College Basketball

Louisville Basketball: Three Things To Watch For Against Pitt

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:42 p.m. ET

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Fansided, Derek Snyder/FanSided via Big Red Louie

We take a look at three different things to watch for in Louisville basketball’s game against the Pittsburgh Panthers on Tuesday night.

The Louisville basketball team is getting set to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers on Tuesday night, while also looking to keep improving their conference record. Louisville is coming off a tough loss to Florida State and is playing another game without Quentin Snider.

These two teams met a few weeks ago, resulting in a five-point victory for the good guys.

Take a look at three things to watch for in the game against Pittsburgh:

Jan 21, 2017; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) defends Florida State Seminoles guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes (22) during the second half at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

3. How Will Donovan Mitchell Respond After His Performance Against FSU?

Donovan Mitchell had one of his worst performances of the season against Florida State last Saturday, which was pretty surprising given his recent play. He looked a little out of control and tried to make too many plays against a Seminoles’ defense that was focused on shutting him completely down.

It’ll be very interesting to see how Mitchell responds after having such a game. Without Quentin Snider, the Cards are going to need Mitchell to stay patient on offense and pass the basketball better.

Not only did he not shoot well against the Seminoles, but he didn’t pass well either. He finished the game with 6 points and zero assists. He must play much better to get the road win on Tuesday night.

Jan 21, 2017; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) defends Florida State Seminoles guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes (22) during the second half at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

2. Will We See More Of Tony Hicks Against Pittsburgh?

Louisville needed one of their guards to step up against the Seminoles and none of us guessed it would be Tony Hicks. He finished the game playing 32 minutes, had 16 points, 3 rebounds, and one assist. However, does that mean we will see more of him against the Panthers?

These two programs met just a few weeks ago and Tony Hicks only saw six minutes against Pittsburgh in the Cards’ five-point victory.

With that being said, it was Quentin Snider who finished the game with 22 points and as you already know, the junior will not be playing in this game on Tuesday night.

So that does mean that we will see more of the graduate-transfer against the Panthers? I surely hope so, because win or lose, Hicks getting more minutes will only make this team better come March.

Jan 17, 2017; Raleigh, NC, USA; Pitt Panthers guard Jamel Artis (1) drives to the basket as North Carolina State Wolfpack center Omer Yurtseven (14) defends during the second half at PNC Arena. The Wolfpack won 79-74. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

1. Can Louisville Contain Jamel Artis?

In case you forgot, Jamel Artis scored a game-high 43 points against the Cardinals a few weeks ago. Luckily, Louisville had already built a large lead, which is why his efforts came short of giving the Panthers an upset win in the Yum Center.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see how Louisville defense Artis this time around. It’s not like they will be caught off guard by his abilities, but he could be the difference-maker in a close game.

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The good news is that Louisville played very well against Florida State’s shooters, however the Seminoles don’t have the leading ACC scorer on their roster. Let’s hope the Cards can find a way to keep Artis out of the scoring column for the majority of the night on Tuesday.

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