END GAME- Louisville defeats North Florida 89-61. Damion Lee and Ray Spalding came alive for the Cardinals to lead a 2nd half run. They now are 3-0 and North Florida falls to 3-1. Stay tuned for a recap on today's game! Spalding had 18 points and 12 rebounds off the bench and Damion Lee scored 24 points.
2nd (1) - Johnson with the put back tip in!
2nd (1) - The starters come out of the game for the Cards, it looks all but over.
2nd (2) - Davonport with a solid shot for NF.
2nd (3) - Spalding continues his big day with another dunk!
2nd (3) - NF makes both free throws.
2nd (4) - Mitchell with the pretty shot.
2nd (5) - Davonport makes both free throws. The game is all but over for North Florida.
2nd (5) - Mathiang is headed to the line. He makes
Due to technical difficulties we are now to the 7 minute mark here at Louisvile. The Cards are pulling away and damion Lee is putting on a show.
2nd (12) - Damion Lee with the beautiful spin move layup. Everyone is on their feet! Timeout on the floor.
2nd (13) - Lee with a layup from Onuaku. North Florida missed a three?????? THREE BALL FROM LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
2nd (14) - Onuaku with the baby hook.
2nd (15) - Lewis made a great basket from Onuaku. Timeout on the floor.
2nd (15) - Moore MADE ANOTHER THREE THIS IS INSANE!!!!!!
2nd (16) - Onuaku forced a turnover in the backcourt. Cardinal basketball.
2nd (17) - Snider with the pretty jump shot.
2nd (17) - Louisville is up 49-44 they just got the ball back.
Sorry now we are back due to technical difficulties.
Louisville is leading North Florida 43-41 at halftime. The Ospreys can really shoot the ball better than anyone in the country. Louisville had two tech's charged against them and North Florida didn't have any despite slinging Lee across the floor. North Florida will break someone's heart in March.
1st (:9) - Lee makes a huge layup then NORTH FLORIDA THREE AT THE BUZZER WOWWWWWWW.
1st (:57.8) - How was this not a tech?! HE got thrown across the floor. Lee makes both free throws.
1st (:57.8) - Lee got thrown out of bounds by a NF player. This should be a tech.
1st (1) - Onuaku gives the Cards the lead back with a hook shot.
1st (1) - Spalding makes both free throws to make it a one point game.
1st (1) - Lewis with the run stopping three then Mathiang gets the surprising tech. NF makes both free throws. This is getting out of hand.
1st (2) - Moore with another three in the face of a defender. Beech then makes another one. THIS IS INSANE.
1st (3) - Lewis with a step back jumper.
1st (3) - Moore with another big three as North Florida takes the lead.
1st (4) - NF with a big slam after Onuaku blocked the shot before.
1st (4) - Mitchell with a technical foul. NF makes both free throws.
1st (5) - Moore with another three point basket.
1st (7) - Onuaku with the steal and Lee with the layup. Timeout on the floor.
1st (7) - Spalding with the dunk from Lewis.
Kyle Kuric witb the amazing Skype video during the timeout.
1st (10) - Snider with a huge three to put the Cards on top.
1st (11) - NF with another huge three then Mathiang with a great shot.
1st (12) - Spalding with a great put back tip in then he does it again.
1st (13) - Beech makes both free throws.
1st (13) - Snider makes the contested layup.
1st (14) - Onuaku makes the tip in after many misses, then Mathiang with the easy layup.
1st (14) - Mathiang is at the line and misses both.
1st (15) - Moore with the and one as he is headed to the line and makes it.
1st (15) - First timeout underway as North Florida is hitting everything early.
1st (16) - Lewis with the easy open lane and NF made another three, they are automatic. Lewis then finds his way into the paint again for a score.
1st (17) - Lee with the pretty layup.
1st (19) - Johnson makes one free throw.
1st (19) - ANOTHER THREE FROM NORTH FLORIDA ALREADY.
1st (19) - Johnson with the put back layup.
1st (19) - Big opening three from NF right out the gate.
NF wins the tip and we are under way!
Snider will replace Adel in the lineup today because of a knee injury.
Follow this of today’s action starting at noon as the Louisville Cardinals take on the North Florida Ospreys!
The Cardinals defense and post players will be the deciding factor at the end of the day. It’s possible to hold North Florida to a poor shooting performance but it probably won’t happen. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Louisville freshman Deng Adel playing against Dallas Moore as well.
Prediction- Louisville 78 North Florida 66
The Ospreys just have to continue shooting the heck out of the ball if they hope to win. They have the obvious disadvantage down low and can’t let Onuaku get going early.
