INDIANAPOLIS — From Louisville or Lexington, the drive to Lucas Oil Stadium takes less than three hours.
More than 40,000 fans are expected to arrive on Friday night, with Kentucky blue and Louisville red spread throughout Lucas Oil Stadium like arteries and veins, wanting nothing more than to destroy the other side.
But down on the court, atop the football field, the rivalry comes second.
“It’s much bigger than a rivalry, it’s a Sweet 16 game,” Louisville senior Russ Smith said. “That’s what’s most important.”
The in-state rivals will be meeting in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time, and the first time since Kentucky beat Louisville in the 2012 Final Four. The Wildcats won the national title that year, the Cardinals won it the next year.
Despite standing in each other’s way once again, the rivalry meant more four months ago, when the preseason champs took down the defending champs, as Kentucky won, 73-66, in Lexington on Dec. 28.
So much has changed since that game. Neither side thinks they’re the same. But the factors remain the same.
Kentucky dominated with size, winning on the glass, while Julius Randle shot 7-of-8 from the field before leaving with cramps, with Montrezl Harrell invisible inside. The Cardinals followed Rick Pitino’s formula, focusing on the perimeter and full-court pressure, but their shots didn’t fall — shooting under 40 percent from the field — while Kentucky’s freshmen guards handled the pressure like they had seen it countless times.
If the pressure has no impact, Louisville might have no offense, as its halfcourt attack showed in the first two games of the tournament and in Lexington. So, though Kentucky likes playing fast, the team knows if it starts running, it’ll probably get Louisville going.
“That’s one of the keys is transition defense,” said Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein. “That has been our Kryptonite throughout the whole season. It’s going to be big for us in this game. ”
The No. 4 Cardinals (31-5) have been here before, with a team full of championship experience. The Cardinals literally have been here before, having won their Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games at Lucas Oil Stadium last year.
The No. 8 Wildcats (26-10) haven’t been anywhere. The team full of phenomenal freshmen is experiencing everything for the first time, just two months removed from being “five individuals,” coach John Calipari said Thursday.
The difference couldn’t be any sharper but, apparently, the difference couldn’t matter less, according to Louisville. The Cardinals weren’t always seniors, and that didn’t stop them from reaching the past two Final Fours.
It also didn’t stop Kentucky from taking out an experienced, undefeated Wichita State squad on Sunday.
“I think everybody wants to say experience is going to be on our side, but they’re not young guys anymore,” Luke Hancock said. “They’ve been through an entire year of battles.”
The Cardinals have been through as many battles as any team. They know how it feels. They know how much this all means.
The Wildcats are only first finding out, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“[Freshmen] may not do the right things, but they’re always going to be ready to play,” Smith said. “That’s what’s so frightening about Kentucky, that they have about six or seven freshmen that are ready to play. And they have the will to win.”