Louisville basketball got a big-time rivalry victory on Saturday against Kentucky. What we learned from the win.
One thing Louisville basketball fans can agree on is that beating Kentucky always feels great. It doesn’t matter what the win-loss record is for either team. A win means bragging rights for the entire calendar year.
Nearing the end of a tumultuous 2020, Card Nation had to wait until the day after Christmas to secure one of the biggest things on its wishlist. Chris Mack finally has his first win against Calipari and that team down the road, making him 1-2 over his first 3 seasons. It didn’t come easy, but does it ever?
For years Cardinal fans have lamented losing to Kentucky, for a multitude of reasons. Yes, the Wildcats are uncharacteristically bad this year. But the win still gave us reason to be excited. Here are the top lessons we learned from the Louisville baskeball victory.
Team 107 is built different
I know, I know, we’ve talked about toughness already but stick with me here. This is the first season that Coach Mack has “his guys” in the system. Guys like Dre Davis love flexing their muscles after getting fouled while attacking the offensive glass. We saw the toughness – both mental and physical – during games like WKU and Seton Hall. But we know better than to expect the norm against Kentucky.
For some reason, when we play Kentucky, everything we think we knew goes out the window. Not to sugarcoat it, more often than not, UK punks Louisville.
In the second half, there were a lot more whistles, but that’s because the Cards turned up the physicality on both ends. Both teams were in the bonus early, but that didn’t stop the Cards from continuing to crash the boards and dive on the floor for critical loose balls.
It’s so refreshing to see your squad take the fight to your rival instead of shrinking away like in years past. Seeing Louisville finish a game like this should give Cards fans plenty of optimism for the future of the rivalry in the Mack Era.
Samuell Williamson lacks the consistency Louisville basketball needs from him
Now, not everything we learned yesterday can be positive.
Samuell Williamson looked smooth and confident before injuring his toe early against Seton Hall a month ago. Last week against Pitt, he notched a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Williamson was aggressive from the jump and looked very comfortable getting to his spots and scoring.
Entering the UK match-up, most expected him to continue playing well and with confidence. Instead, it looked as if he’d gone back into his shell.
As a McDonald’s All-American and consensus 5-star coming out of high school, Williamson’s jump from freshman to sophomore year was one of the most talked-about subjects during the long offseason. Would he become “the guy” everyone expected him to be? Could he be a star who wants the ball in the big moments?
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If the Kentucky game is any indication, that answer would be no. Williamson scored just 4 points in 27 minutes against the Wildcats. The problem is Williamson sometimes looks like a 5-star player. Yet, other times, he’s almost a non-factor on the court. For Louisville to reach its full potential, they’ll need him to get out of his own way in big games.
If Williamson can consistently be an aggressor on offense, that adds a new dimension for Louisville. However, if he has lulls like he did at the start of the second half against Kentucky, the Cardinals are unlikely to reach their full potential.
Carlik Jones and David Johnson are legit
This almost goes without saying, but the biggest thing we learned against UK is that Carlik Jones and David Johnson can be a deadly combination.
Louisville basketball fans have longed for a dynamic backcourt since the departure of Peyton Siva and Russ Smith. How many end of game situations would our stomach be in knots because we weren’t confident in who was handling the basketball?
During the Battle of the Bluegrass, we are always nervous. But the point is that Louisville finally has a dynamic duo in the backcourt again that can hold its own against anyone.
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If I had one word to describe Carlik Jones, it would be “poised”. He Jones had 20 points on Saturday, including the 2 free throws that sealed the victory with five seconds left. He wanted the ball in his hands, and Mack trusted him. “I feel like he’s going to make it every single time,” Mack said of his confidence in Jones at the line.
As good as Jones, Louisville native David Johnson was also named co-MVP with Jones. Johnson finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists on the day. A few minutes Into the second half against UK, Johnson started to impose his will on drives to the basket. His size and strength were on full display when he grabbed an offensive board, took a power dribble, and converted an and-one.
On a day where the offense wasn’t really clicking, we saw David and Carlik are talented enough to make up for it. Just give one of them the ball and let them go to work.
In the future. don’t be surprised to see teams try and double Jones or Johnson. In that case, they’re both excellent playmakers who can put their teammates in positions to succeed. Teams who are “contenders”, more often than not, have elite backcourts. It’s not crazy to think that by Tournament time, Jones and Johnson could form the best backcourt in the country.
Next Up: ACC Play
The Cards surely got a big boost of confidence after beating Kentucky. Time will tell if they elevate their play and ride the momentum into conference play. Louisville has a chance to be one of the top 4 teams in the ACC this season, and secure a double-bye in the ACC tournament. They weren’t perfect on Saturday by any means, but a win is a win. Now let’s go get some more of those.
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