LOUISVILLE HOPES DEPAUL IS A CURE FOR WHAT AILS CARDS OFFENSE

February 15, 2009


Can it get much worse for DePaul? After being blasted on their home court by Seton Hall, 72-49, they now must head to Louisville to meet a very angry bunch of Cards in Freedom Hall. The Blue Demons are now 0-12 in the Big East and the winnable games on their schedule have pretty much dried up completely.

Louisville has been roughed up twice in their last three games, at home to No. 1 UConn and on the road against Notre Dame in their last game out. Having lost two of three after starting Big Easat play 8-0 is not sitting well with the Cards, whose offense has sputtered tremendously in the last three and a half games.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found today:

Cards Sick of Viewing Irish Tape (Courier-Journal)
DePaul’s Road Gets Tougher With Angry Louisville (Chicago Tribune)
Pitino: Team Moving on From Irish Drubbing (Courier-Journal)


DePaul has been a shaky ball-handling team and with Jabari Currie out for the season, their ball-handling is under tremendous pressure. The Louisville full court press will be a constant test of the young guards in the Blue Demon backcourt. However, the Louisville press can only set-up after they score, and that has been difficult lately.

The offensive problems that contributed to out of conference losses to Western Kentucky, Minnesota and UNLV have seemed to resurfaced for the Cards lately and Rick Pitino is in need of putting life back into their attack. DePaul should be a good a good elixir for what ails a team, so we will see if the Cards can get back on track this afternoon.

Dar Tucker and Mac Koshwal lead Jerry Wainwright’s attack, but they will certainly be facing an angry opponent today. Getting offensive production from Will Walker will be the key in keeping this game close, which might be all that DePaul can hope for.

Louisville needs their guards to pick up their play, a question that was under the microscope prior to the season and we are in mid-February and that question remains. Finding some form of consistency from Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith, Preston Knowles and Andre McGee is imperative as the stretch starts. You know what you will get, more than not, from Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and the freshman interior duo of Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings, now they need the same from their backcourt.

The Cards are a 21 ½-point home favorite. While it is no doubt that UL is a MUCH better tram than DePaul, that seems like a lot of points for a struggling offense.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 73
DePaul 55