BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ SOUTH FLORIDA

January 7, 2009


Louisville finally opens up league play on Wednesday night when they travel south to take on former Conference USA rival South Florida in the Sun Dome. The Cards will look to avoid a letdown following their thrilling win over rival Kentucky from Sunday. USF is 0-2 in the Big East and looks to upset UL to gain some momentum in the conference.

Here are the pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

Cards’ Ears Paying for Roaming (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Cards Must Be Loud on the Road (Courier-Journal)
False Alarm for Jet Carrying Louisville Basketball Team (WKYT.com)
Sosa, Cardinals Wars Entering Brutal Big East (Kentucky.com)
Big East Pulls Rank on South Florida Bulls (St. Pete Times)

This is one game we are going to watch closely. Louisville has struggled in their pre-conference schedule and are coming off the exciting last second victory over rival Kentucky on Sunday. The player getting their most finger-pointing in his direction for the Cardinal’s less than inspiring start to the season is Edgar Sosa and he was the hero in Sunday’s game by drilling a three-pointing in the closing seconds for a 71-64 win.

Many factors are at play in this game. Is the UK win the stepping stone and confidence building game that Sosa needed? Or was it just another flash of the talent he possesses and he falls back into his maddening inconsistent ways?

Also, the emotional high of the win over a big rival and then the trip to Tampa to meet the Bulls has caught several teams napping in the past only to escape the Sun Dome with a closer than expected win. The Bulls played an inspired second half at home in a close lose to Syracuse last Friday, so it will be interesting if USF can do the same.

Louisville has the talent to take this game easily, but they need to get acclimated to new surroundings as they will play their first true road game of the season. They have lost neutral floor games to Western Kentucky and Minnesota and a home contest against UNLV. Their lone win outside of Freedom Hall game in nearby Cincinnati when they got past Ole Miss in the Big East/SEC Challenge.

We are still waiting for the Bulls to begin to mesh, they have players filling roles with Dominique Jones being the top scoring option. They desperately need some frontcourt production and Louisville will look to go inside to Samardo Samuels early and often against USF.


Look for Louisville to lead comfortably throughout, but some lapses of concentration throughout will keep coach Rick Pitino on his toes and the Bulls within striking distance and within the 10 ½ point spread that the current NCAA Basketball Odds show UL to be favored by.


NBE Blogger’s Prediction:

Louisville 67
South Florida 59