Tim Sullivan of the Courier-Journal has already made his prediction for Saturday’s rivalry matchup of Kentucky and Louisville in Rupp Arena.
And even though the Cats have won 98% of their non-conference games at home during the Calipari era, Sullivan thinks the Cats can’t overcome Skal and Louisville’s experience.
Yes, the numbers are daunting. Kentucky is 61-1 against non-conference opponents at Rupp with John Calipari as its coach. Yes, Louisville is diminished by the loss of backup center Mangok Mathiang, sidelined by foot surgery, and by a so-far-snooze-worthy schedule. Yes, UK continues to attract the higher-end talent, including three freshmen projected as first-round draft choices by Hoopshype.com.
No, I am not operating under the influence of egg nog, click-trolling or the purportedly omnipotent Tom Jurich. At this point, in this season, the Cardinals are more experienced, more evolved, more physical and much less dependent on the progress of a post player who has lately been missing in action.
Replace Skal Labissiere with Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein, Nerlens Noel or Anthony Davis and Calipari might expect to continue his dominance of Rick Pitino. But a week after Labissiere’s zero-point, zero-rebound, five-foul effort at home against Arizona State, the Wildcats’ much-hyped Haitian center still looked lost and frail in a two-point performance in Saturday’s neutral-site loss to Ohio State.
Sullivan also talks about Rupp Arena and how it doesn’t get into a player’s head like a small arena with students sitting courtside.
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