Terps will be next Louisville sluggers

It was clear there would be growing pains for Louisville this year on the heels of its worst season in over two decades. But even the most pessimistic onlookers couldn’t have predicted such a ghastly six-game start for the Cardinals ahead of Tuesday’s tilt with former conference rival Maryland.

This was always going to be a tough task for former Louisville star Kenny Payne, who took over a team that lost five of its top eight scorers from a year ago. A preseason loss to Division-II Lenoir-Rhyne — the team’s first exhibition defeat since 2000 — signaled dark days ahead for the first-time head coach.

It hasn’t gotten any better. The Cardinals opened the year with onepoint losses to Bellarmine, Wright State, and Appalachian State, respectively, all coming on their own home court. Then came the Maui Invitational, where they lost all three games by a combined 77 points and set records for offensive futility along the way.

That’s been the main issue for Louisville, which ranks among the nation’s worst in scoring efficiency and is turning it over on a whopping 25.5 percent of its possessions. It’s also generating an assist on just 38.7 percent of its trips down the floor, among the worst marks in college basketball.

Maryland’s strength lies in its top-20 offense, which has powered it to six straight wins by at least 16 points, though its defense is one of the best at preventing assist opportunities and limiting easy scoring chances. With the way Louisville has played to this point, this one feels like a rout.

THE PLAY: Maryland -11.

C Jackson Cowart handicaps college basketball for Action Network.