Louisville, KY (My Sportsbook) - The nation's sixth-ranked team will be on display this afternoon as the Louisville Cardinals take on the Jackson State Tigers as part of the Las Vegas Invitational.

There isn't much reason for optimism heading into this game for Jackson State, as the team has lost all three of its games by wide margins on the road. On Friday, the Tigers were clearly dominated from start to finish in a 100-61 loss to BYU.

As for Louisville, it has only played one game so far, as the club knocked off Hartford last night by a 104-69 final. The Cardinals finished the 2006-07 season with a 24-10 record, including a 12-4 mark in the Big East Conference. While the club started later than most teams, five games in a span of eight days will get Rick Pitino's troops in the flow quickly.

Louisville won its only previous meeting with Jackson State back in 1994 as part of the Great Alaska Shootout.

Through three games, Jackson State is racking up only 64.0 ppg while surrendering 90.0 ppg to the opposition. Jeremy Caldwell is the leading scorer for Jackson State, as he is netting 12.3 ppg. Grant Maxey added 11.7 ppg to the mix, and he and Caldwell are the only double digit scorers on the roster. In the ugly loss to BYU on Friday, Jackson State shot a lowly 33.3 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 18 times. Defensively, the Tigers clearly struggled, permitting foes to connect on 55.4 percent of their field goal attempts. A 49-34 rebounding disadvantage didn't help matters, and neither did a 22-8 deficit in points from the foul line.

All five starters scored in double figures for Louisville in the blowout victory over Hartford last night. Seven players in all reached double figures for the Cardinals, who shoot 55.4 percent from the floor, including a staggering 22-of-35 showing from three-point range. With 28 assists and a strong rebounding effort, Louisville was able to overcome 20 turnovers. Terrence Williams was the best player in the win, as he posted just the third triple-double in program history with 14 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds. Williams was a full-time starter for Louisville last season, a player who could be counted on every time out. He finished the 2006-07 season with averages of 12.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg, and Williams will be a key to the team's success all season.