Louisville has history in their favor. Head coach Rick Pitino has a .756 winning percentage in the NCAA tournament. He is 40-6 when his team is the higher seed. However Pitino has cause for concern in this game. St. Louis will be starting five seniors who all have history in the NCAA tournament and could overshadow freshman talent.
Russ Smith will be expected to carry Louisville. He has scored or assisted on 36 percent of Louisville's points during the regular season. The high-scoring guard leads the team with 18.3 points and 4.7 assists per game. He is a matchup nightmare for any defense and will give St. Louis a headache this game. Smith has helped Louisville rank in the top 10 in offensive efficiency which will be tested against the St. Louis defense which ranks in the top five for most efficient defenses in the league.
Point guard Chris Jones will be expected to improve off his struggling performance against Manhattan. He went just 2 for 11, but did manage five rebounds and three assists while not committing a turnover. Those numbers must improve to get past St. Louis.
St. Louis has the chance to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the third straight year if they can get a win over Louisville. The No. 5 seed is well aware of just how hard the Cardinals game will be. Louisville is determined to attempt a second run at the title and will not let the Billikens get in their way.
St. Louis played Cinderella in their first game of the tournament, defeating favorite North Carolina State in the first round.The fifth seeded team overcame a 14-point deficit to get the win and advance. Now they will be tested by defending national champions, Louisville, who overcame a tight game against Manhattan in order to reach the Round of 32.
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