The Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team will take on the Kentucky Wildcats in the annual Battle of the Bluegrass. Here are some predictions from the CSZ staff.
Samuel Basden
The kittens will look like the team most people expected to see in the beginning of the season. Led by Sarr, Cal outsmarts Mack again.
Kentucky 66 – Louisville 57
Shawn Barbour
I think the Cards will finally look like the team from early in the year that showed potential.
Louisville 65 – Kentucky 58
Jeff Nunn
Every year I pick the Cards and every year I feel like Charlie Brown after trying to kick the football. But this year is going to be different, right? Well, I was at the point where I needed to see Louisville win a few against their rival before I could have any faith in picking them, but I’m a glutton for punishment I guess. Based on what I have seen from both teams, I just cannot pick against my Cards. I think David Johnson leads them to victory with nearly a triple double.
Louisville 69 – Kentucky 64
Jeremy Wahman
Louisville 89 – Kentucky 75
Higgy
Louisville 73 – Kentucky 70
Katie Goben
UofL has a second half scoring lull and UK will take advantage.
Kentucky 78 – Louisville 70
Dalton Pence
I will pick Kentucky until the Cards show me that they can consistently come to play against them.
Kentucky 72 – Louisville 63
Mitch Motley
Kentucky 67 – Louisville 62
Ben Gumbel
Make no mistake, it does not matter if UK is 1-5, all of the pressure is on Louisville here. Before John Calipari took over in Lexington, Kentucky led the series 17-11 since the rivalry resumed in 1983. Not great for the Cards, but not embarrassing by any means. Since 2010, UofL has beaten UK just twice in 13 tries. With every consecutive win by Kentucky, this rivalry loses a bit of its national luster. Louisville is an elite men’s college basketball program, but there is one day every year when they don’t act like it. The city deserves better. The state deserves better. College basketball deserves better.
For the past decade, Louisville has not kept up its end of the bargain. It feels as if we are reaching the point of no return. Simply put, the Cards just have to start winning games against Kentucky, and it must start this year. It does not have to be a blowout. No one will care about the margin. This is Cal’s most beatable UK team to date; just win. One victory won’t mean much, but it is a start. The Battle of the Bluegrass is in desperate need of a lifeline. Twitter feuds and press conference jabs can only do so much. Time is running out for Louisville to make things right. A win on Saturday buys them another year to get this rivalry back where it belongs.
Louisville 60 – Kentucky 56
