Kentucky Basketball: Cats Preview Versus Louisville

Kentucky Basketball: Cats travel to Louisville for first true road game of the season, taking on top 10 team in rival Cardinals in Yum! Center

Nov 14, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino directs from the sideline during the second half against the William & Mary Tribe at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated William & Mary 91-58. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky takes on it first true road challenge of the season when the sixth-ranked Wildcats travel to Louisville to take on the 10th-ranked Cardinals in the Yum! Center.

Continuing one of the greatest rivalries in all of college sports, both fan bases will be riled into a passionate fervor when their beloved takes on its most hated foe. The atmosphere, as usual, will be intense and electric.

GAME TRACKER

“I’m happy when it’s over,” UK head coach John Calipari said during a press conference Tuesday. “Just get it done, because everybody makes it life or death and it’s not life or death. It’s worse than that. And I imagine Rick (Pitino’s) the same way. Just play the game, let’s see what happens and let’s go. We’ve got our league to deal with, he’s got his league to deal with, let’s just move on.”

The Cats take on a big challenge today in a Louisville team (10-1 on the season) that plays a grinding style of basketball predicated on tough defense, a consistent staple of Pitino-coached teams. The Cardinals enter the game as the top defense team in the country in terms of efficiency and have remarkably held two opponents to less than 20 points in a half this season. The Cards rank fourth in blocked shots, fifth in field-goal percentage and 12th overall in scoring defense, making today’s contest a great challenge for a young team that thrives on getting the ball up-and-down the court in transition.

But more than the stats and the particulars, today’s Louisville game marks yet another matchup of two teams, from players to the fan base, that usually don’t have a lot of love for the other. Calipari and Pitino have reflected that dynamic in their own well-publicized relationship, or lack thereof.

“I mean, look we’re 90 miles away from each other in competitive rival schools. It’s hard to send each other Christmas cards,” Calipari said when asked about his relationship with Pitino. “I mean it’s just — It is what it is. I’ve known him for 25 years. I know how good a coach he is. He’s a great coach. He’s a hall of famer. He’s won at everywhere he’s been, national championships, Final Fours. Come on, you know how good he is. We’re in the same state, 90 miles, trying to carve out our own thing.”

Kentucky enters the game leading the all-time series 34-15, including an 8-1 mark during the John Calipari era. Yet the rivalry has been intense with close games during that stretch, with only one game decided by more than 10 points.