Big East Report Team Blog: Louisville

LOUISVILLE ROLLS PAST SETON HALL IN BIG EAST OPENER

2011-01-06T11:24:00.001-05:00

After a Preston Knowles steal and a Mike Marra three-pointer at the 10:19 mark of the first-half, Louisville was up 24-2 on visiting Seton Hall in a BIG EAST conference game. Kevin Willard had already burned two of his timeouts and used two media timeouts to frantically make adjustments, but nothing was working as the Yum! Center crowd was put into a frenzy by the opening run of the Cardinals.

In those first 9+ minutes, SHU turned the ball over 7 times and missed on 14 of their first 15 field goal attempts. Quite the rude homecoming for Willard, who served as an assistant and associate head coach to Rick Pitino for six seasons at Louisville and is the son of Ralph Willard, the Pitino's current Director of Basketball Operations.

"We got off to a great start," Pitino said afterwards. "A lot of good things happen for you defensively when you get off to a start like that, but believe it or not, there are so many times in a game of basketball when you see a team up 18-2, 19-2, and the other team comes back. We did a very good job of making sure we kept that distance."

The Pirates were never able to get within 12 points the rest of the game and after taking a 36-21 lead at the half, UL quickly pushed the lead to 28 points, 56-28, when Marra connected on three foul shots with 12:19 left in the game.

"It was hard coming back," said Willard. "We knew coming in after the Kentucky game that they would be ready to go and they did a good job at jumping on us and taking advantage of mistakes we made. It's tough to come back when you're down 24-2."

Freshman Fuquan Edwin led SHU with 18 points and 9 rebounds.

The former mentor had some advice for his pupil, whose team has now lost four of their last five games.

"Coach and I talk quite often," said Willard. "He just said keep your head up and keep working. The same thing he always says."

For the Cards, Mike Marra and Peyon Siva led the balanced attack with 14 points each. Chris Smith and Gorgui Dieng, who had five blocks, added nine points each as well.

The game was the BIG EAST opener for Louisville who travels to South Florida on Sunday. UL is 7-0 against their former C-USA rival in BIG EAST regular-season games.

DREXEL DEALS CARDS FIRST LOSS OF 2010-2011

2010-12-15T09:26:00.000-05:00

The unbeaten start to the 2010-2011 season for Rick Pitino and Louisville came to a screeching halt last night as the Drexel Dragons came into the KFC Yum! Center and dealt the Cards a 52-46 defeat.

"You have to come in and feel like you can win those games," Drexel coach 'Bruiser' Flint said following the game. "We're not going to come in and lay down against them."

Lay down they did not. Drexel dominated the pace of the game and dominated the glass with a 46-26 edge in rebounding.

"We got outrebounded 46-26 and that pretty much tells us why we lost," said Pitino.

Drexel led 25-23 at the half, but the Cards ripped off a 10-1 run to start the second half and led by seven points with just under 17 minutes left in the game when Preston Knowles connected on a three-pointer to give the Cards a 33-26 advantage. However, Louisville could not maintain their offense and Drexel chipped away and Sammie Givens put the Dragons back ahead at 43-42 with 8:09 left and UL would not have the lead again.

Louisville simply couldn't make shots as the Cards missed 11 of its last 12 attempts from the field and were only 12 of 25 from the foul line for the game.

"You don't rebound, you don't get out on the break and you don't do the little things that help you score," siad Pitino.

Drexel was not much better offensively, also shooting just 12 of 25 from the foul line and nearly negating their edge on the boards by committing 22 turnovers, leading to 17 UL points. However, their 11-2 advantage in second chance points was the difference in the game.

"We lost the game because we didn't rebound," added Pitino. "It's a very simple stat. We didn't get rebounds out of the three-spot. We didn't get rebounds out of the five-spot."

Knowles and Peyton Siva each scored 13 points in the loss for UL. As a team, the Cards shot just 31.9% from the field and only made four three-pointers in the game (on 16 attempts). The three-point shot has been a big weapon in the UL arsenal this season and was a key in the Drexel gameplan to stop.

"One of the things is keeping them off the 3-point line, and I think we did a good job at that," said Flint. "We wanted to chase them off the 3-point line, make them rush and run guys at them. I thought our guys did a good job at that."

The loss snapped U of L's home winning streak at nine games, dating back to a 70-60 loss to #11 Georgetown on Feb. 23 of last season, and its home non-conference win streak at 12.

Louisville will continue their season openign 10-game homestand on Saturday when they host Gardner-Webb at the Yum! Center. Thirteen of their first fourteen games of the season will be played in the new Yum! Center with the lone exception a December 22nd tilt at Western Kentucky.

-- game story quotes courtesy of www.uoflsports.com

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LOUISVILLE REBUNDS, ROUTS ORAL ROBERTS

2009-12-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

The perfect remedy for what has been ailing Louisville of late was found in Oral Roberts visiting Freedom Hall Wednesday night. The cure was aided by a stern pregame speeck from coach Rick Pitino. Pitino's Challenge, Louisville gets 'Real' in Rout of Oral Roberts (Louisville Courier-Journal), 94-57.

After being called 'fakes' and 'imposters' by their coach, Louisville Pounds ORU (Tulsa World) behind 18 points from Edgar Sosa and 17 from Samardo Samuels. The Cards shot 52% from the field and connected on 12 of 32 attempts from beyond the arc in the rout.

With Western Kentucky coming to Freedom Hall on Saturday and a date with arch nemesis Kentucky (1/2) looming, UL fans will hope last night's effort proves the Cards are Back on Track State-Journal) with the meat of their schedule ahead.

UNC-C HANDS PITINO COACHED LOUISVILLE WORST HOME LOSS

2009-12-07T11:27:00.001-05:00

The score certainly caught many people by surprise as Louisville suffered an 87-65 home loss to UNC-Charlotte. It was a tough night for the Cards as Charlotte Catches Cards With their Guards Down (Louisville Courier-Journal) in front of more than 19,000 fans in Freedom Hall.

Jerry Smith joined the UL wounded Thursday with a strained Achilles' tendon. Preston Knowles (thumb) and Peyton Siva (wrist) already were hurting and out of action once again, too. However, with their frontcourt intact and being outrebounded significantly by the 49ers on Saturday, Injuries Aren't All that Ails Louisville Basketball Team (Louisville Courier-Journal). Samardo Samuels played just 19 minutes, scoring 14 points and grabbing just four rebounds, watching Charlotte frosh Chris Braswell have his way inside scoring 21 points and grabbing 14 rebounds as UNC-C dominated the glass with a 49-35 rebounding advantage.

UL has now lost two of three and will host Western Carolina this coming Saturday. The Cards expect Knowles to return to the line-up, it is unclear when Smith or Siva will be ready to play.

HOT-SHOOTING LOUISVLLE BLISTERS STETSON, 80-48

2009-12-03T15:03:00.000-05:00

Shorthanded Louisville rebounded from their first loss of the season to rout Stetston, 80-48, on Wednesday night. Playing without guards Preston Knowles and Peyton Sive, both out with injures, Jerry Smith Leads Cards in Win (Louisville Courier-Journal) by scoring 17 points. Edgar Sosa and Samardo Samuels each scored 15.

UL shot a blistering 62% from the field for the game and outscored the Hatters by 16 in each half, rotating several different line-ups with Knowles and Siva sidelined with injuries. Rakeem Buckles was inserted into the starting line-up over Jared Swopshire and Reginald Delk took Knowles normal spot in the line-up. Kyle Kuric and Mike Marra also received additional playing time in the understaffed backcourt.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2009-09-09T09:22:00.002-04:00

September 9, 2009

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Zach Price, 6'9 BF/C from Lakewood (OH) St. Edward

It was a busy weekend at Louisville with several highly touted 2011 recruits on campus making visits. One of those prospects has decided he found his college home while making the visit as the Louisville Courier-Journal reports that Zach Price Commits to Louisville following the trip.

