Opponent Preview: What to know ahead of Louisville

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Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry didn’t mince words postgame after his team’s 99-70 away loss to Wake Forest on Feb. 3 — its second consecutive defeat. SU shot just 40.3% from the field while the Demon Deacons hit 63.2% of their 3s.

When asked about the result Monday during his weekly Atlantic Coast Conference coaches call, Autry said he preaches a brand of basketball revolving around effort. Autry added that he isn’t afraid to play walk-ons “to get you to play the way I need you to play.”

Then Tuesday, the program announced on social media that it dismissed junior forward Benny Williams due to undisclosed reasons. Williams’ departure leaves SU thin in the front court heading into a home showdown against Louisville Wednesday.

The Cardinals come off of a surprise 101-92 victory over Florida State. Louisville point guard Ty-Laur Johnson starred with a 27-point, 11-assist double-double — a performance that earned him ACC Rookie of the Week honors.

Here’s everything you need to know before Syracuse (14-8, 5-6 ACC) takes on Louisville (7-15, 2-9 ACC):

All-time series

Louisville leads 19-12.

KenPom odds

Syracuse has an 85% chance of winning, with a projected score of 81-69.

Last time they played…

Syracuse eked by Louisville on the road 70-69 on Jan. 3, 2023. The Orange were led by now-Clemson guard Joe Girard III’s 28 points while Judah Mintz added 16.

Though SU collected 25 points off of 21 Cardinals turnovers, Louisville held a 67-66 advantage with 1:04 left to play. However, a pair of free throws each from Girard III and Mintz secured a victory for Syracuse.

Spellbound by how close the contest was despite Louisville’s many cough-ups, Kenny Payne said he believed his team should have won: “That goes to show that we gave it away. We gave it away. My heart goes out to my team because they deserved to win.”

Cole Ross | Digital Design Editor

The Cardinals report

Louisville’s turbulent season started with an exhibition loss to Division II’s Kentucky Wesleyan. Then, a glimmer of hope came against then-ranked Texas in a close game at Madison Square Garden before it suffered consecutive defeats to DePaul and Arkansas State before the New Year.

The Cardinals will get back star guard Skyy Clark, who hadn’t played since sustaining a head injury against Clemson on Jan. 30. In Clark’s absence, Louisville relied on Johnson — a lightning-quick slasher equipped with stellar playmaking abilities.

Despite recording a goose egg in the Cardinals’ victory over FSU, the addition of Southern California transfer Tre White goes down as one of Payne’s sparse achievements in 2023-24. The sophomore forward averages 12.4 points per game, shoots 45.4% from the field and is a steady three-level scorer.

An athletic yet undisciplined team, Louisville’s seemingly structure-less offense stuns the opposition. The Cardinals never shy away from calling out isolation plays for their more talented players and execute an aggressive, fly-around brand of defense.

How Syracuse beats Louisville

Syracuse shouldn’t have a problem with Louisville. The latter sits in the basement of the ACC, tied with an equally lackluster Notre Dame squad. Louisville typically rotates through six players, four of which score at an effective clip. It possesses no backcourt defender capable of guarding Mintz or J.J. Starling.

But with Williams gone, Maliq Brown has to control the boards. Even if he manages to stay out of foul trouble, Brown will need help opposite Louisville’s versatile 6-foot-10 forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield. Peter Carey has emerged as Brown’s backup but is nowhere near reliable and it seems Autry refuses to play junior backup Mounir Hima. Whether Brown dazzles for 40 minutes or Carey holds his own, SU needs to win the front court battle.

Though it isn’t imperative for wings Chris Bell and Justin Taylor to perform — provided Mintz, Brown and Starling produce — a few timely outside makes could keep Syracuse one step ahead if affairs get close.

Stat to know: 46.5%

Ranked dead last in ACC opposition field goal percentage, Louisville’s defense allows its competition to score at a 46.5% percent rate. The Cardinals also permit an average of 78 points per game — a conference-worst mark.

Though Syracuse’s offense isn’t exceptional, expect its scoring numbers to receive a boost. Mintz likely draws a plethora of shooting fouls while Starling, Taylor and Bell should receive healthy amounts of open looks. Louisville isn’t a great defensive rebounding team either, which could spark Brown’s return to double-digit scoring after he registered just two points at Wake Forest.

Player to watch: Ty-Laur Johnson, guard, No. 4

Likely fueled by recency bias after he exploded for 27 points in Louisville’s 101-92 win against Florida State, Johnson has experienced a rollercoaster freshman season. He began the campaign on Payne’s bench before a five-game starting stretch, but has since returned for the Cardinals’ last seven contests.

Regardless, Johnson is a twitchy and shifty offensive player. He can create his own shot or attract enough attention off the dribble to free up his teammates. However, the guard is still without an outside jumper, shooting an abysmal 7-for-40 from 3.