Kentucky carries a top-5 ranking into Mark Pope's first game against Louisville as head coach of the Wildcats.

That game, set for Saturday afternoon, will be of great interest to the Commonwealth as always with the Cats a current Vegas betting favorite.

Here are takes on the game from Cats Illustrated writers.

David Sisk: There isn’t a big secret how Louisville plays. They love to get up three-pointers. They average 31.8 attempts per game. But making has been a different story. They only shoot 27% from deep which is 344th out of 355 teams. To counter, Kentucky is sixth nationally in three-point defense allowing only 26.3%. If the numbers hold consistent, there are going to be about two dozen wasted possessions not counting turnovers. Offensively, Kentucky will do what they do. Louisville will provide adequate post defense, so I don’t expect a ton of points. But I also don’t worry as much about Lamont Butler possibly not playing. If UK can beat Gonzaga without him they can beat Louisville. Cats 75 Cards 63.

Travis Graf: If Lamont Butler is able to give it a go on Saturday, this game really plays into Kentucky’s hands. The Cats are one of the deepest teams in America and come in waves while Louisville has been ransacked by injuries to key players. The Cardinals lack size, rebounding, and rim protection and that should bode well for Kentucky. Louisville’s star of the season so far, Chuck Hepburn, is an absolute two-way menace and Kentucky should hope that Butler is able to give it a go so Jaxson Robinson isn’t the only main ball handler on the team to throw at Hepburn. Amari Williams and Andrew Carr combine for 30 points and 15-plus rebounds in a 84-70 win over the Cards.

Jeff Drummond: This is a tricky game to prognosticate. On the one hand, Kentucky has two of the most impressive wins of the college basketball season over Top 10 opponents Duke and Gonzaga, and Louisville has been thumped by every SEC opponent it has faced. On the other hand, we just watched the Wildcats struggle for about half the game against 2-8 Colgate, while the Cardinals have been very competitive against the likes of Duke, Indiana, and West Virginia. From my perspective, this is a rivalry game, and we can probably throw all that stuff out on Saturday. It would help Kentucky's cause if Lamont Butler is back, but even if he is not, the Cats are the more talented team in the first head-to-head clash between Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey. Koby Brea and Jaxson Robinson's shooting carries the day in a hard-fought 81-72 win.

Justin Rowland: It wouldn't surprise me if Louisville comes into Rupp and gives Kentucky a really good game. You never know how the energy in the rivalry could shift with a new coach and a new approach to the game, as well as a team full of new players on both sides. Kentucky's the better team and it's at Rupp, so there's every reason to expect a UK win. But there is that variable, as well as the status of Lamont Butler. Andrew Carr could have a really good game and that advantage in the paint should allow them to survive even if they don't drill a ton of threes. Kentucky 83, Louisville 75.