Special Bluegrass battle
Louisville also has its share of height with 6foot8 Harrell, 6foot10 forwards Mangok Mathiang and Chinanu Onuaku and 7foot freshman Anas Mahmoud. And the Cardinals aren’t far behind Kentucky in several defensive categories — they’re sixth with 7.2 blocks per game.
That will be crucial against a Kentucky squad that has thrived by wearing down opponents with waves of size and talent.
“We know what they’re all about,” Louisville forward Wayne Blackshear said. “We just have to rebound, stop them from getting on the glass. That’s the main point right there.”
For Harrell, that means keeping his cool in what could be a long day.
“I know I’m going to have to play almost 40 minutes in this game,” Harrell said after watching Tuesday night’s 8055 victory over Cal State Northridge from the bench in street clothes.
“I’m kind of like the heart and soul of our team. I’ve got to pick and choose plays the smart way.”
Kentucky, meanwhile, comes in wellrested after last Saturday’s 8344 shellacking of UCLA that ratcheted up expectations. If nothing else, a few days spent at home helped players recharge after a demanding schedule they handled well, especially against ranked teams such as Kansas, Texas and North Carolina.
Kentucky coach John Calipari believes that Louisville’s physical style on both ends presents a differ ent challenge for his team and has emphasized the Wildcats’ dual needs to take and give punishment.
“It’s like any team we play,” Calipari said. “Teams are going to come after us. They’re going to be physical. Teams don’t surrender. They’re going to do what they have to do.”
While there figure to be some blueclad Kentucky fans in the house, they’ll likely be drowned out by many more spectators dressed in Cardinals red, yelling their loudest to throw off the Wildcats’ rhythm.
“That makes it fun,” Kentucky guard Andrew Harrison said. “That makes it worth your while. A lot of the young kids haven’t really been in an environment like this or been in a very close game like we’re going to be in on Saturday. It’s a great test for us, and we want to see where we’re at.”