Saturday brings a battle for bragging rights in the Bluegrass State, with the No. 18 Louisville Cardinals (2-1) visiting the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats (3-0) at 6 p.m. ET (SEC Network+).
For Louisville, who lost a hard-fought opener to No. 5 UCLA in Paris but otherwise has cruised to two wins, a victory could stake their claim as one of the country’s overlooked contenders. For Kentucky, the in-state matchup will be the first test of the Kenny Brooks era, where a win would not only confirm that the Wildcats have fully rebounded from their recent nadir but also are ready to tussle with, and even take down, the nation’s best teams. Here are the players to watch when the Cardinals and Wildcats meet:
Freshman Tajianna Roberts is the real deal for Louisville
Guard Tajianna Roberts was not the highest-ranked recruit in Louisville’s highly-regard freshman class, albeit coming in at No. 24 in the final ESPN HoopGurlz ranking is not too shabby. Yet, she’s not only been the Cardinals’ best freshman, she’s been the team’s best player.
Roberts quickly has earned head coach Jeff Walz’s trust, playing a team-high 36 minutes and scoring a team-leading 21 points against UCLA in Paris. Since then, she’s turned in a pair of efficient games against overmatched opponents,…
