Arkansas basketball vs. Louisville: Scouting report for Maui Invitational opener

The level of competition is about to rise for Arkansas basketball as the Razorbacks travel to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. No. 10 Arkansas opens against Louisville, and while this year's Cardinals team has struggled out of the gate, they're far different than the opponents the Razorbacks have seen so far.

The winner of the matchup Monday (4 p.m. CT, ESPN2) will face the winner of No. 9 Creighton vs. No. 22 Texas Tech. The losers of those two games will meet in the consolation bracket.

Here's a look at how Arkansas (3-0) matches up against Louisville (0-3).

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0-3 start has Louisville reeling

Louisville has had a bizarre start to the season, dropping all three games at home by one point to Bellarmine, Wright State and Appalachian State.

Its most recent loss ended in particularly heartbreaking fashion. The Cardinals made a game-winning layup, but official review determined that El Ellis didn't get the shot off before the final buzzer.

It's a rough beginning for first-year head coach Kenny Payne, who was hired to replace Chris Mack, who was fired after a 6-8 start to the 2021-22 season.

Player to watch: G El Ellis

Ellis, a senior guard, is Louisville's offensive leader so far. He scored 29 points in each of Louisville's past two contests, bringing his total to a team-high 74. In the Cardinals' game against Wright State, Ellis shot 60% from the field.

The former junior college player was the Cardinals' second-leading scorer last season. His offensive burst has been a needed boost for Louisville as another leading returner, senior forward Sydney Curry, struggles.

Curry has attempted just five field goals through three games after averaging almost 5 per game a season ago. Look for the Cardinals to lean on Ellis and try to get Curry going offensively.

Turnover troubles a weakness Arkansas can exploit

Giveaways have been a problem for Louisville. Its turnover percentage is 24.3%, which ranks No. 320 out of 362 teams, per KenPom data. The Cardinals give up almost 17 turnovers per game.

Arkansas, on the other hand, has a defensive turnover percentage of 28.4%, the 13th-best mark in the country. If the Razorback defense continues as it has in its first three games, it could be a long night for Louisville.

Arkansas' offense needs to work on its own ball security, too. The Razorbacks had 20 turnovers in their most recent game against South Dakota State, and many were self-inflicted. Arkansas can't afford to have similar problems in Maui.

Score prediction

Arkansas 72, Louisville 60: Louisville averages 66 points per game, but it hasn't faced a defense like Arkansas' yet. The Razorbacks will continue to force plenty of turnovers, and whether they have Nick Smith Jr. back or not, the offense will do enough to get its fourth win.

Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks for the Southwest Times Record and USA TODAY Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@swtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball vs. Louisville: Score prediction, scouting report