NCAA Basketball Kentucky WildcatsLouisville Cardinals

Kentucky vs. Louisville: Game Preview, Prediction

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By @TimLetcher

Mike Dinovo, USA TODAY SPORTS

Mike Dinovo, USA TODAY SPORTS

In what could be the best game of the regular season, the top-ranked Kentucky Wildcats visit the fourth-ranked Louisville Cardinals on Saturday.

The intrastate rivals generally play a heated contest. Kentucky leads the modern series (since 1983) 23-12 and has won six of the last seven games between the two.

Kentucky is off to a 12-0 start and has won each game this season by at least double digits. That includes wins over three ranked teams.

Last Saturday, Kentucky used a 24-0 run at the beginning of the game to blitz the UCLA Bruins, ultimately winning 83-44. Kentucky’s closest game this season was actually a 56-46 win over Columbia earlier this month.

Head coach John Calipari is using a platoon system in order to get his nine best players the most minutes possible. Calipari substitutes four or five at a time and the two units are playing well together.

Due to the platoons, the Wildcats’ individual numbers are not what they could be otherwise. Still, Kentucky has three players averaging in double figures. Sophomore guard Aaron Harrison leads the team, scoring 10.6 points per game. Junior Willie Cauley-Stein averages 10.5 points per outing, as well as a team-leading 6.7 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Devin Booker scores 10 points per game.

Louisville, coached by former Kentucky head coach Rick Pitino, is also unbeaten, at 11-0. However, the Cardinals have not faced the schedule that Kentucky has. The Cardinals have beaten the Ohio State Buckeyes, their only win they have over a ranked team.

That’s not to disparage the Cardinals, because they are extremely talented. Four Cardinals average double figures in scoring, led by guard Terry Rozier and big man Montrezl Harrell, who each score 16.7 points per game. Wayne Blackshear averages 13.7 per contest, while Chris Jones scores 12.3 points per outing.

The problem for Louisville in this game is that they don’t have the depth that Kentucky has. The Cardinals will try to push the pace by pressing and shooting early on the offensive end. That could play right into Kentucky’s hands, due to the Wildcats’ depth. Kentucky has shown that it doesn’t like to be pressed and trapped, but if the Wildcats can handle Louisville’s pressure, they should have the advantage.

Final score prediction: Kentucky 76, Louisville 68

Tim Letcher is a contributing writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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