Projected 2009-2010 Roster

Seniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Reginald Delk (G)
Juniors: Preston Knowles (G), Chris Smith * (G)
Sophomores: Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Jared Swopshire (SF), George Goode (F)
Freshmen: Mike Marra (G), Rakeem Buckles (F), Peyton Siva (PG), Stephan Van Treese (PF)
2010 Commitments: Josh Langford (SF)
2011 Commitments: Ryan Taylor (F), Michael Chandler (C), Zach Price (BF/C)

* -Smith will sit out the 2009-2010 season as a transfer and have two years of eligibility remaining

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

In an effort to flex his recruiting muscle and to show that the recent controversy involving his person life will not diminish that mucle, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino is on a mission to put together a 2011 recruiting class that will rival anyone's in the state of Kentucky or nationally.

Over the weekend, UL hosted highly touted 2011 prospects such as Wayne Blackshear, Mike Shaw, Marquis Teague and Zach Price. With Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence North teammates Michael Chandler and Ryan Taylor already in the fold as verbal commitments for the class of 2011, Pitino is well on his way to a homerun class.

Following the weekend visits, the class now stands at three as Lakewood (OH) St. Edward C/BF Zach Price made the decision to join the class, offering a non-binding verbal commitment to the Cards. The 6'9, 225-lb Price averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds as a sophomore and told the Louisville-courier Journal UL was the place he felt comfortable at.

"There's no other school for me" Price told the C-J. "I came (to Louisville) in June and felt it was a very, very good school and situation for me. But I didn't know for sure.

"The second visit confirmed it."

The issues surrounding Rick Pitino outside of basketball are also out of the mind of Price's family and the allegations made against Pitino by Karen Sypher did not enter the mind of Price's mother when discussing the decision with her son.

"His personal life is his personal life," Price's mother, Valerie told the C-J. "That didn't affect anything with us. You can't be judged by that. It was the right fit for my son.

"What we heard and know is that coach Pitino gets kids to the next level both on the court and off the court. He cares what the kids do, no matter what. We didn't hear that from other coaches."

Price joins Chandler and Taylor in the early class for UL.

Ryan Taylor is a 6-foot-6 forward that currently plays as an undersized post. He has the toughness of a post player but the athleticism that could allow him to transition away from the basket in the future.

Michael Chandler is a 6-foot-11 sophomore that is just beginning to come into his own. While he has yet to get a lot of playing time at the high school level, coaches universally agree that his has loads of potential and also had Ohio State, Indiana, Florida, Kentucky and others very interested in his services.

Now, all eyes are on Blackshear, who immediately named the Cards his leader after the visit, and Teague, who has long been the object of Pitino's recruiting attention of the class of 2011. To aide in their recruitment of Teague and the Indianapolis region that has been so good to the Cards recently, UL added Shabaka Lands as a special assistant to Pitino last week. Lands was previously an assistant coach at Indianapolis (IN) Pike High School, the same school Teague currently attends.

While Blackshear and Shaw are expected to be a package deal and take additional visits, the commitment by Price definitely muddles the picture of available scholarships in the 2011 class. On paper, the 2011-2012 Cards would currently have 13 players, which is the NCAA limit. This also does not take into account additional commitments for 2010 and UL is deeply involved with wing Rod Odom, who also visited last week, and elite point-forward prospect Tobias Harris who has recently sounded more and more interested in playing a Terrence Williams-style role for UL. Canadian native Cory Joseph has also long been a target for the Cards in 2010 and remains on their radar.

At one time the 2010 UL recruiting class stood at three verbal commitments, but Jeremy Tyler going pro and Justin Martin and the Cards parting ways leaves just Josh Langford of J.O. Johnson High School of Huntsville (AL) as the lone commitment for the class of 2010. Louisville staff members were very visible at his AAU games last summer during the open evaluation periods for the Alabama Lasers. Last year, i95ballerz.com had a very good story as Hard Work, Skill Building Netted Langford his Dream Offer from the Cards.

There will be another addition to the UL attack for the 2010-2011 season besides the incoming freshmen. After averaging 13.4 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds a game for Barry Rohrrsen's 16-14 Manhattan Jaspers, Chris Smith decided he wanted to move on. The 6-foot-3, 200-lb guard, who is the younger brother of NBA player J.R. Smith, has chosen Louisville to be his new college home.

Smith is a product of St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey and was once committed to Seton Hall. However, after an academic issue prevented him from enrolling, Smith and the Pirates parted ways and Smith joined the program at Manhattan.

Smith is not afraid to get down and play defense and he should also fit in well in the Cards' style of play once he is eligible to compete after sitting out the 2009-2010 season.

If Smith is to receive an athletic scholarship, he would push the Cards one over the limit with four signed freshmen for the 2009-2010 season, however the expectation is he will walk-on to the program if the scholarships are filled..

We will continue to monitor the UL recruiting developments as they happen as Rick Pitino continues to position the Cards among the elite in the college game.

Europe-Bound Tyler Pulls out of Louisville Commitment

2009-04-29T09:51:00.003-04:00

April 29, 2009

by Zach Smart

So, another promising young talent sidesteps the NCAA experience to weigh his professional stock and pursue an over-the-waters career.

Only, this 6-foot-11 muscle-bound high school student is not taking the Brandon Jennings route.

Jennings, an NBA prospect who made the leap from high school to the European professional ranks, at least returned for his senior year of high school.

Jeremy Tyler, who originally committed to Rick Pitino and Louisville, has shocked the sports world with his recent, unexpected announcement.

Tyler became the first United States-born player to leave high school early to pursue a professional career.

The junior is widely regarded as the most polished, dominant American center since Greg Oden.

Oden, as we recall, was hyped up to heaven-sent during his high school days in Indiana. His games were aired on ESPN2 before he decided on a date to his junior prom.

Tyler is currently unsigned to any professional team and has not signed with an agent.

The five-star recruit, who originally chose Louisville over USC and UCLA, has been heavily courted by Spain. Teams throughout Europe, however, area pursuing the fundamentally sound big fella.

Read Rest of Zach's Article HERE!!

BIG EAST ROSTER UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2009-04-25T00:19:00.002-04:00

April 25, 2009

INCOMING TRANSFER ALERT: Chris Smith, 6'3 SG from Manhattan College

Projected 2009-2010 Roster

Seniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Reginald Delk (G)
Juniors: Preston Knowles (G), Chris Smith * (G)
Sophomores: Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Jared Swopshire (SF), George Goode (F)
Freshmen: Mike Marra (G), Rakeem Buckles (F), Peyton Siva (PG), Stephan Van Treese (PF)
2010 Commitments: Josh Langford (SF), Justin Martin (F)
2011 Commitments: Ryan Taylor (F), Michael Chandler (C)

* -Smith will sit out the 2009-2010 season as a transfer and have two years of eligibility remaining

Louisville has a spring roster addition as Manhattan College Guard is Coming to U of L (Louisville Courier-Journal) with the news that Chris Smith will transfer in.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

After averaging 13.4 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds a game for Barry Rohrrsen's 16-14 Manhattan Jaspers, Chris Smith decided he wanted to move on. The 6-foot-3, 200-lb guard, who is the younger brother of NBA player J.R. Smith, has chosen Louisville to be his new college home.

Smith is a product of St. Benedict's Prep in New Jersey and was once committed to Seton Hall. However, after an academic issue prevented him from enrolling, Smith and the Pirates parted ways and Smith joined the program at Manhattan.

Smith is not afraid to get down and play defense and he should also fit in well in the Cards' style of play once he is eligible to compete after sitting out the 2009-2010 season.

If Smith is to receive an athletic scholarship, he would push the Cards one over the limit with four signed freshmen for the 2009-2010 season.

As for the class of 2009, for the longest time it was widely considered that Stephan Van Treese would end up as part of Tom Crean's 2009 class at Indiana. However, things never came together and now Van Treese will take his talents across state lines to Kentucky and suit up for Louisville.

