Analysis: Louisville basketball runs past Southern Illinois

Louisville just wanted a complete performance. The time between games in this city can feel like an eternity if the Cards aren't playing well, and they didn't play well against George Mason and Nebraska-Omaha.

The turnovers stacked up. The shaky individual performances did, too. And two weaker opponents exposed weaknesses in Louisville's makeup right out of the season's starting gates. 

In a 84-42 win over Southern Illinois on Tuesday night, Louisville delivered its most complete and convincing performance yet. And for the first time in this campaign, which is all of two weeks old, Louisville looked fired up and focused on not only building a lead but keeping it and extending it.

More:Replay: U of L rolls past Southern Illinois 84-42

Deng Adel scored 16 points, the 15th time in his last 18 games that he scored in double figures. He is 56 of 101 from the field over the past nine games, averaging 17.2 points.

Adel got help from freshman wing Jordan Nwora, who for the second time in three games provided a boost off the bench for the Cards. Nwora tallied a game-high 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.

Darius Perry, Nwora's fellow freshman, was another energetic presence, totaling 10 points and seven assists.

Some at-the-buzzer thoughts on Louisville's win over Southern Illinois:

A complete defense: Louisville was everywhere against the Salukis. It was a stifling team performance, and it was the product of David Padgett and his players pushing to play faster and more cohesive as a group. Louisville's rotations were speedy and timely, and they led to 16 Southern Illinois turnovers and a 26.6-percent shooting clip. Of their 75 offensive possessions, the Salukis scored a point on just 20 of them.

The regular bedrock of Louisville's defense — shot blocking and shot altering — was there. Anas Mahmoud blocked three shots, the 29th time in his college career that he has blocked multiple shot attempts. Dwayne Sutton added two blocks.

But Louisville's wings and guards showed progress on the perimeter, making it harder for Southern Illinois to swing passes or penetrate.

Energy guys, again: It hasn't taken long for Nwora and Perry to find their roles on Louisville's team. They are the energetic substitutes who come in when the Cards need a jolt. And they really needed a jolt Tuesday night. Louisville got off to a miserable start, and you could almost hear each member of the Yum Center crowd chewing on their fingernails.

Also:Louisville basketball faces balancing act after two shaky wins

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But Nwora and Perry checked in and Louisville took off. Perry was a dogged defender, as usual, and his job this season has quickly manifested itself as that. He must be Louisville's frenetic on-ball defender who disrupts opposing offenses with his quickness and persistence. Nwora only made one 3-pointer, but he hit six other shots and was a regular presence around the basket. He can be an inside-out option for Louisville.

Dominant finish: The biggest problem Louisville had in its first two games was turning the ball over. The Cards lost 31 turnovers in two games. And those turnovers made it awfully tough to close out double-digit wins. Blowouts, or at least comfortable wins, became unconvincing victories.

That was not the case against Southern Illinois. Louisville clamped down the entire game and didn't let up, holding the Salukis to 18 first-half points and then stomping out any chance for a comeback with an early run to start the second half. Even when the offense stagnated in the second half, Louisville bounced back to put the game away before there was a doubt.

Up next for Louisville: A 7 p.m. Friday tipoff against St. Francis (Pa.) at the KFC Yum Center.