After No. 9 Duke men’s basketball’s impressive 84-78 win against No. 2 Auburn, the Blue Devils travel to Louisville to take on the Cardinals. The Chronicle previews the encounter with an overview, key-stat, X-Factor and keys to the game.
Overview
2023-2024 record: 8-24, 3-17 in the ACC
2024-2025 record: 5-3
Head coach: Pat Kelsey
Series history: Duke leads 12-9
Last meeting: 84-59 Duke, Feb. 28, 2024
The Cardinals are back with new fire after last season’s dismal 8-24 campaign. Thanks to a total program rebuild — complete with an overhauled roster and new head coach — Louisville has reestablished itself as a respectable conference opponent.
The team put up an impressive fight in last week’s Battle 4 Atlantis, knocking off then-No. 14 Indiana and West Virginia before falling in the championship, 69-64, to undefeated Oklahoma. Senior guard Chucky Hepburn led the Cardinals through the tournament with an average of 20 points per game and a 62.5% field-goal clip, notably tallying 10 of Louisville’s 17 overtime points against West Virginia. His performance in the Bahamas also earned him ACC Player of the Week honors. The Wisconsin transfer has displayed a knack for getting ahold of the ball, and he ranks second in the country with an average of 3.5 steals per game.
Kasean Pryor, a transfer forward from South Florida, was a key member of Louisville’s starting five until tearing his ACL against Oklahoma. The fifth-year senior averaged 12.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game before the injury, but he now joins a long list of sidelined Cardinals. Forward Aboubacare Traore (broken arm) and reserve guard Koren Johnson (shoulder surgery) cannot play, while center Aly Khalifa (knee surgery) and guard Kobe Rodgers (leg injury) have opted to redshirt the 2024-25 season. Between its persistent injury bug and rarely-used bench players, Louisville’s 17-deep roster has effectively been reduced to a seven-man rotation.
Still, in stark contrast to Duke, the Cardinals’ team is marked by experience. Louisville only has two underclassmen players: freshman Khani Rooths and sophomore James Scott. Both are top reserves but unlikely starters.
The Cardinals have turned to senior Reyne Smith to fill the hole left by Pryor. A former College of Charleston guard, Smith leads the team with 38.9% success from the 3-point line. However, in his single starting performance, he posted an underwhelming 2-for-8 from the arc. Louisville’s most recent loss to then-No. 23 Ole Miss stemmed from similarly cold shooting and an inability to defend the rim. The Cardinals may just be adjusting to lineup changes — or their seemingly hot start to the season could be turning lukewarm after all. -Abby DiSalvo
Key Stat
X-Factor
Duke: Isaiah Evans
In the Blue Devils’ win against No. 2 Auburn, it was Isaiah Evans who stole the show. Evans, a freshman from Fayetteville, N.C., made an immediate impact. Although coming straight off the bench, Evans went 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. His rapid-fire scoring surge pushed the momentum in Duke's favor, and his shooting proved to be the turning point. As the game progressed, Duke’s depth and offensive firepower, led by his unexpected explosion, proved invaluable.
Evans' performance not only lifted the Blue Devils’ offense but also proved his growing value to the team. His scoring burst has shown that, despite not starting all year, he has the potential to be a game-changer. His emergence as a key contributor is starting to turn heads, suggesting that he’s finding his rhythm and could be a pivotal piece moving forward. His ability to step up in critical moments like this is beginning to prove his apparent potential, which may continue in the game against Louisville.
Louisville: Chucky Hepburn
Louisville’s Chucky Hepburn is a prominent threat; the Omaha, Neb., guard leads his team in both points and assists. Although the Cardinals had a tough time against No. 23 Ole Miss, Hepburn continued to add to his strong start to the season with 19 points and 4 assists. The senior was a consistent offensive threat, scoring from all areas of the floor and keeping the pressure on the Rebels. His ability to create for himself and others remains one of the few positives for Louisville as it works through a challenging stretch.
In the upcoming Dec. 8 game against Duke, Hepburn will be a prominent threat and may look to exploit the Blue Devils’ defense, especially with his quickness and knack for finding open teammates. His versatility in both creating his own shot and setting up opportunities for others makes him a difficult guard for any team to manage. –Callan Perchinsky
3 keys
Take it to the paint: Duke has not been reliant on interior offense this season, but against Louisville, it might be an area worth exploiting. In their recent loss to No. 23 Ole Miss, the Cardinals were outscored 48-26 in the paint, a margin which was reflected by the final score. With all the size the Blue Devils possess, they should be able to find favorable matchups and take advantage of this weakness which was exposed by the Rebels. Duke’s primary post duo, big men Khaman Maluach and Maliq Brown, is not necessarily wired for high scoring numbers. Fortunately, superstar freshman Cooper Flagg is more than capable of scoring in the paint, as are guards Kon Knueppel and Caleb Foster, who both like to drive in from beyond the arc.
Feed the hot hand: Fans of the Blue Devils had hoped for freshman Isaiah Evans to see more action after he remained on the bench for their early ranked matchups. When Auburn traveled to Durham those fans had their prayers answered, as Evans dropped 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Now traveling to the KFC Yum! Center, Evans will have an opportunity to prove he can be more consistent by continuing to shoot the ball at an efficient clip if Duke is struggling to find its offensive spark.
Capitalize on free throws: Against the Tigers, the Blue Devils only shot 17-of-27 from the charity stripe. While they ultimately prevailed, 10 misses from the line could have been the difference on another night, especially in a close game against a quality opponent like Auburn. Although Duke does a very good job getting to the line, the group from Durham must see its free throw percentage increase in these kinds of matchups, starting Sunday against Louisville. -Ben Curtis
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Abby DiSalvo is a Trinity sophomore and assistant Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.