Van Treese had been recruited at times by some of the elite schools of college basketball, including the Hoosiers, UCLA, Ohio State, Michigan State, Kansas and Purdue. Van Treese will play tough in the paint and hit the boards. He is a very solid big man that will play his role for coach Pitino at Louisville.

Back in May coach Pitino picked up his third commitment from the class of 2009 when Peyton Siva out of Seattle (WA) made the Cardinals his college choice. Siva has long been considered Louisville's to lose on the recruiting trail after a visit this past season for their game with Georgetown. In the end, Louisville did not lose and scored a very good commitment from their point guard of the future.

Siva is an extremely quick and lightning fast point guard with the ball in his hands. He is also an above-average perimeter shooter who can also explode at the rim with a dunk when the time is right. As he matures, his decision making continues to improve and he always seems to be calm and cool on the floor, a trait that is a must for the most successful point guards in the game.

Siva and Van Treese join previous 2009 commitments Rakeem Buckles and Mike Marra. Buckles is a wiry and raw forward prospect who is just touching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential. At 6'8, he has explosive athletic ability that you see in an NBA small forward, however his game is still transitioning from a skinny big man to the wing and is a process that is just beginning. However, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino definitely believes it is a project worth undertaking as he aggressively courted the Miami Pace junior and landed an early verbal commitment from Buckles in February. Local Miami and West Virginia were also closely monitoring his progress, but Louisville easily took the most attention in Buckles.

Mike Marra, a 6'5 native of Smithfield (RI), was the first of Pitino's 2009 commitments. Marra is an athletic shooter for Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School. According to his coach, John Carroll, Marra averaged nearly 28 points per game and has hit 55% from 3-pt range over an 11 game stretch late last season. Marra was also considering Providence, Massachusetts, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Michigan, but after coach Rick Pitino came to watch him play last winter, Marra decided to end the process early and commit to the Cards, who had been his leader for some time. Marra visited Louisville and Freedom Hall in December and they have been on his mind ever since.

Rick Pitino continues to stay well ahead of the game on the recruiting trail as the Louisville coach has now added two top 2011 recruits to go along with a trio of 2010 commitments from Justin Martin, Jeremy Tyler and Josh Langford to the four players already signed for the class of 2009. After this weekend's highly anticipated showdown with rival Kentucky, Lawrence North High School sophomores Michael Chandler and Ryan Taylor informed the UL staff moments after the thrilling win that they wanted to be part of the Cardinal future.

Ryan Taylor is a 6-foot-6 forward that currently plays as an undersized post. He has the toughness of a post player but the athleticism that could allow him to transition away from the basket in the future.

Michael Chandler is a 6-foot-11 sophomore that is just beginning to come into his own. While he has yet to get a lot of playing time at the high school level, coaches universally agree that his has loads of potential and also had Ohio State, Indiana, Florida, Kentucky and others very interested in his services.

Chandler and Taylor join teammate Justin Martin as verbal commitments to UL. Martin is a highly regarded 6-foot-7 forward out of the class of 2010. Martin, Chandler and Taylor are teammates of UL 2009 signee Stephan Van Treese at Lawrence North. Martin made the early commitment, picking the Cards over Xavier. Martin had yet to play a varsity basketball game, playing on the JV last season, at the time of his commitment. Martin is very long and athletic and uses that to score inside and out.

Jeremy Tyler, a highly touted 6-foot-9 manchild surprisingly ended his commitment early this Fall and verbally committed to the Cards over UCLA, Memphis, Arizona and others. Surprises out of Tyler seem to be the norm as earlier this week he decided he would bypass his senior season and turn professional. That is, his senior season of HIGH SCHOOL. Tyler is off to the professional leagues of Europe, opening a scholarship in the class of 2010 back up for UL. Tyler was expected to slide nicely into the spot occupied by Samardo Samuels if he decided to leave for the NBA after his sophomore season. Instead, it is Tyler moving on to pay for play first.

Josh Langford of J.O. Johnson High School of Huntsville (AL) was the first to make the pledge to the Cardinals for the class of 2010. Louisville staff members have been very visible at his AAU games this summer during the open evaluation periods for the Alabama Lasers. Recently, i95ballerz.com had a very good story as Hard Work, Skill Building Netted Langford his Dream Offer from the Cards.

With Tyler out of the picture, Pitino wasted little time feeling sorry for himself and was on the recruiting trail checking out 7-foot Brazilian big man Fabricio de Melo of the 2010 recruiting class. Weston (FL) Sagemont Upper School is the current home of de Melo, who also visited UL during the season when they hosted Marquette.

Another Indianapolis Lawrence North junior, Dominique Ferguson. is also on the Card's radar for 2010 and with the Tyler news, the former Kentucky commit might be seeing more attention from coach Pitino. Findlay prep point guard Cory Joseph is also a player the Cards have been pursuing on the recruiting trail in 2010.

Also visiting for the UK/Louisville game of 1/4/2009 at Freedom Hall was Indianapolis Pike sophomore Marques Teague. The 6-foot-1 guard is considered an elite prospect in the class of 2011 and Louisville is a favorite to land Teague, who could be deciding early this summer. Teague's high school teammate, Jordan Manuel, also lists the Cards. Manuel is an athletic 6'8 small forward in the class of 2010.

We will continue to monitor the UL recruiting developments as they happen as Rick Pitino continues to position the Cards among the elite to keep an eye on for March Madness betting pools each and every year.

W WILD WEEK AROUND LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL

2009-04-23T22:57:00.001-04:00

April 24, 2009

The program in the news most often in the last week has been Louisville with three stories that made major headlines and has college basketball fans stepping back and saying...'whoa.'

The first item with the Cards was a change in their coaching staff as Richard Pitino left his father's staff to fill an opening on Billy Donovan's staff at the University of Florida. The move on its own was very curious as Richard was on the UL staff for just two seasons after working as an assistant on Ron Everhart's staffs at Northeastern and Duquesne and a year as an administrative assistant on Tom Herrion's staff at the College of Charleston. The Gators Finalized the Pitino Hire (Gainesville Sun) before things took a very serious turn for coach Rick Pitino, and the move started to make more sense.

Coach Pitino went public late last weekend that he was victim of an extortion attempt of the estranged wife of a Louisville team equipment manager, a woman with whom it appears Pitino had an affair with. Apparently the woman, Karen Sypher, has made "false, defamatory and outrageous allegations in an attempt to pressure" Pitino to "cave in to this scheme" and pay her millions of dollars.

With those allegations not public knowledge, the rumor mill has been buzzing strong for several days and Regardless of Outcome, Nobody Will Win in Pitino Mess (CBS Sports) as, in the very least, reputations will be sullied as Sypher and her Mother Vow Not to Back Down (ESPN.com) as they claim to be the victims, not coach Pitino who has the FBI investigating an extortion claim against Sypher.

Then, to top off the week, Louisville 2010 verbal commitment Jeremy Tyler has decided to forego his senior season, of high school, to turn professional. The 6-foot-11 Prospect Will Leave High School to Play in Europe (NY Times). Tyler will no doubt earn a lucrative contract overseas and pick up endorsement money (Under Armour) as he will get his schooling against professional men and come back for the NBA draft in two years. Will he be a trailblazer? Or will the European trail to the NBA go down in flames with Brandon Jennings and now Tyler? We should know soon enough how successful the path is...

PITINO STAYS WELL AHEAD IN RECRUITIN GAME

2009-04-17T11:07:00.003-04:00

April 17, 2009

Louisville seems to be well ahead of the curve when it comes to recruiting, having already three commits in the class of 2010 with Jeremy Tyler, Josh Langford and Justin Martin. In Jody Demlings U of L Recruiting Update on his Recruiting Blog at the Louisville Courier-Journal, Demling speculates that the biggest current target for coach Rick Pitino and his staff is Findlay Prep point guard Cory Joseph, a Canadian native. The Cards are also likley to make a large push for yet another Indianapolis Lawrence North player in Dominique Ferguson, who recently re-opened his recruitment after being committed to Kentucky.

