Louisville will play its third straight home game and try to bounce back from a loss against winless Coppin State on Wednesday night.
The Cardinals (1-1) fell 81-71 to Chattanooga last Friday as the Mocs made 14 3-point baskets. The visiting Eagles (0-3) are coming off a 74-60 defeat Saturday at Mount St Mary’s.
It’s early, but this might be a must-win for second-year Louisville coach Kenny Payne as the schedule only gets tougher.
Payne spent nearly 40 minutes talking to his team after a loss in which Louisville shot 38.2 percent from the field and had 15 turnovers.
“I saw guys that didn’t pay attention to the urgency of paying attention to the little things,” Payne said. “It doesn’t matter, I don’t care who we play. I thought we’d come in and play with more energy. For whatever the reason, they didn’t. We must get better.”
Mike James and Tre White led the Cardinals with 17 points apiece.
“We got outplayed, outhustled,” said James, who scored 25 in the season-opening win over UMBC.
Coppin State is off to a poor start, losing its opener at Virginia Tech by 45 points before falling to Towson and Mount St. Mary’s.
The Eagles are shooting just 35.3 percent from the field and 23.7 percent from 3-point range. They are averaging just 54.7 points and allowing 83.1 per game. Justin Winston is the leading scorer with 11.3 points per game for first-year coach Larry Stewart.
“I have a few guys who could step up and fill that (go-to guy) role,” Stewart told Glenn Clark Radio before the season. “… Good players are consistent. You just have to get them into that mindset.”
Louisville hasn’t exactly singed the nets, shooting 44.1 percent from the floor, but has four players scoring in double figures.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t come out and play hard and don’t focus on the little things. You’re going to be in for a hard night,” Payne said.
After taking on the Eagles, Louisville goes to New York on Sunday to play No. 19 Texas in the Empire Classic. Coppin State plays at Miami (OH) on Friday.
–Field Level Media