Maryland (6-0) vs. Louisville (0-6)
When: Tuesday, Nov. 29 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, Ky.)
Television: ESPN2 (Streaming on WatchESPN) -
Watch Live
Broadcasters: Doug Sherman (play-by-play), Robbie Hummel (color)
Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network |
Listen Online
Line: Terps -12.5
Over/Under: 135.5
Series history: Louisville leads the all-time series 6-2, with the Cardinals winning the most recent meeting 63-55 on Nov. 27, 2021 in the championship game of the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship.
Projected Starting Lineups
Louisville
El Ellis (6-foot-3, Senior, G) - Averaging a team-high 17.2 points as well as 202 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Mike James (6-foot-5, Freshman., G) - Averaging 7.3 points and 2.8 rebounds through the first six games of the season.
JJ Traynor (6-foot-8, Junior, F) - Averaging 6.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game so far this season.
Jae'Lyn Withers (6-foot-8, Senior F) - Averaging 8.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-foot-10, Senior, F/C) - Averaging 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game to start the season.
Maryland
Jahmir Young (6-foot-1, Senior, PG) - Averaging 13.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists through six games.
Don Carey (6-foot-5, Senior, SG) - Averaging 8.2 points and 3.0 rebounds per game to start the season.
Hakim Hart (6-foot-8, Senior, G/F) - Averaging 14.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists to start the season.
Donta Scott (6-foot-8, Senior, F) - Averaging a team-high 15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists so far this season.
Julian Reese (6-foot-9, Soph., F/C) - Averaging 15.0 points, a team-high 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game to start the season.
The start of the Kenny Payne era has gotten off to a disastrous start for the Cardinals, as they have begun the season 0-6 with home losses to Bellarmine, Wrights St. and Appalachian State to start the season. Things didn't get any better for Louisville when they traveled to Hawaii last week for the Maui Jim Maui Classic, as they went 0-3, losing to Arkansas, Texas Tech and Cincinnati by an average margin of 25.7 points.
One of the biggest reasons for Louisville's historically poor start is the lack of a true floor general. Senior guard El Ellis is starting at the point and leading the team in scoring, but is averaging 4.8 turnovers per game to just 3.3 assists. Expect the Terps to ratchet up the pressure after made baskets early and often on Tuesday night as they look to both create turnovers as well as take the KFC Yum! Center crowd out of the game.
Even with the Cards being winless, this is still the Terps' first true road test of the season. That fact isn't lost on first-year head coach Kevin Willard and his team.
"It's our first true road game," said Willard. "Obviously Louisville has struggled a little bit but Kenny [Payne] still has them playing hard. You know, winning on the road is hard to do. And so we practiced good [Sunday]. We practiced for a good three and a half hours. Guys were focused. They understand road game and then Big Ten play starts. So their intensity was really good and their focus was really good."
Tuesday night will also mark the Terps' final game of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, as ESPN announced Monday morning that they challenge would be ending after 23 years with ESPN no longer holding Big Ten media rights moving forward.
Should the Terps win Tuesday night, they will enter Big Ten play undefeated with a big home game Friday night versus No. 16 Illinois.
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