PREVIEW: Kentucky looks to get second consecutive win over Louisville

Kentucky vs. Purdue was the biggest home game of non-conference play for the Cats, but you could argue that the Louisville game is their biggest game in non-con in general, especially with the rivalry factor.

Here’s is everything you need to know ahead of the 60th edition of the Battle of Bluegrass.

Bio Blast

Kentucky leads the all-time series 35-24, but before last season, Louisville had won seven straight games in the series. Jeff Walz has been at the helm at Louisville since 2007, and he has taken them to four Final Fours and two national title games. They had a five-year run from 2017-2023 where they made the Elite Eight each year.

Walz is 10-7 against Kentucky in his tenure at Louisville, but Kenny Brooks has won four straight games over Louisville dating back to his days at Virginia Tech. One of those wins was a 75-67 win over the Cardinals to win the 2023 ACC Tournament Championship.

This year, Louisville is 4-1 on the year with good wins over Colorado then Clemson on the road. Their only loss was a 13-point defeat to No. 1 UConn on a neutral court in their season opener. On Wednesday, they beat Morehead State 96-49.

Scouting Report

St. Jospeh’s transfer Laura Ziegler is probably the best player that Louisville has. To this point in the season, Ziegler is averaging 14 points, 9.4 rebounds and two assists per game on 41.2% shooting from beyond the arc. At 6-foot-2, she doesn’t quite have the size advantage in the post, but if she gets matched up against Kentucky’s guards, she could be a nightmare to defend.

Tajianna Roberts had 12 points, four rebounds and two steals in last year’s Battle of the Bluegrass, and she could have another big outing on Saturday. She is also averaging 14 points per game, recording 2.6 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game as well. Her three-point shooting is up a bit from a year ago, now cashing in on 34.6% of her three-point attempts.

Reyna Scott spent the first three years of her collegiate career at Oklahoma, and in two games against Kentucky last season, she was really a non-factor as she scored just two total points in those games. However, in an expanded role at Louisville, she’s averaging 10 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 42.9% from deep. Kentucky will certainly have to keep an eye on her on defense.

Louisville Cardinals roster

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Projected Kentucky Starters

#5 – Tonie Morgan

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – SENIOR

9.5 PPG – 9.2 APG – 2.2 RPG

#0 – Jordan Obi

6-FOOT-1 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

13 PPG – 6.8 RPG – 1 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – SENIOR

12.5 PPG – 7.2 RPG – 2 BPG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-5 – FORWARD – SENIOR

10.3 PPG – 5.8 RPG – 1.8 BPG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – JUNIOR

16.8 PPG – 12.5 RPG – 3.3 BPG

Phoenix’s Prediction

Score: 62-58, Kentucky

MVP: Amelia Hassett

I don’t think there’s a world where this is a high-scoring game. With Kentucky’s defense being as good as it is plus Louisville style of play, I think this is going to be nothing short of a rock fight. Kentucky is the more talented team in this matchup, and even with this one on the road, I expect the Cats to come through and get the win. Amelia Hassett is going to have a huge game against Louisville for the second year in a row, putting up 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the win.

How to Watch/Listen

Location	Tipoff	TV	Radio	Live Stats
KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, KY)	2 p.m. ET	CW Network (Tom Werme and Kelley Deyo)	98.5 ICONS, TalkRadio 1080, SiriusXM (Darren Headrick)	StatBroadcast

Follow Along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG

Unable to watch the game? Don’t worry — we’ll be providing real-time updates throughout to keep you informed on the action. Follow along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG, which will get rolling on the website an hour before the game starts.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).