While the Cards' recruitment for the Class of 2010 is already at a narrow focus, the 2011 recruiting is well on it's way as well as Louisville already has commitments from Ryan Taylor and Michael Chandler, who like Justin Martin in the class of 2010 and 2009 signee Stephan Van Treese attends Lawrence North. The biggest target in that class is Indianapolis Pike HS point guard Marquis Teague, who could make a college decision prior to July.

With Pitino on the recruiting trail, the college basketball odds of the Cards remaining near the top of college basketball's elite teams is very high.

Q&A WITH LOUISVILLE RECRUIT MIKE MARRA

2009-04-14T21:21:00.003-04:00

By Pat Stevens

Pat Stevens (PS) -What’s the Mike Marra story…

Mike Marra (MM) -Freshman year in Rhode Island I was a JV player. That summer I ended up working hard and made varsity and then junior year is when I started excelling and knew I had to make the move. I ended up repeating junior year at NMH which was the best decision I made and had a breakout type season, that’s when I got my offers. This year was a little tougher with teams keying on me but both years at Northfield Mount Hermon (Mass.) went really well.

PS -What was the summer workout like between your freshman and sophomore year…

MM -That summer I went to a six week training camp in Providence. I was shooting on the gun and running sprints 5 days a week for 4 hours. I was getting up 1,000 shots a day and working on ball-handling and it was really beneficial.

PS -Best game this past year…

MM -Against South Kent in our last game of the year was my best of the game the year. I had 33 points and seven three-pointers.

PS -Playing back home in Rhode Island at the big tournaments…

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

MM -At the tournament at URI, that was just an off weekend for me. Couple guys got things going our way for us so I wasn’t really disappointed. But it was tough to come home and play. But earlier in the year in November at Bryant College, I came out and had 25 points and six or seven rebounds in one game so that went well.

PS -Memorable game from earlier in school…

MM -Last year against St. Thomas More with Devin Ebanks, we went back and forth a few times and I was like 10-11 from 3 and ended up with 38 points and he had 34.

PS -Memorable game from circuit…

MM -Two summers ago in New Jersey it was my breakout game, I hit 11 threes against the New York Panthers. Richard (Pitino) was in the stands and Ohio State and Michigan happened to be there. I was just lucky that they were there.

PS -Top Shooters that you like…

MM -JJ Reddick, I used to watch all the time. Recently, I’m a big Celtics fan, I’ve been watching Eddie House and he’s great coming off screens. And of course Ray Allen is always money. Everyone loves his shot.

PS -Playing uptempo at NMH…

MM -I think it helps out a lot. We get up and down and get up a lot of shots. I look forward to getting up just as many at Louisville and hopefully I can just be on the court.

PS -Thoughts on classmates…

MM -I roomed with Peyton (Siva) this weekend and Rakeem (Buckles) was there on my visit. I love the way they play. Peyton really has a desire for the game and he just loves to play and Rakeem works just as hard.

PS -Arrival to campus…

MM -I get there June 2nd and I’m hoping to gain some weight and get in there and shoot.

PS -Major…

MM -I’m not sure but I think I’m going to start with Business but I’m pretty open.

PS -Anything unique in recruiting process…

MM -Talking to Rick, he seemed the most genuine. I really believed everything they said and they just really stood out to me.

PS -Feeling when offered…

MM -It was kind of unexpected. Richard offered me in person. He was there just to watch one of our open gyms. It was a little unreal, I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t see it coming.

PS -Feeling when committed…

MM -I told him I want to be a Cardinal. He was really excited and said he had a bottle of Cristal he was going to pop open that Billy Donovan gave him.

PS -If not Louisville, then where…

MM -I really considered Providence but the coaching staff was just too uncertain at the time. PC, Wake Forest and Miami were the schools I liked but Louisville set themselves apart. I did visit UMass, URI, and Syracuse for the elite camp.

PS -What’s it take to get a Louisville caliber offer…

MM -It takes a lot of hard work, no matter how tired you are. I used to play both 16s and 17s at the same time in AAU, playing six games in a day. You have to play your hardest whenever you’re on the court.

PS -Big East memories…

MM -When I was younger I really didn’t watch a lot of college basketball. But of course this year was crazy with Louisville winning the Big East outright in the regular season and conference tournament.

PS -On prep players headed Big East…

MM -Omari Lawrence - A beast. That’s all I can say about him. He finishes everything around the rim.

Jamaal Coombs and Alex Oriakhi – They’re good kids. They’re going to do really well there. We’ve had some battles the past few years. I like the way they play.

LOUISVILLE LOOKS FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE ELITE 8

2009-03-27T13:34:00.003-04:00

March 27, 2009

The master of the Sweet 16, Rick Pitino, takes his Louisville Cardinals into Lucas Oil Stadium for 2009 NCAA Tournament match-up with Arizona with a berth in the Elite 8 on the line.

Arizona was hardly expected to make the tournament going into selection Sunday, let alone be playing after the first weekend. The Wildcats, let by interim head coach Russ Pennell, beat Utah, the 5th seed in round one and knocked off Cleveland State in the second round, 71-57.

The Selection Sunday inclusion of Arizona drew the ire of TV commentators following the release of the brackets. The Wildcats had lost five of their last six, finishing 9-9 in the Pac 10 and 19-13 overall. But, non-conference wins over Gonzaga and Kansas seemed to carry a lot of weight with the committee.

On Friday night, the Wildcats face their steepest challenge to date with a match-up against the overall #1 seed in Louisville, the regular season and conference tournament champions of the Big East.

Playing Louisville means playing against pressure and the depth of the guards. Arizona prefers a fast paced game, so they should be comfortable in the speed, but the press will keep coming at them in waves.

"I think it's that it's so relentless," coach Pennell said of the UL press. "They have so many guys they can put in there. They really get into the basketball and make it difficult. Then once those guys get tired, they put in a new wave. And they can just keep coming at you."

Arizona does not have the depth to keep rotating players in against the Louisville onslaught, so preventing the Cards from making a patented run will be a major key.

"The thing you have to be careful about, you can handle it (pressure) for a little while, then all of a sudden they hit you with one of those big runs," said Pennell. "That's, to me, what makes them so dangerous. All the games that we have watched, there's that one moment in the game where they've been able to really explode. You try to keep that from happening. It's easier said than done."

Arizona could be compared somewhat to a Duke-type team, preferring to have a free flowing game while Louisville will try to disrupt your offensive in a similar fashion as Villanova, attacking the guards on the perimeter and preventing you from running your offense in the manner you are comforable in.

Rick Pitino will work his team hard on the defensive end because there is some top-heavy talent on the Arizona club.

"They have outstanding talent," said Pitino. "We know that. Now they understand what their coaches are teaching them concept wise offensively and defensively. They're a very dangerous opponent."

While that is true, Louisville should not have much trouble getting through the Arizona press and while in turn, pressing the Wildcats none stop, the depth of Louisville should take hold and lead to a big lead as the game heads toward the stretch.

It is looking like another record-settting Round in the Elite 8 for the Big East.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 79
Arizona 64

LOUISVILLE NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES

2009-03-25T12:21:00.000-04:00

March 25, 2009

There is a Historic Path Open for Rick Pitino (Kentucky.com), head coach at Louisville. With the Midwest Region seeing their share of upsets, the path of the Cardinals has become a bit easier than the other top seeds face. Rick Pitino is on a quest to become the 13th college basketball head coach with multiple NCAA Tournament championships, but he is vying to be the first to do it with two different schools. And, the irony, it would be with two schools that are bitter rivals in Kentucky and Louisville.

The odds are very good that a Pitino-coached team will reach the Elite 8 if they advance through the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Pitino is an Elite 8-0 in Sweet 16 (Courier-Journal) in his coaching career. Arizona, the region's 12th-seed, will test that mark next.

