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Men's Basketball Opens BIG EAST Play Wednesday Against Providence
Jan. 1, 2013
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville men's basketball team begins the New Year with its first BIG EAST game of the season, facing Providence on Wednesday, Jan. 2, in the KFC Yum! Center. The game, set for a 6 p.m. tip, will be aired on the BIG EAST Network (WHAS-TV in Louisville), with Jim Barbar (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst) calling the action. The radio broadcast can be heard on WKJK 1080 AM, as Doug Ormay (play-by-play) and former UofL All-American Lancaster Gordon (analyst) announce the contest. The Cardinals, ranked fourth in both major polls this week, continued their hot streak and recorded their seventh-straight contest by beating then-No. 23 Kentucky, 80-77, on Saturday. Reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week Russ Smith scored a team-best 21 points and matched a career high with seven rebounds. He also produced his eighth game with at least three steals. Chane Behanan had another strong performance, tallying 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and seven rebounds, while Peyton Siva had 19 on 6-of-11 shooting. Siva went 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. Louisville recorded 44 points in the paint. Archie Goodwin had 22 points for the Wildcats in the losing effort. During their seven-game winning streak, the Cardinals are shooting 48.4 percent from the field and outscoring their opponents, 81-59. Louisville is averaging six 3-pointers a game, while opponents are shooting just 28.9 percent from 3-point range. Defensively, Louisville is averaging more than 11 steals per game and forcing more than 20 turnovers per contest, warranting the team's No. 2 national ranking in turnover margin and steals per game. Providence is coming off a tough 69-68 loss to Brown on Friday, marking the team's fourth loss of the season (8-4). The Friars' LaDontae Henton set a career high with 37 points on a solid 13-of-20 shooting performance, including a 6-of-10 stint from 3-point range. Henton's points are the most scored by a BIG EAST player this season. Brown, which shot 60 percent from the field in the second half, was led by Tucker Halpern's 28 points. The game featured 17 lead changes. The Friars are under the direction of second-year head coach Ed Cooley. The team was picked to finish 15th in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. All-BIG EAST preseason first-team selection Vincent Council, who has missed 10 games this season with an injured leg, returned to the lineup against Brown. Providence is ranked No. 8 nationally in 3-point field goal defense, holding opponents to just 26 percent from beyond the arc. The team also boasts a top-40 ranking in field goal percentage defense and scoring defense. Bryce Cotton is averaging a team-best 22 points per game, which ranks sixth-best nationally. He also boasts a No. 5 ranking in 3-point field goals per game. Henton is tops on the team in rebounding, averaging 7.9 boards per game, while ranking second on the team in scoring (17.3). The PEYTON Watch: Peyton Siva is 30 points shy of becoming the 64th Louisville men's basketball player to reach 1,000 points. The Cardinals rank second all-time in 1,000 point scorers behind North Carolina's 67. GAME FACTS - Louisville vs. Providence
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