NCAAB Game Preview - Louisville at Miami (FL)

Tue Nov 5, 2019 6:30 PM EST

No. 5 Louisville opens season without C Williams vs. Miami

Both teams will be short-handed when No. 5 Louisville and unranked Miami open the season Tuesday night in the Hurricanes' Watsco Center home in Coral Gables Fla.

For the Cardinals, center Malik Williams is still nursing the foot he injured in September, though he is expected to return sometime this month. Williams, a 6-foot-11 center and rim protector who averaged 9.8 points and 8.4 rebounds over his last five outings, broke his foot in September and was expected to miss six to eight weeks. He started the last 20 games in 2018-19.

Center Steven Enoch, however, is expected to play in the opener after sitting out the Cardinals' exhibition win over Bellarmine with a bruised thigh. He averaged 10.0 points and 5.6 rebounds a game coming off the bench over the last 20 contests.

"He is critical," Louisville head coach Chris Mack said of Enoch. "He's a big piece of our team. We all know that. He is fine. I shouldn't say fine, but he will be fine for the Miami game, which is why we took the precaution of sitting him this game."

Miami will be without Florida transfer Keith Stone, a 6-8 forward who is being counted on to add bulk and depth up front for the Hurricanes, who lose center Ebuka Izundu, from last season's 14-18 team. Stone is still rehabbing from a knee injury sustained last January.

"He's progressing," said Miami associate head coach Chris Caputo. "We hope to see him sometime in the nonconference season and sooner rather than later."

The Hurricanes, however, are deeper than they were in 2018-19, when they played a seven-man rotation. Rodney Miller, a 7-foot junior center, is coming off a redshirt year in which he lost weight and gained stamina. Forward Sam Waardenburg, a 6-10 junior, and forward Anthony Walker, a 6-9 freshman, give the Hurricanes more options up front.

Still, Miami's big issue will be contending with Louisville's depth and overall talent.

Top scorer and ACC Preseason Player of the Year Jordan Nwora is returning for a third season for the Cardinals after taking part in last spring's NBA draft combine. He averaged 17 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and is extremely difficult to defeat because he is a threat from 3-point range. He shot 37.4 percent from behind the arc last season.

"He's such a good shooter with range," Caputo said. "If he gets enough attempts, he's going to make shots. He's not limited to just shooting. I think he has shown the ability to put the ball on the ground and make you pay for your close-outs.

"You've got to be really aware of him wherever he is on the court starting with transition. I think you've got to make it difficult. While you are going to try to limit catches and things like that, he's going to catch the ball some. How difficult you make it for him is the question. Can you get a hand where the shot's contested versus uncontested?

"And that's difficult because of the distance he can shoot from."

--Field Level Media