The UTEP men's basketball team has begun its season with a promising 6-2 record, setting the stage for something truly special. Now, as they embark on a journey to the largest venue in their sport, they are ready to take on the ACC's Louisville. This was the highly anticipated game when the schedule was released in September. Despite Louisville currently facing three injuries and having a 5-4 record, the Miners are set to make their swing on Wednesday, December 11. It's an opportunity that doesn't come often - to play in front of 18,000 people in one of the best basketball arenas in the country.

Discovering the KFC Yum! Center

The KFC Yum! Center stands as a basketball giant, seating 22,090 people. It holds the title of the largest arena in the United States designed primarily for basketball. Only Syracuse's Carrier Dome, built for football, is larger. Syracuse has averaged 13,698 attendance for its six home games, with the Cardinals holding a 3-3 record. However, Louisville comes into this game on a three-game losing streak, having lost to No. 9 Duke, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss. They recently suffered a significant blow with the injury of 6-foot-10 senior forward Kasean Pryor, their second-leading scorer. Additionally, they have lost forward Aboubacar Traore and guard Koren Johnson, leaving them with only eight or nine scholarship players. But despite the challenges, they remain extremely talented, as they led Duke for 30 minutes.UTEP, on the other hand, enters this game in good health and following one of its best performances under coach Joe Golding's four-year tenure. They blew out Seattle on Saturday and currently rank fifth nationally among 354 ranked teams in turnover margin. This shows their ability to both force turnovers and minimize their own mistakes. "Consistency is the key," Golding said. "The first half against Seattle was some of the best basketball we've played since I've been here. Now, we need to bottle that up and maintain it for 40 minutes every night. We're showing consistency in valuing the ball and turning people over. These are two key aspects of our team's identity."Now, the Miners face their biggest test of the season - a road game against a power conference opponent. Center Derick Hamilton is confident. "We feel very good, very confident. We're going to pull it off. We'll continue to work hard and not forget who we are." Guard Ahamad Bynum echoed those sentiments. "It's a great opportunity to play a high major school. We're going to work for it, prepare for it, and be ready to play."When does UTEP play Louisville? The game tips off at 5 p.m. Mountain/7 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday.Where is the game? The game will be played at Louisville's KFC Yum! Center, the largest arena in the US designed for basketball.How to watch UTEP at Louisville? The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and on 600 ESPN El Paso.Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.