NCAAB Game Preview - Indiana State at Louisville

Wed Nov 13, 2019 8:00 PM EST

Louisville's 78-55 win over Youngstown State on Sunday suggested an easy game, and indeed, the Cardinals never trailed. And aside from a 10-0 Penguins run to end the first half, Louisville never felt any real game pressure.

That doesn't mean the No. 4 Cardinals (2-0) aren't without tweaks to make after they allowed Youngstown State to grab 19 offensive rebounds.

Second-year coach Chris Mack plans to zero in on that weakness before Wednesday night's visit from Indiana State.

"That is just way too many offensive rebounds to give up," Mack said. "It starts with being able to contain the ball in dribble penetration, so your defensive rebounders are in solid position to block their man out and secure the ball.

"Then there is a little bit of a toughness element to it. We are very early in the season. We are far from a finished product. I know this; we have to get much better in that area. We know we have a big challenge against Indiana State, who took Dayton to the wire."

Indeed, the Sycamores acquitted themselves well in their season opener Saturday night against an opponent picked to finish third in the Atlantic 10. Indiana State shot 47.4 percent from the field and out-rebounded Dayton 39-34, but fell 86-81.

Tyreke Key scored 21 points for Indiana State, which showed that it might be better than the sixth-place showing it's predicted for in the Missouri Valley Conference.

"There were a lot of positives," guard Jordan Barnes said in the Terre Haute Tribune-Star. "I love how we competed, how hard we played. I feel like we can transition that to the next game and further into the season."

Barnes, who finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, had two looks at a game-tying 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds but couldn't get either one to drop. The one negative for the Sycamores was that they allowed the Flyers to make 48.3 percent of their shots.

First-shot defense could be an issue again for Indiana State, given how well the Cardinals have shot the ball so far. They have connected on 52.3 percent from the field, including a solid 39.0 percent on 3-pointers -- noteworthy given how many teams have struggled with the longer 3-point line in college basketball over the season's first week.

Louisville has also made the extra pass with consistency, drawing assists on 36 of its 67 buckets while committing just 19 turnovers. Point guard Darius Perry has been a source of satisfaction for Mack, dishing out 16 assists, including 12 on Sunday.

"To go 12 assists, one turnover, that's phenomenal," Mack said of Perry's game Sunday. "Best game he's played since I've been head coach."

Jordan Nwora, Louisville's 6-foot-8 junior forward who is getting plenty of attention from NBA scouts, is averaging 22 points and nine rebounds through two games for the Cardinals.

--Field Level Media