensive side, Conwell was the aggressor all night. Even though he wasn’t incredibly efficient from the field, he played within the flow and attacked Syracuse’s defense. He made some plays as a slasher, getting downhill, knocking down five threes, and contributed as a playmaker. He was active against Syracuse’s zone defense, penetrating the gaps to create shots for teammates and himself, while stretching the zone with his shooting gravity.

On the night, he finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Hadley’s subtle, but loud impact

Hadley was his typical self, impacting the game in various ways. Even though his impact may not haven’t been felt in a major way, the stat line tells a different story.

“You look at his line, 19 points, three assists, no turnovers. That is just the J’Vonne Hadley special,” said Kelsey. “He’s going to go down in my book as one of the favorites that I’ve ever coached just because of his professionalism, leadership, and his elite process every day.”

On the offensive end, the sixth-year forward was efficient from the floor, converting seven of nine attempts from the field. He also knocked down all three of his shots from deep, while converting both of his free-throw attempts.

His connective passing and play-finishing stood out against Syracuse’s zone defense, too. He shoveled passes from the middle of the zone to bigs under the rim, while converting some push shots in the lane. When Syracuse was in man defense, he used his strength to punish Syracuse’s frontline. He used his frame to create space around the rim, finishing well through contact.

Defensively, Hadley was a Swiss Army Knife, defending multiple positions. Syracuse has talent across the board, so having some of his defensive versatility adds significant value. He defended multiple positions throughout, whether switching down the lineup to defend their guards or guarding up the lineup against their frontline.

The Cardinals turn their attention to their regular-season finale, as they will go on the road to face off against the Miami (FL) Hurricanes. Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday, March 7th, at 2 pm ET.

Don’t miss out on Cardinal Sports + 

• Our premium community forums 
• A full year of access to The Athletic 
• Get a fast start on finding out breaking news and behind-the-scenes details.
• In-depth Louisville basketball and football analysis 
• On3 and Rivals national membership

Join the discussion at Cardinal Sports.