The Evening Bulletin breaks down the remaining field of 16, naming Louisville Still the Favorite as Pitino Can 'Smell the Final Four (Kentucky.com) as he readies his Cards for Arizona, a team quite similar in makeup to his own.

LOUISVILLE (T-)WILL(ED) TO SWEET 16

2009-03-23T01:15:00.000-04:00

March 23, 2009

Louisville has the T-Will to win this season. T-Will as in Terrence Williams!

"Four assists, 24 points, 15 rebounds, 4 for 6 from the 3. That's gigantic," Rick Pitino said of William's performance against Siena. "Big time performance. I'm real proud of him. He's a special young man."

Louisville needed every bit of that T-Will performance to get past Siena and move into the Sweet 16, 79-72.

After trailing by as many as 14 in the first half, Siena cut the Cardinal leads to five at the half and had the Dayton Arena a buzz after a 23-7 run gave the Saints a 63-57 lead with 7:52 left.

Louisville then went on a 9-0 run, ignited by a T-Will putback basket and three-pointer and capped by another T-Will basket to take a 66-63 lead.

"He definitely stepped up," Louisville junior forward Earl Clark said of T-Will's clutch performance. "I expect that from him. He's our leader and he's a great player, one of the best forwards in the country."

Freshman Samardo Samuels added 13 points and Earl Clark, along with Williams, had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in the win.

As the #1 seed in the Midwest, Louisville heads to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on Arizona in the Regional Semifinals this week.

NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE VS SIENA

2009-03-22T00:33:00.003-04:00

March 22, 2009

Louisville shook off a pesky Morehead State after halftime for a 74-54 first round win on Friday. The Cards' defense stole the show, again, forcing MSU into several early second half turnovers as UL scored the first 10 points after intermission to turn a two-point lead into a 12-point bulge and they were never threatened again.

On Sunday in Dayton, the Midwest's top seed will meet the ninth seed Siena, who upset local favorite Ohio State, 74-72, in double OT. It was the second consecutive year Siena sprang an opening round upset as they ousted Vanderbilt in a romp last year in Round One.

"The whole team is really good and very deserving of the victory yesterday, and certainly it will be more of a neutral site now for both of us than it would have been if Ohio State would have won," Rick Pitino said of Siena's win over the Buckeyes.

When Louisville and Siena meet, defense will be played all over the court. The Cards will use their fullcourt press, which is the best edition of the press coach Pitino has had since coming to Louisville, according to him. Siena used a three-quarter court press in their win over Ohio State and it was very effective.

"It's certainly a very good pressing team and one that the key for us is to shoot a high percentage so we can get it on a number of times," Pitino said of his club.

While both teams will focus on guard play, it is the frontcourt that will separate Louisville the most from Siena. The Saints just do not have the size, athletic ability or depth to match up with Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels/Terrence Jennings, which could be a future NBA frontcourt.

While UL is loaded with talent, Rick Pitino is certainly saying all the right things to make sure his players respect the talent level of their opponent.

"Siena could go into the Big East right now and be in the middle of the pack of the
Big East and hold their own with any of us, obviously indicative of who they played," said Pitino as the Saints have played at Pitt and Kansas this season.

Still, if they are a 'middle of the pack' in the Big East, on Sunday, they get the top dog of the Big East. The emotional high of the two-OT win over Ohio State could be a slight drain on the Saints, anything put a top-level performance against this Cardinal defense, and you pay the price. The college basketball betting odds show Louisville as an 11 1/2-point favorite. While Siena is a nice story, their Cinderella hopes will end on Sunday in Dayton.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 79
Siena 68

NO. 1 SEED LOUISVILLE ADVANCES IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

2009-03-21T00:33:00.001-04:00

March 21, 2009

Another 16-seed looked poised to make live difficult for a one-seed as Morehead State went into halftime trailing Louisville by just two points, 35-33.

These two teams met back in November in the season opener for Louisville. After a sluggish first half, the Cards dominated, winning 79-41, the script on Friday looked mighty similar.

A 10-0 run in the first 3:18 of the second half with three Morehead State turnovers put the Cards on their way to a 74-54 opening round win.

“It all started from Andre [McGee on] defense, said Samardo Samuels. “As Coach said, his defense and everybody just followed behind him.”

Louisville forced Morehead State into 12 second-half turnovers and 20 in the game. Andre McGee set the pace with being credited with 5 steals.

“Andre McGee is the key times 10 to our basketball team,” said Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. “He gets everybody pressing, everybody playing defense, and he just does it for one reason. He's not trying to impress anybody. He just does it because he has a deep passion to win. I'm real proud of him, because what he does is tough to do.”

Samardo Samuels led UL with 15 points and Terrence Williams added 13 points and 9 rebounds while Earl Clark added 12 points and 5 assists.

Louisville will take on Siena, who knocked off Ohio State in double overtime, on Sunday right back in Dayton again.

LOUISVILLE FACES FAMILIAR FOE

2009-03-19T23:56:00.003-04:00

March 20, 2009

Louisville, the top overall seed of the 2009 NCAA Tournament will begin the NCAA Tournament the same way they began the 2008-2009 regular season, by playing Morehead State. The Cards dumped the Eagles 79-41 back on November 22nd in Freedom Hall. This time, the teams will meet in Dayton in a NCAA Tourney 1st round match-up.

It is pretty surprising that Morehead State is playing in the Big Dance. After opening the season with six consecutive losses, the Eagles righted the ship and won 12 of their first 15 games in the Ohio Valley Conference. However, four consecutive losses just prior to the OVC Tournament had Morehead St. heading in the wrong direction, but the Eagles rebounded and captured the conference's automatic bid with a thrilling 67-65 double OT win at Austin Peay in the tournament finale.

Still, there was work ahead for Morehead State before they could get a rematch with Louisville, they were in the play-in game. Kenneth Faried led MSU with 14 points and 21 rebounds as the Eagles got past Alabama State Tuesday evening in Dayton, 58-43, improving to 20-16 on the season.

"These teams get there because they have talented basketball players," Rick Pitino said of lower NCAA Tournament seeds. "And we realize Morehead is a talented team and that if we don't take care of business it could be the same type of game (as Memphis had earlier)."

"So we have great respect for what they do, and if you don't, that's how you go home. If you don't have great respect for every little detail, you go home earlier than expected."

Louisville earned their lofty seed by winning the Big East regular season crown with a 16-2 record, although many were still pointing at the two teams directly behind them in the standings, Pitt and UConn, as the teams to beat in the Big Dance from the Big East. Louisville followed their regular season crown with a Big East Tournament championship in NYC last weekend, a tournament that the Panthers and Huskies failed to win a game in.

Rick Pitino points to better passing and the understanding of the players what are good shots. He can even look back at the opening game of the season and show how they perform when they are passing and when they are not.

"It was interesting, even in the Morehead State game, we took 9 challenge shots in the first half and shot 29 percent," said Pitino. "In the second half, we took 2 challenge shots and shot 67 percent. And that even though that was a long time ago, that's a true indicator of what we do well, and when things don't go our way it's due to poor passing and taking challenge shots. We're conscious of that and I think we've improved dramatically because of it."

So, an improved Louisville team getting a first round re-match against a team they blew out by 38 points already? Almost have to wonder why the college basketball betting line is 'only' 20 1/2. Is there a letdown for Louisville coming after the emotional high of capturing their first Big East title?

That could certainly happen, but the athletic ability of Terrence Williams and Earl Clark at the forward positions and an intense coach Pitino on the sideline demanding defensive pressure from start to finish, the UL energy level will be rising quickly at gametime.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 83
Morehead St. 58

BET GAME PREVIEW: LOUISIVLLE VS VILLANOVA

2009-03-13T10:53:00.003-04:00

March 13, 2009

After seeing conference co-favorites fall last night, Louisville is left standing in Friday's semifinal round of the 2009 Big East Tournament after getting past Providence, 73-55, in Thursday afternoon quarterfinal action. The Cards' defense was strong again, forcing 26 Friar turnovers and converting points inside with Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels leading the way.

