Game Preview: Cards look for season sweep of Panthers - SCACCHoops.com

Game Preview: Cards look for season sweep of Panthers

by Card Chronicle

Posted: 1/24/2017 2:09:23 PM


Pittsburgh has lost four straight games, a streak that includes the Panthers’ 85-80 loss to Louisville at the KFC Yum Center 13 days ago. In that game, Pitt star Jamel Artis poured in 43 points, the most in the history of the Yum Center and the most by an ACC player in nine years. Artis leads the ACC in scoring at 22.0 ppg.

Ranking second in the ACC in scoring is Artis’ teammate, Michael Young. Young, who averages 21.1 ppg, is also 21st in the nation in that category, 10 spots behind Artis. Pitt is one of just three teams in the country that boasts multiple players who average better than 20.0 points per game.

As a team, Pitt ranks 51st in the nation in assists turnovers ratio (1.28) and 39th in free throws made (17.1 per game). The Panthers start four seniors.

Notable:

—Louisville has defeated Pittsburgh in nine straight meetings. The only power conference teams that the Cardinals have a longer active winning streak against are Virginia Tech (11 games) and Rutgers (10 games).

—The 43 points that Jamel Artis scored against Louisville earlier this season were the most by a Cardinal opponent since 1995.

—Louisville is sixth in the nation in blocked shots (6.3 bpg) and eighth in field goal defense (.380), sixth in three-point field goal percentage defense (.290) and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (14.5).

—Pitt is 21-12 in the next home game following a loss at the Petersen Events Center, including a 6-1 record since the start of the 2014-15 season.

—Jamel Artis is averaging an ACC-best 24.3 points per game in league play. He also leads the conference in three-point percentage (.522) and three-point field goals (4.0), while ranking seventh in field goal percentage (.522) through six ACC contests.

—Louisville has played the nation’s toughest schedule, according to the RPI.

—This is the sixth time in seven seasons that Louisville has won 16 of its first 20 games.

—Pitt’s Michael Young is the only player in the NCAA averaging over 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

—Donovan Mitchell ranks second in the ACC and is 26th in the nation in steals (2.1 per game).

—Louisville was outscored by 16 in second half of its first meeting with Pitt, the most ever in a Cardinal win.

—Louisville has a 37-17 record during the month of January over the last seven years, including a 21-8 record in the last four years.

—The Panthers are averaging a league-best 10.0 three-point field goals per game in league play, while ranking third in three-point percentage (.405). On the other end of the floor, Pitt is allowing 9.7 threes per game on 42.6 percent shooting in ACC action.

—Pitt is 11-1 on the year when shooting a higher percentage from the field than its opposition. The Panthers are 6-0 on the season when shooting over 50 percent from the field.

— Louisville’s 162 victories over the last six years are the fifth-most wins in the nation in that stretch. The Cards are one of just three teams to win at least 30 games in three of the last five seasons (30-10 in 2011-12, 35-5 in ‘12-13, 31-6 in ‘13-14).

—Louisville is one of just four schools which have won 20 or more games in each of the last 14 seasons (also Kansas, Duke and Gonzaga).

Ken Pomeroy Prediction: Louisville 75, Pittsburgh 67

 

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