After the Buzzer: Western Kentucky

Quick Hitters

-Louisville should be ranked #1 in the country next week. Just wanted to get that out there. Look, for those that don’t want the ranking because teams have lost with it this year, get ready, it’s going to happen again. Louisville isn’t going 40-0 so whether we lose when we are #1 or #5, it doesn’t really matter. Regardless of how long the ranking will last, it will still be pretty cool. Let the guys feel that target on their backs, and then feel it taken away, and want to get it back. Doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Our problems could be much, much worse.

-Or maybe we will go 40-0? Don’t get the tattoo yet, please.

-I’ll go ahead and get this one out of the way so I can say something positive about him. But the Jordan Nwora assist/turnover watch for this game was 0 assists and 6 turnovers, bringing his season totals to 11 assists and 23 turnovers.

-Now onto the good. Take away the turnovers and Nwora was great on offense. When the Cards needed a bucket, he either got one or got himself to the free throw line. The game didn’t get too close, but when it was close to single digits, he was usually the one to knock a shot down and give the team some breathing room to extend the lead back out. He had 25 points on 8-15 shooting, was 4-9 from three, and 5-5 from the line. That’s a very good shooting night.

-Samuell Williamson played over 20 minutes in the first four games of the season. In the last three, he has played 15, 18, and 10 minutes. Just something to keep an eye on. We knew when Malik Williams and David Johnson came back that those minutes would have to dip for someone. It seems like it’s been Williamson and obviously Aidan Igiehon, which wasn’t unexpected for him.

-I thought Steven Enoch would have a big game in this one. I just figured that playing against an NBA-caliber big man that he personally knows (Bassey) would bring out his best. Not saying he did much to call it a bad game, there just wasn’t much there either way. I think Bassey played him really well and didn’t let him get his normal good position that we are accustomed to seeing him get. He was forced off the block and really had to fight to even get the ball.

-The last 3:09 of the game we saw five freshmen on the floor: Igiehon, Williamson, Nickelberry, Slazinski, and Johnson. I know it was only three minutes and the game was in hand, but any experience these guys get will be helpful, especially like this when they are all on the floor together. Chris Mack called a timeout and had a teaching moment with them as well. They came right out and hit Aidan Igiehon on the block against the 1-3-1, he just wasn’t in position to score right away so he didn’t force it. But they at least made the right play after looking a little lost out there at first.

-Hat tip to Conference USA for being bitter that we left them years ago and putting our football game on Stadium and basketball game on Facebook. Solid.

-Big fan of Malik Williams’ eight points and nine rebounds in only 18 minutes played.

-We have to have a spot for Dwayne Sutton as always. He was the catalyst in the first half and helped push the lead out. He finished with 15 points and seven rebounds and was 6-10 from the floor, doing most of that in the first half. Oh, and of those seven rebounds, four were offensive. Ridiculous effort.

-Alright that’s enough for this Facebook game. Let’s turn our attention to football and get this win on Saturday and then welcome a red-hot Michigan team to town on Tuesday as we raise a banner at halftime. Go Cards!

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