NCAA Basketball Kentucky WildcatsLouisville Cardinals

Predicting The Final Score Of Kentucky vs. Louisville In Top-5 Showdown

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By @BZarp

Louisville vs. Kentucky

Jamie Rhodes – USATODAY Sports

Saturday’s top-5 showdown between the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals is sure to be one of the highlights of the college basketball regular season. The Cardinals may be the toughest matchup the Wildcats face all season, and with no other SEC team currently ranked in the top-25, a win on Saturday against their in-state rivals could be the only thing separating Kentucky from an undefeated regular season.

One of the few weaknesses for Kentucky this year has been the team’s 3-point shooting. They are shooting just 31 percent from beyond the arc, with only two of their regulars shooting over 30 percent from deep. Of course, considering the team’s defense and size inside, a lack of 3-point shooting has not been much of an issue this season.

Louisville has the ability to change defenses and confuse teams, and the Wildcats may try to play more zone in an effort to expose the Cardinals’ outside shooting woes, but the Cardinals also have to be in a position for Kentucky’s lack of outside shooting to matter.

On the other end of the floor, the stout Kentucky defense may face its toughest test of the season, as the Cardinals have four players who average 12 or more points per game. The Wildcats guard the basket as well as any team in the country, but Louisville brings a balanced offense with the guard trio of Terry Rozier, Wayne Blackshear and Chris Jones complementing the inside play of Montrezl Harrell.

Harrell can be a force inside, but the Wildcats have a slew of big men they can use to keep him from dominating the paint, which could force the Cardinals to beat them from the outside, where they shoot just 29 percent.

With both teams lacking quality outside shooters, this is the type of game that will be decided in the paint. The defense in this game should be fierce, as should the battle on the boards. The Cardinals will be competitive, and the home-court advantage will give them a chance to spring the upset, but the size of the Wildcats inside will prove to be too much and Kentucky will remain undefeated.

Prediction: Kentucky 68, Louisville 63

Bryan Zarpentine is a New York Mets writer at www.RantSports.com.  Like him on Facebook, follow him on twitter @BZarp and add him on Google.

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