subject: Ncaa Basketball Tickets - No. 4 Kentucky Vs. No. 20 Louisville Preview [print this page] University of Kentucky didn't disappoint against hapless UNC Asheville, as the Wildcats whipped out a usual arsenal of reverse dunks, traditional alley-oops and overpowering offense in a 94-57 win. John Wall "The Pleaser" had another stellar performance for UK, getting his first points of the game on a reverse dunk. Wall finished the game with 12 points and 14 assists. After the game, teammate DeMarcus Cousins said Wall could do anything he puts his mind to. Cousins was also a big factor in the victory over UNC. The power forward knocked down 8 of 10 free throws, scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in only 17 minutes.
The Wildcats (6-0) led by 22 points by the break and took a commanding 40-point lead in the second half. But UK played a 0-5 Asheville team, which lost games to the likes of Furman, Campbell and Tennessee by an astonishing 75 points. The win was a good show, but one has to wonder how much it helped prepare the Wildcats for their upcoming schedule.
It will be interesting to see how Kentucky fares against teams stocked with equally-talented players such as the Tar Heels, Connecticut, Indiana, and their Jan. 2 matchup with No. 20 Louisville. Get NCAA Basketball tickets and see the Wildcats take on the Cardinals. The Cardinals have talented players like Jerry Smith, Samardo Samuels, and Edgar Sosa, who can challenge Wall and Cousins inside the paint.
Smith recorded 17 points and led Louisville to an 80-48 win over the Stetson Hatters on Dec. 2. Samuels added 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Sosa had 15 points and five assists for the Cardinals (5-1). Although the Hatters' A.J. Smith led the team with 18 points, Stetson only managed to shoot 35 percent from the field and was no match for Louisville once the Cardinals got through the first half. After a slow start, Louisville went on an 11-0 run and took control of the game by holding the Hatters without a field goal for over six minutes. The Cardinals led 37-21 at the break and pulled away in the second half with Smith leading the charge.
Cardinals coach Rick Pitino has been critical of Smith's shot selection in recent weeks, saying he felt the senior took too many three-pointers whether he was open or not. Smith spent extra time in the team's practice facility over the last week to work out the kinks on his jump shots. The hard work paid off, as Smith helped spark an 11-0 scoring burst against the Hatters which put his team up 24-10.
Will the Cardinals display the same type of intensity against the top-seeded Wildcats? Louisville needs Smith's leadership to help calm a roster filled with freshmen and sophomores. The team has been plagued by injuries. The Cardinals played without guards Preston Knowles and Peyton Siva, both of whom watched from the bench in the recent win over the Hatters. Will they be back in time for the Kentucky matchup? We might not see the Wildcats dominate the Cardinals by 75 points like they have done to their other opponents, but UK should win this game.