Villanova looked like they were cruising into the semifinal match-up with the Cards by taking a 16-point halftime lead over Marquette. However, there was no easy way into the semi's as Marquette stormed back and took a late lead on the Wildcats. Villanova beat the buzzer with a Dwayne Anderson lay-up and broke the hearts of the Golden Eagles.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's match-up:

It's Villanova at the Buzzer (Philadelphia Inquirer)
After Surviving, Villanova Gets Louisville (Hartford Courant)
Cardinals Ward off Curse of the Garden (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Villanova and Louisville met once in the regular season with the Cards surviving a one-point win as the Wildcats missed several point-blank opportunities in the closing seconds to win. It is expected that tonight's clash could come down to a similar nail-biting finish.

Louisville's strength this season is forcing turnovers with their constant pressure. The wildcats might be one of the few teams they can rattle with the press as Villanova has an experienced guard corps that represent their strength of the team.

Junior Scottie Reynolds and sophomore Corey Fisher make an exciting backcourt pair that can play both ends of the court. Junior Reggie Redding is a defensive specialist that is quickly becoming one of the best 'glue' guys in the NCAA with his timely scoring and terrific passing. His dribble-drive and dish to senior Dwayne Anderson was the game winner on Thursday afternoon. Anderson, like on Thursday, is always in the right place at the right time and his classmates Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham, the league's most improved player, should hold their own against the Cards front line.

With guard play so key in the postseason, Villanova has the pieces to make things VERY interesting.

Louisville will rely on their tremendous front line trio of Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels, all of whom could be 1st round NBA draft picks as early as this June. Williams and Clark are versatile stars that create tough match-ups on both ends of the court.

Where Louisville will need a strong performance is from their backcourt. Villanova will apply their own type of pressure, extending their defense in the halfcourt out into the perimeter to try and make passing into the post difficult in an order to negate the UL size advantage.

This game should be another tight one down to the wire. Going out on the limb, with Villanova a 4 1/2-point underdog according to the early odds, it could be another Big East upset.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 68
Louisville 66

LOUISVILLE LOOKS TO EXTINGUISH FRIARS NCAA HOPES

2009-03-12T09:56:00.002-04:00

March 12, 2009

Providence kept their NCAA Tournament hopes alove as a Late Friars Surge Holds Off DePaul and PC ends the Blue Demons' season with an 83-74 win.

Sharaud Curry led PC with 25 points and Weyinmi Efejuku added 23 in the win in a game that Keno Davis' squad could not afford to lose.

Their reward is a date with the 2009 Big East Tournament's No. 1 seed, Louisville, at high noon today at Madison Square. At stake for PC could be a bid to the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's game:

Providence Friars Eye NCAA Tournament Bid (Hartford Courant)
Friars Survive Big Day for Two Blue Demons (Courier-Journal)
Pitno Denied the Honors He Deserves (Courier-Journal)
Cards: New York Not Neutral (Courier-Journal)
Friars Used Bye to their Advantage Against DePaul (Providence Journal)
After Win over DePaul, Providence Season Comes Down to Louisville Game (Providence-Journal)
Friars Hung in With Louisville in February - For Awhile (Providence Journal)

Despite a 10-8 Big East regular season, earning a bye as the 8th place team in a conference once thought of as a 10-bid league, it is likely that Providence will need a win over Louisville in the Big East Tournamant quarterfinals to secure a spot in the 'Big Dance' when the selections are announced on Sunday. That is an awfully tall order for the Friars, who lost at Louisville back on February 18th, 94-76.

While the 18-point difference seems daunting, there are a few facts to keep in mind about the previous meeting. The Friars shot 50% from the floor in enemy territory and out-rebounded the Cards. However, the difference in the game was turnovers. PC turned the ball over 22 times (while just forcing UL to turn it over 9 times) as the UL press took its toll.

The Friars need to do a better job against the pressure, and there is no reason to believe they will not. They have the experience of going through it once and the game tape to improve on their mistakes. They have a veteran back court with redshirt junior Sharaud Curry along with four senior starters in Weyinmi Efejuku, Jeff Xavier, Geoff McDermott and Jonathan Kale. This group has pulled together before, in a stirring upset of Pittsburgh, and they can definitely do it once again.

In order to do so, they will have to prevent Terrence Williams and Earl Clark from turning their defensive pressure into quick strike points the other way. The Friars have to defend the perimeter in earnest, not allowing Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles to find comfort shooting from the perimeter. PC showed they could rebound and score against UL, now they need to show they can handle the ball.

Louisville will be the test case for the double-bye as they will be playing their first game in the Big East Tournament. All the favorites won on Wednesday, as expected, but there definitely seems to be a severe drop from the top 7 (or eight if PC can prove themselves worthy) and the rest of the league. These next three days should be awfully fun!! With their defensive pressure, the Cards should be able to wear down PC and that is likely to make the difference for, according to the morning college basketball odds the favorite in the contest.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 75
Providence 68

LOUISVILLE HUNTS BIG EAST TITLE IN MORGANTOWN

2009-03-07T07:57:00.002-05:00

March 7 2009

By Zach Smart

No longer regarded as a team front-loaded with sharpshooters, analysts have enjoyed watching the development of the youth movement at West Virginia.

Though WVU coach Bobby Huggins typically dreads playing freshman immediately and does his best to get them acclimated to his sophisticated defense, he took a different route this year.

The triumvirate of Kevin Jones, Devin Ebanks, and Darryl "Truck" Bryant have grown by leaps and bounds in one season in Morgantown. They've helped complement the 1-2 punch of Da'Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff. Butler, who erupted for a wowing 43-point showing during a significant victory over Villanova, is averaging a team-high 17 ppg, Ruoff 16.

Ruoff, recruited by John Beilein as strictly a three-point sniper, has also undergone a great deal of player development. He barrels his way to the basket with ease now, as opposed to hanging out on the perimeter. He takes people off the dribble and bursts out a nice, step-back jumper. He's even gotten his elbows dirty and developed a nose for the ball, delivering put-backs and scoring on second chance opportunities. While this aspect of his game has panned out as of late, he's no Mike Gansey. Speaking of the 6-foot-4 freak with pogo stick hops, anyone know the white wonder of the world's whereabouts?

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Read More on today's game...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

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But this is Louisville, folks, a team with enough talent and depth and experience to pencil in as a potential final four team.

The Cardinals rolled away with a 69-63 victory last time the two teams met, albeit WVU fought valiantly. The Cardinals nearly surrendered a bulky 20-point edge but were able to group together and gut out the victory.

The Cardinals shot nearly 56 percent from the floor and got a major boost from their role players, who made up for pin-drop quiet nights from Terrence Williams and Earl Clark.

Jerry Smith scorched the nets to the tune of a season-high 20 points. He shot the rock at a 7-for-8 clip and the Mountaineers, once the team that bred shooters from the farm, had no answer.

They closed it to within four points with 2:16 remaining, but the Cardinals wouldn't falter.

Louisville has been on a tear, ripping off six consecutive victories after an embarrassing, 90-57 washout at Notre Dame. They've beaten opponents by a whopping 20.4 points during their recent win streak, showing no mercy. The streak is underscored by an 18-point victory over Georgetown and a tight, four-point victory that knocked Marquette out of the chase for conference supremacy.

Earl Clark, who will bolt for the NBA after this season, has been a big part of the team's success.

The 6-foot-9 New Jersey native who's received athletic gifts from God that GMs and agents brawl for had 27 points and 14 boards during the 95-78 win the Cardinals stamped on Seton Hall. Against Georgetown, Clark got to the charity stripe--where he was 9-for-13-- early and often.

Simply put, Clark is the reputable five-tool talent in basketball. He can shoot, distribute, handle the ball, bang, and play defense. Having Clark in uniform certainly helps Rick Pitino and Louisville's NCAA Odds.

