Keys to the game: Louisville vs. Memphis

The Louisville Cardinals (8-1) are set to face off against the Memphis Tigers (4-4) tomorrow at 3:30 pm ET. Louisville will return home following its victory over the Indiana Hoosiers. The Tigers will be riding a three-game win streak, while most recently defeating the Baylor Bears.

With that being said, here are some keys to the game for the Cardinals.

Own the Defensive Glass

When matched up against the Arkansas Razorbacks, the Cardinals struggled to control the defensive glass. This will be a priority against the Memphis Tigers, who rank 35th in offensive rebounds per game (11.8) and 50th in offensive rebound percentage (34.9 percent), according to TeamRankings.

The Tigers have athletes at multiple positions and send bodies to the offensive glass just like Arkansas. For example, the leading offensive rebounder on their team, Julius Thedford, is a guard, so emphasizing that every player has an assignment on the glass is important. The Cardinals need to seal on blockouts and send multiple players of their own to the boards. Penny Hardaway’s team struggles with shooting in general, which we will touch on later, making it even more important to eliminate easy putback opportunities at the rim.

Limit Memphis transition opportunities

Penny Hardaway recruits dynamic athletes to fit his up-tempo playstyle, and this team is no different. The Tigers want to speed up their opponents and force turnovers. The Tigers rank 65th in steals per game (8.3), so Pat Kelsey’s group needs to take care of the basketball.

Making them play in the half-court offensively is preferred too, as they have struggled to shoot the ball this season. Thus far, the Tigers rank 213th in three-point percentage (32.4 percent), 242nd in two-point percentage (49.2 percent), and 212th in overall shooting percentage (43.2 percent). Essentially, limit their transition opportunities and make them play methodically offensively.

Louisville needs to be disciplined defensively and keep the ball in front to make the Tigers a perimeter shooting team. At the point-of-attack, the Cardinals should focus on containing dribble-drives and going under ball-screens to keep their guards in front. With their lack of shotmaking, the Cardinals can play in the gaps defensively and be active in rotations, as well.

Limit fouling and stay out of the bonus defensively

So far this season, one of Louisville’s biggest issues has been defensive fouling. So far this season, the Cardinals rank 286th in fouls per game, committing 19.8 fouls per contest.

As physical as Memphis plays on both ends of the floor, this is something that needs to be circled for Louisville. They have had issues all year, fouling, and can’t afford to give up free points to the Tigers. Staying out of the bonus and making Memphis make shots should be emphasized, as they struggle shooting the ball from the perimeter.

Get to the FT line and attack the Offensive Glass

The focus thus far has been on the defensive end, but what are some key aspects for the Cardinals to exploit offensively?

Memphis, just like Louisville, has its own issues with fouling as well. The Tigers rank 319th in fouls per game and 301st in foul percentage, committing fouls on 24.6 percent of their possessions.

Look for the Cardinals’ backcourt to attack downhill and make Memphis continuously guard without fouling. The Memphis bigs also have a tendency to try to block shots often, so playing off two feet will be critical. Using headfakes and playing under control on drives could lead to foul generation for Kelsey’s team.

Lastly, the Cardinals will have chances to attack the offensive glass in this one. Hardaway’s team ranks 320th in offensive rebounds allowed per game and 317th in opponent offensive rebounding percentage. However, Louisville needs to find the right balance of attacking the offensive glass but limiting transition opportunities.

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