The No. 4 Louisville Cardinals, are set to take on Villanova in the quarter finals of the Big East tournament tonight at 7 p.m. EDT as they look for their eighth straight victory on the road to the NCAA tournament.
Louisville will look to team scoring leader Russ Smith to continue to lead the way for the Cardinals, averaging almost 18 points per game while shooting 40 percent from the field. The shear amount of shots Smith takes per game showcases his ability to get free and his confidence to take the shot over defenders.
Allowing Smith and the rest of the Cardinals to get second and third chances is Gorgui Dieng. The junior has been hauling in more than ten rebounds per game, giving them a decisive advantage down low. Not too far behind him is Chane Behanan who is averaging 10.4 ppg and 7 rpg, second on the team in both categories.
Louisville has had decisive victories in six of their last seven victories, with Syracuse posing the only minor hurdle in their quest to win the Big East tournament for the second year in a row.
But don't count the Wildcats out just yet. Despite some shaky performances down the stretch, their two losses in the last seven games came by just one point to Seton Hall and a crushing 9 point overtime meltdown against Pitt.
The last time Villanova took on the Cardinals, it was the Wildcats coming out on top with an impressive 73-64 victory over the then No. 5 Louisville squad.
Villanova will look to ride the momentum of their victory over St. John's in the opening round of the Big East tournament in their attempt to upset the surging Cardinals.
JayVaughn Pinkston will look to capitalize on every open look he gets as he continues to lead the Wildcats in scoring, averaging 12.9 ppg. Mouphtaou Yarou will need to outreach Dieng to help give his team second chances to score as well.
If Villanova is able to slow down or upset the Cardinals, it could have big implications as they prepare to enter the NCAA tournament, but a big win in the quarterfinals for Louisville could put them in a position to win the Big East tournament and sustain their momentum into late March and April.
The winner of this game will go on to face the winner of the Notre Dame - Marquette match-up in the semi finals of the Big East tournament.
The game is available on ESPN and WatchESPN at this link.
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