Terrence Williams, who's sky-rocketed to stardom his senior year, has been just as efficient. He's averaging 12.6 points but like his teammate, he can provide balance in the stat sheet and his defense and strength could prove problematic.

West Virginia has had their fair share of eye-popping wins this year. A 30-point clubbing of Ohio State and the aforementioned victory over Villanova stand out for themselves.

Against a Louisville team that's starting to feel the mayhem that the month of March inevitably creates--and obviously, the Cardinals have ripped through the tail end of their conference schedule in shark-size bites--an upset seems unlikely.

Louisville Playing for Share of Big East Crown (SportingNews.com)
Alex Ruoff Ready to Enter WVU Record Books (Times West Virginian)
Can’t Turn it over vs. Cards (Charleston Gazette)
It’s All in the Cards (wvmetronews.com)
WVU Students Pumped for ESPN Gameday Visit (Charleston Gazette)
A Full Event of Memories Hits Morgantown in Finale (Wheeling Register)
Flowers Doing the Little Things (Wheeling Register)
Ready to Go (Times West Virginian)
A Lot on the Line for Cardinals (Louisville Courier-Journal)

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 67
Louisville 65

LOUISVILLE SENIORS GO OUT WITH A BANG OVER SHU

2009-03-05T15:36:00.000-05:00

March 5, 2009

Louisville fans got to send out seniors Terrence Williams, Andre McGee and Will Scott, as well as junior Earl Clark, in style as the Cards Rock a Couple of Halls (Louisville Courier-Journal) with a 95-78 win over Seton Hall last night in Freedom Hall.

Earl Clark had a career-high 27 points and added 14 rebounds, Terrence Williams finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks and Williams surpassed the 500-assist mark in the game, making him the only player in U of L history to reach 1,400 points, 800 rebounds and 500 assists. Rounding out the night's honorees was Andre McGee added 11 and Will Scott chipping in two points.

The win allows the Cards to keep pace with UConn for first place in the Big East and with a win Saturday night at West Virginia Louisville will finish with no worse than a tie for the Big East regular season crown depending on the outcome of the Huskies date with Pitt earlier in the afternoon.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SETON HALL @ LOUISVILLE

2009-03-04T09:39:00.003-05:00

March 4, 2009

Louisville has (T-)willed themselves into position to claim the Big East regular season crown and there is going to be a lot of emotion in Freedom Hall tonight as the fans take the opportunity to bid farewell to the seniors on the UL roster. They will also get a chance to honor Earl Clark, a junior, who has made his intentions of heading to the NBA after this season very clear.

Terrence Williams, Andre McGee and Will Scott will be the trio of seniors playing their final game in Freedom Hall and the Louisville faithful will be very determined to help send them out on a high note with a win over visiting Seton Hall.

The Pirates also have something to play for as they hope to do enough in the regular season to have a shot at a bid to the NIT following the 2009 Big East Tournamant next week at Madison Square Garden. The Pirates are 15-13 overall, 6-10 in the Big East, so the odds are quite slim as a win over Louisville or Cincinnati, both road games, will likely be needed prior to NYC.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's game:

Farewell to four Who Fared Well (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Louisville’s Scott Closing in on MBA, Not NBA (SportingNews.com)
UL Senior Day: Feast for the Eyes, Ears (Courier-Journal)

Last season Seton Hall upset Louisville in the Prudential Center, a fact that Rick Pitino will likely use to help motivate his squad, who last season finished one-game behind Georgetown in the regular season standings. This season, Louisville can claim at least a share of the regular season crown by beating the Pirates and West Virginia this week to close out the regular season. So, with senior night and the regular season title on the line, not to mention the possibility of a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament as well, there is plenty at stake for the Cards.

Seton Hall seemed to unravel a bit against Pittsburgh in their final home game before a sell-out crown Saturday night at 'The Rock' in Newark (NJ). The Pirates lost 89-78, but Pitt led by as much as 19 before a surge in the final minute against the Panthers' walk-ons made the final a bit more cosmetically pleasing. Seton Hall was assessed three technical fouls in the game and their frantic team personality seems to wear on opponents, officials and, even in some cases, each other at times.

The Pirates will likely try and create a frantic pace against UL and turn Cardinal miscues into quick points, usually with Jeremy Hazell firing away from the three-point line. However, unlike most nights, SHU will see a team looking to press them as well, so while the pace of the game may be in the SHU comfort zone, UL just has more players, and more talented players, to make it work for them.

The college basketball betting odds list UL as a 16 1/2-point favorite in tonight's game. With the emotion and high stakes for the Cards, expect them to put forth a strong effort, especially on the defensive end of the court.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 85
Seton Hall 67

LOUISVILLE REMAINS IN BIG EAST TITLE HUNT

2009-03-02T14:49:00.000-05:00

March 2, 2009

Life after Dominic James began for Marquette on Sunday with an afternoon showdown in Freedom Hall against Louisville, a former Conference USA rival. The Golden Eagles put forth a good fight in a tough situation, but MU's Shooting Woes Contribute to Defeat (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) as the Cards pull out a 62-58 victory in the Big East conference showdown.

On Sunday afternoon, the impact of playing without James was evident as the Golden Eagles managed to shoot just 34% from the field and register just seven team assists. McNeal, possibly trying to put too much on his own shoulders, struggled through a miserable offensive afternoon by shooting 3-19 from the floor and finishing with 10 points.

Wesley Mathews led MU with 19 points and Lazar Hayward added a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in the game.

Of course, Louisville had an impact on the MU shooting woes as the Cards' Defense Was Delightful Against Familiar Foe (Courier-Journal) and held the usually high-scoring Golden Eagles to 58 points, well below their season average.

In throwback uniforms and Rick Pitino breaking out the all-white suit for the Freedom Hall 'white-out', the Cardinals Dress to Thrill (Kentucky.com) and deliver as they move to 14-2 in the conference, keeping their regular season title hopes alive.

Andre McGee had a team-high 16 points and Terrence Williams added 14 points, 8 rebounds and seven assists, filling the stat sheet as usual. Earl Clark posted a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds to help the cause.

Louisville will close their home schedule on Wednesday night by hosting Seton Hall and then close the regular season in Morgantown Saturday night against West Virginia ahead of the 2009 Big East Tournament.

LOUISVILLE KEEPS BIG EAST TITLE HOPES ALIVE

2009-02-24T12:41:00.000-05:00

February 24, 2009

There was a lot riding on last night' 'Big Monday' showdown in the Nation's Capital between Georgetown and Louisville. With the Cards able to but away the Georgetown in a 76-58 decision, Louisville Carves Out It's Slice of the Big East Lead (Kentucky.com) and Yet Another Home Loss for the Hoyas (Washington Times) could spell doom for their NCAA Tournament chances.

In front of 12, 653 fans in the Verizon Center, Louisville hands the Hoyas their ninth loss in 11 games as the Cards Get in the Zone and Stifles Georgetown (Louisville Courier-Journal). The win had to be a small amount of revenge for UL as the Hoyas can't Play Spoiler this Time (Louisville Courier-Journal) in the Cards quest for the Big East regular season title. Last season, Georgetown upended Louisville 55-52 in the regular season finale to take the regular season title from the Cards, a game tap Rick Pitino did not show his team until Sunday night, reminding them how they felt losing that game to the Hoyas.

The motivation worked as Louisville came out strong out of the gates as Georgetown looked anything but a team with their season on the line. The Hoyas were flat and Louisville connected on their first nine field goal attempts to build an early 26-13 lead and go into halftime leading 41-31, only after a 7-0 run by the Hoyas in the last three-minutes of the half showed the first signs of life of any opposition to a Louisville win.

After a Jesse Sapp basket cut the lead to 41-33 early in the second half, Georgetown never really threatened any more as the Cards were able to hold them at an arm's length or more through the rest of the game.

Junior Earl Clark had 22 points and 8 rebounds in the win while senior Terrence Williams, as usual, did a little bit of everything as he scored 10 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and doled out 7 assists.

