Get their best player into early foul trouble and let the match-ups play themselves out. It's a simple philosophy that worked out in the No. 22 Louisville Cardinals' favor as the Eastern Michigan Eagles fell 86-53 on the road.
James Thompson found himself in early foul trouble, having to head to the bench midway through the first half with a pair of fouls leaving 6-foot-8 Brandon Nazione to play defense in the paint against Louisville's bigs. When you're responsible for having to guard and out-rebound three guys that are 6-foot-10 (Mangok Mathaing, Raymond Spalding, Chinanu Onaku), it's going to be rough time, especially if they're the ones that he has to face on the other side of the court too.