Louisville Faces Alabama in Van Chancellor: After starting the season 4-0, the No. 15 Cardinals face a formidable challenge in the Van Chancellor Classic. Their first test on Friday is against Alabama, setting the stage for battles with Liberty and Gonzaga in the following days. Louisville, with a 1-1 record against the Crimson Tide in neutral-site contests, previously secured a 73-56 victory in the Nugget Classic’s first round on Nov. 29, 2008, in Reno, Nevada.
While boasting a 2-0 record against the Flames, Louisville’s recent matchups with the Bulldogs have been closely contested. The series between U of L and Gonzaga is tied at 2-2, with the Bulldogs securing a crucial win last year, handing the Cardinals their first loss of the season in overtime, 79-67, during the Battle 4 Atlantis.
This season, Louisville underwent significant personnel changes, essentially forming a new team. The first four games served as a period of identity discovery for U of L. The Cardinals have demonstrated consistency in scoring, with guard Sydney Taylor reaching 1,500 career points and forward Olivia Cochran approaching double-double territory.
However, defensive improvements are still a work in progress. Louisville is averaging 86.5 points per game, ranking 25th in the country, while allowing opponents to average 52.5 points, tied for the 34th fewest in the nation.
Coach Jeff Walz emphasized the need for improvement in off-ball defense after the team’s 77-44 victory over Bucknell on Sunday. “We’ve just got to become a better off-ball defensive team,” Walz stated. “We’re standing too much.
We’re flat-footed. We’re reacting to everything after the fact. We’ve got to make sure we’re bouncing, we’re moving. As I like to say, when the ball’s in the air, our feet have to be in the air. Just small things like that.”
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