We are just a few hours away from tip-off, and the excitement is evident amongst Cards fans. A win over Florida, and UofL advances to the Final Four! We are so close that we can feel it. However, it will not be easy.
Florida comes into the game averaging 76.3 points per game, led by Kenny Boynton at 16 ppg. After Boynton, they still have four guys that average double figures: Bradley Beal (14.8), Erving Walker (12.1), Erik Murphy (10.4) and Patric Young (10.2). The Cards enter the game ranking 2nd nationally in field goal percentage defense and 18th in 3 point field goal percentage defense. Florida ranks 1st in 3 point field goals per game. So will the Cards be able to shut down the 3? Or will the Gators get hot from beyond the arc?
If the Cards can survive and advance, this will be their 9th Final Four appearance. Louisville leads the series with Florida 7-1, the last game being a 74-70 victory in Gainesville, FL on 12-11-04.
The game will start at 4:30 pm ET and will be shown on CBS. It can also be heard on 840 WHAS radio with Paul Rogers and Bob Valvano.
Probable Louisville Starting Lineup
F 14 Kyle KURIC 6-4 195 Sr.
F 24 Chane BEHANAN 6-6 250 Fr.
C 10 Gorgui DIENG 6-11 235 So.
G 3 Peyton SIVA 5-11 180 Jr.
G 5 Chris SMITH 6-2 195 Sr.
Probable Florida Starting Lineup
F 33 Erik MURPHY 6-10 230 Jr.
C 4 Patric YOUNG 6-9 247 So.
G 1 Kenny BOYNTON 6-2 189 Jr.
G 11 Erving WALKER 5-8 177 Sr.
G 23 Bradley BEAL 6-3 207 Fr.
Statistical Comparison
Florida U of L
Record ………………… 26-10 29-9
Scoring Average …….. 76.1 68.3
Points Allowed ……….. 64.8 60.6
Scoring Margin ……… +11.3 +7.7
FG Percentage ……….. .463 .424
Opp. FG Percentage .. .423 . 377
3-Pt. Percentage …….. .380 .316
FT Percentage ……….. .714 .685
Rebound Margin …….. +2.8 +1.7
Turnover Margin ……… +1.7 +1.3
Here is a CBS preview