The Cardinals have the obvious advantage size wise, but the Ospreys can shoot it lights out and the Cardinals haven’t been known for their shooting. So if the Cardinals come out flat, North Florida will embarrass them. Dallas Moore is probably itching for a chance to play against some real competition. If he maintains his 24 PPG average, many high profile coaches would be looking at him as a possible strong new addition to their team.
Probable Starters – Louisville Cardinals - Head Coach – Rick Pitino
Guard- Trey Lewis (6'2" 185 lb. graduate) 9 PPG 3.5 RPG Garfield Heights, Ohio.
Guard- Damion Lee (6'6" 210 lb. graduate) 16 PPG 3 RPG Baltimore, Md.
Forward- Deng Adel (6'7" 200 lb. freshman) 4.5 PPG 3.5 RPG Melbourne, Australia.
Forward- Jaylen Johnson (6'9" 215 lb. sophomore) 8.5 PPG 6.5 RPG Ypsilamti, Mich.
Center- Chinanu Onuaku (6'10" 240 lb. sophomore) 14.5 PPG 7 RPG Lanham, Md.
Bench- Dillon Avare (Guard), Jay Henderson (Guard), David Levitch (Guard), Anas Mahmoud (Forward), Mangok Mathiang (Forward-Center), Donovan Mitchell (Guard), Raymond Spalding (Forward), Matz Stockman (Forward-Center).
Probable starters – North Florida Ospreys – Head Coach - Matthew Driscoll
Guard- Nick Malonga (6'4" 180 lb. sophomore) 6.3 PPG 2.7 RPG Bolingbrook, Ill.
Guard- Dallas Moore (6'1" 180 lb. junior) 24.3 PPG 3.0 RPG St. Petersburg, Fla.
Guard- Trent Mackey (6'3" 180 lb. senior) 18.7 PPG 1.7 RPG Tampa, Fla.
Forward- Chris Davonport (6'8" 225 lb. junior) 15 PPG 9.7 RPG Atlanta, Ga.
Forward- Beau Beech (6'9" 215 lb. senior) 14 PPG 5.7 RPG Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Bench – Romelo Banks (Center), D’Andre Bernard (Forward), Osborn Blount (Guard), Aaron Bodager (Guard), Demarcus Daniels (Forward), Ismaila Dauda (Center), Chase Driscoll (Guard), C.J Fisher (Guard), Karlos Odum (Forward).
But without further wait, here are the projected starters and bench players for Saturday’s game!
Hartford’s head coach had some interesting comments after his game against the Cardinals. He thought that the Cards were a top 15 team in the country and that Deng Adel someday could be ACC POTY and a first round draft pick. He was stunned to hear that Louisville was unranked. But he has to listen to Pitino for all of this to happen.
Louisville’s Damion Lee scored 18 points last game as well and now looks to be the scorer that Louisville fans thought they were getting out of him. He was ranked as the top transfer in the country and is still trying to prove to people he can compete against other major programs. Lee will have to match the three-point shooting of North Florida, but if anyone can do it, it’s him.
The most impressive player on Louisville this season has been sophomore center Chinanu Onuaku. Last game he scored a career high 18 points and has continued to be a force in the paint with seven blocks this season. If he continues this pace, Onuaku will be in the conversation for ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Only time will tell, but if Louisville wants to be successful this season, he will have to continue dominating night in and night out.
They also have a point guard that Louisville will absolutely hate guarding. That’s Dallas Moore who averages 24.3 PPG and 8.3 assists. That’s good for 24th in scoring and top 10 in assists in the country. He has help with Trent Mackey (18.7 PPG and 62.5 percent from three). Louisville guards like Trey Lewis and Quentin Snider will have their hands full all day.
The Ospreys are the best three-point shooting team in the country and that’s why they have been great this season. They make 16 of them a game, with 48 percent of them going in, and attempt 33.3 a game. Those are insane numbers that the Golden State Warriors might not even be able to eclipse on a nightly basis.
The Louisville Cardinals are back in action on Saturday, November 21st at noon. They take on the North Florida Ospreys in a matchup that has more than meets the eye. Louisville had no problem with Samford or Hartford in their first two games. North Florida had to defeat Illinois, UT Rio Grande Valley, and Edward Waters. Neither team has been in a tough game but North Florida went on the road and defeated Illinois, a Division 1 program. Louisville’s toughest game was last week against a team named Hartford. It’s not Harvard, it’s Hartford.