LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Depending upon the computer power formula you trust, Coppin State came into the KFC Yum! Center Wednesday night ranked either the third-, fourth- or fifth-worst Division I men's team in America.
There are 362 DI teams.
That means the Eagles were No. 358, 359 or 360.
After an exhibition game loss to Kentucky Wesleyan, a one-point victory over UMBC and a stinging 10-point loss to Chattanooga last Friday, I wondered what the Cardinals could do to pull even a small pocket of disgruntled and discouraged U of L fans back on their side or into the building?
I asked several media members and fans that question. Most of the responses were shrugs or wisecracks.
So I decided to slide into my seat and watch. I decided I'd know it if I saw it.
Louisville 61, Coppin State 41.
Progress?
"I think we're headed in the right direction," U of L coach Kenny Payne said. "I believe we are headed in the right direction.
"I know we're headed in the right direction with the kids that are in that locker room. It's just the first steps."
Progress?
U of L guard guard Skyy Clark said the players and coaches had some frank discussions after the Chattanooga loss.
"We definitely needed a good one going into New York," Clark said. "Coach has been telling us to play together and play hard on defense. If we talk and play together on both sides of the floor, we can compete with anybody."
Progress?
A bit. At times. Here and there. Some.
But certainly not enough. Not for long persistent stretches. The offensive sizzle was lacking. The three teams that beat Coppin to start this season all scored at least 70 points on the Eagles.
This still was not what Louisville will need to win its share in the Atlantic Coast Conference, even though they did win 8 of the 10 periods between timeouts in this game.
They covered the point spread (16.5) as a home favorite for the first time in 22 months (as @realcardgame shared on X) and won by the precise margin (20) projected by Pomeroy’s formula.
There were stretches of improvement. There were stretches of concern. Crisper ball movement. Too much one-on-one play. Only 7 assists. They took nearly 38% of their shots from distance but made only 28.6% (6 of 21).
The Cards built their largest lead of the season — 20 points midway through the second half — but against this team they should have been able to extend it to 30. Even Kenny Payne agreed with that.
Hey, Virginia Tech scored 100 on this team and beat the Eagles by 45 — and nobody is picking the Hokies to win the Atlantic Coast Conference. LeMoyne and Mississippi Valley State the only teams ranked behind Coppin State by Ken Pomeroy’s formula.
Of course, the 41 were the fewest points Coppin State scored in its last 125 games when the Eagles only managed 38 against Norfolk State on March 2, 2019. It was the fewest points Louisville has allowed since Dec. 5, 2018. Coppin shot 28%.
"That is a good sign of what we are capable of being defensively,” Payne said. “As you can tell, and as you see we beat a team by 20 and didn’t play well, didn’t play great. That shows me that we have a lot of room to grow and get better."
"I think our defense was much better tonight," Clark said. "I think we were more connected on the defensive side of the ball. I really saw some potential there."
Louisville (2-1) did what it had to do (win by 20) but the Cardinals did not deliver enough sizzle to dazzle the announced crowd of 10,501 fans who came to Main and Second streets. It was the smallest crowd this season.
"When we win (the fans) are going to come and then (the players) will get to see the real Louisville," Payne said. "But we've got to do our part. I embrace that. I know what it is."
The good: Another string of determined performances from Mike James, Clark and Tre White, the team’s three most productive players.
White posted his best all-around game. Credit him with a double-double — 10 points and 12 rebounds. Clark had 10 points but no assists. James scored a dozen.
The bad: The Cards still got worked on the glass for 12 Coppin offensive rebounds. The visitors kept them scrambling deep into the shot clock on too many possessions. Too much inconsistency while switching on defense, leaving shooters open on the perimeter.
In the first half, Louisville hunted too many threes (15 of 29 shots) and scored four points in the paint.
Payne said that he was comfortable with the three-point attempts because he did not want to stifle the creativity of his players. After three games, Louisville has made 26.4% of its three-point attempts. Payne said he is convinced the shooting will improve.
"If I could have all of you come to practice and watch us shoot the ball, you'd be shocked how well we shoot the ball in practice," Payne said.
The interesting: Payne tightened his rotation, giving most of the minutes to seven guys. The starting unit of James, White, Clark, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and J.J. Traynor, plus freshmen Ty-Laur Johnson and Curtis Williams.
Koron Davis, the junior-college point guard Payne recruited last winter, was not on the bench. Davis did not play in the first two games. After the game, Payne said that Davis was "not in trouble," but that he told him not to attend the game.
The user-friendly part of the schedule twists into a mighty challenge Sunday. The Cards are booked for a 3:30 p.m. game against No. 17 Texas in Madison Square Garden. The Longhorns are 3-0. Every win has been by at least 16 points. Texas has scored 80 or more every game.
On Monday, Louisville will play either Indiana or defending national champion Connecticut, depending upon which teams win and lose Sunday.
"It's a real learning experience," Payne said. "So I'm excited about it. I want my players to play really well and then we'll see what happens."
That’s when we will discover if there has been progress.
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