Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team will look to bounce back after a disappointing home loss as they take on Coppin State on Wednesday night. The Cardinals suffered a setback against Chattanooga in their last game, losing 81-71. On the other hand, Coppin State has struggled at the start of the season, losing all three of their games including a 74-60 loss to Mount St. Mary’s.
This will only be the second meeting between Louisville and Coppin State, with their last encounter resulting in a 75-49 victory for the Cardinals in 2001.
Louisville will be looking for a strong performance from Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, who has shown significant improvement in rebounding, pulling in 24 boards in their first two regular-season games. Huntley-Hatfield recorded a career-high 14 rebounds against Chattanooga.
Another player to watch for the Cardinals is redshirt sophomore Mike James, who had an impressive outing in their season opener against UMBC. James scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, earning his first career double-double. His performance was the first time a Louisville player scored 25 points in a season opener since Montrezl Harrell’s 30-point game in 2014.
Louisville has been successful in drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line, as evidenced by their 39 free throw attempts against UMBC, the most since 2018. The Cardinals have capitalized on their opportunities, making 91 of 126 free throws so far while their opponents have attempted only 82.
While the Cardinals have struggled from beyond the arc, being outscored by 51 points from the 3-point line in their first two games, they have excelled inside the paint. Louisville has outscored their opponents 98-60 in the paint, including a season-high 60 points against UMBC.
Newcomers Ty-Laur Johnson, Skyy Clark, and Tre White have made an immediate impact for the Cardinals, all scoring in double figures against UMBC. This marked the first time in at least 25 years that three new Louisville players had achieved this feat in their debut.
Looking back at their previous meeting in 2001, Louisville emerged victorious with a 75-49 win against Coppin State. Reece Gaines led the way with 20 points, while Bryant Northern added 12 points. The Cardinals capitalized on 26 turnovers by Coppin State, scoring 36 points off those turnovers.
Despite their success, Louisville struggled with their shooting efficiency, shooting 30 percent from beyond the arc and just 29 percent from the free-throw line. The Cardinals did, however, dominate in the paint and forced turnovers to build a comfortable lead in the first half.
As Louisville prepares to face Coppin State, they will be eager to put their loss to Chattanooga behind them and aim for a strong performance to secure the win.