Louisville is now 13-2 in the Big East and has home games with Seton Hall and Marquette before closing the season at West Virginia before heading off to the 2009 Big East Tournament.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ GEORGETOWN

2009-02-23T11:51:00.003-05:00

February 23, 2009

Big Monday is upon us once again and a match-up that looked like a big one a couple months ago now becomes possibly a last stand for one participant in the regular season for the NCAA Tournament chances of the Georgetown Hoyas. After starting the season with much-hype and expectations, which hit a crescendo after a conference-opening upset of UConn, Georgetown staggers into tonight's game with a 5-9 Big East mark. Georgetown has lost eight of their last 10 games, only beating lowly Rutgers and South Florida along the way.

Louisville is very much in the Big East title chase, just a half-game behind conference leader Connecticut, tied with Marquette and Pittsburgh. At 12-2 in the Big Eat and 21-5 overall, the Cards have their eyes on a high seed in the Big Dance and another win on the road will help that case.

Here are a few pregame stories and previews:

Cards in Third Long Weekend (Courier-Journal)
Hoyas Miss Finishing Touch (Washington Times)
With Little Time, Hoyas are Facing a Long Climb (Washington Post)

We keep waiting for Georgetown to snap out of their funk and play to their potential for a full game. They came close to knocking off Syracuse in the Dome recently let a chance for a quality win over Marquette slip away this past weekend. The Marquette-Louisville two-game swing, both at home, was a chance for the Hoyas to put themselves back on track, now they must have tonight's game for even a mathematical chance at reaching .500 in the Big East season.

The season has been a frustrating one and signs of frustrations boiling over have been seen as reports of a halftime confrontation between starting guards Jesse Sapp and Chris Wright during the loss to Duke had surfaced. Sapp, the lone scholarship senior on the roster, has seen his minutes dwindle more and more since that time, leaving the Hoyas nearly void of any upper-class leadership. Junior DaJuan Summers is their leading scorer, but has battled an injured ankle and inconsistency.

Wright, a sophomore, is in his first full season as the starting point guard after following in the shoes of Jonathan Wallace, who started four-straight years under John Thompson III. Wright is still learning the intricacies of leading an offense as complex as the one used by Georgetown and the continuity of the attack has not been the same. With a team very short on depth and experience, they have been hit hard by the depth of the Big East.

Louisville has been pretty much playing to their season expectation. While guard play is still a bit too inconsistent, their bread is buttered by senior Terrence Williams and junior Earl Clark. With freshman center Samardo Samuels, the Cards boast a nearly NBA-ready frontcourt in the college game. Williams was in a little of an offensive slump recently, mostly attributed to a sore elbow, but he has been 'on' the last two games, highlighted by his 20-point, 8-rebound, 5-assist and 3-steal performance Saturday in a 72-63 win at Cincinnati.

Louisvlle will look to press throughout the game against a Hoya team very limited in ball-handling options and look to test the decision making and feel of the offense of Chris Wright. Of course, being able to set up the press is dependent on scoring, so the UL guards will need to show the ability to convert buckets to get the press started.

Louisville is the deeper team and that depth should help Louisville, a 1 1/2-point favorite, press the Hoyas into another loss.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 69
Georgetown 62

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ CINCINNATI

2009-02-21T09:45:00.001-05:00

February 21, 2009

Another game with big NCAA Tournament implications is taking place in Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon when the Bearcats will welcome in Rick Pitino and Louisville. Mick Cronin will face his former mentor in a game UC will look to steal to but their NCAA Tournament chances in much better light.

After starting conference play 0-3, UC has won seven of their last 10 to move to 7-6 in the Big East and 17-9 overall. The Bearcats own a pair of wins over Georgetown and a win over Notre Dame, but two losses to Providence put them in a precarious situation. They have an advantage over PC with out of conference wins against a decent UAB and Mississippi State, but a road win over UNLV might be their strongest argument to date for inclusion in the tournament. That being said, there next three games with UL, West Virginia and Syracuse will likely decide their fate. They must win won and not slip up in their last two (at USF, vs SHU) in order to head to the Big East Tournament with a chance at a bid to the Dance.

While Louisville is safely in the NCAA Tournament at this point in the season, Rick Pitino knows this game is very important to both teams.

“Obviously we’re fighting for a Big East championship and they’re fighting for a shot in the NCAA Tournament,” Pitino said in this week’s coaches conference call.

Also, fresh in the minds of many Louisville players is the 58-57 loss the Cards suffered in the first game of the conference schedule last season, a loss they have certainly been reminded of this season.

It is a tough match-up for UC as the Cards will apply pressure all game long and could wear out UC star Deonta Vaughn. If Vaughn is unable to carry the load offensively, as well as the added ball-handling duties as the team’s point guard, it will be a long day for the Bearcats, even on their home floor.

The Louisville frontline also has a solid advantage with Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels, all strong NBA prospects. Look for that talent to overwhelm UC with the press and quick-strike scoring abaility.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 69
Cincinnati 62

Cards Prepping for Improved Cincinnati (SI.com)
Cards are Less Fashionable After Loss to Notre Dame (Courier-Journal)
Cronin: Losing is a Great Motivator (Courier-Journal)
A Nastier Gates Would be Pretty Nice for UC (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Playing in Reverse, Cards Move Forward (Courier-Journal)
Cards Wearing the No Frills Look Well (Courier-Journal)
Cincinnati’s Rebound Bears Cronin’s Stamp (Courier-Journal)

PITINO LOOKS TO BEAST FORMER SCHOOL

2009-02-18T10:42:00.000-05:00

February 18, 2009

One had to feel for DePaul over the weekend. Possibly the worst Big East team in recent memory was on the road facing a very angry Rick Pitino coached team and it was no contest as Louisville got well against the Blue Demons in a 99-54 drubbing in Freedom Hall. Louisville looks to remain in the 4-way deadlock of teams with two Big East losses when the Providence Friars come to Freedom Hall.

The Friars are an interesting dilemma for the NCAA Tournament committee. As of today, PC has an 8-5 Big East record. PC has two wins over Cincinnati and a victory over Syracuse, other than that, their best victory is over Rhode Island and they dropped every non-conference game of significance as well as their opener with Northeastern. In their last five games, PC has the Cards, as well as Notre Dame, Pitt and Villanova on the schedule. Assuming a win against Rutgers, PC would definitely have to win at least one of the four games against quality teams on the schedule for a chance at a tournament bid.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's game:

Pitino: Cards are Showing Purpose (Courier-Journal)
Crunch Time in Big East Has Arrived for Friars (Providence Journal)
PC at Louisville (Providence Journal)
Delk Out, Williams In When Cards Meet Providence (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Providence is a pretty good match-up for the Cards. PC is not a strong defensive team and they prefer a higher pace of a game. This should allow Louisville to score points and when they score, they can set-up their fullcourt pressure. Also, pressure is something that PC is susceptible to as they do tend to turn the ball over in bunches.

The Friars will rely on the three-point shooting ability of point guard Sharaud Curry and guards Jeff Xaiver and Brian McKenzie as well as the slashing skills of Weyinmi Efejuku and Marshon Brooks for much of their offensive output. Louisville's defense is designed to stop this kind of attack and matches up well.

On offense, the Cards should look to go inside to Samardo Samuels and use the inside/out abilities of Earl Clark. If Terrence Williams' wrist is close to 100% and he is an offensive threat, Louisville should cruise to victory as a 13 1/2-point favorite in this contest.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 82
Providence 67

LOUISVILLE HOPES DEPAUL IS A CURE FOR WHAT AILS CARDS OFFENSE

2009-02-15T10:26:00.001-05:00

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

LOUISVILLE LOOKS TO EXTEND IRISH MISERY

2009-02-12T11:41:00.001-05:00

February 12, 2009

It has now been more than a month since the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team has tasted victory. Their last win game at home on January 10th, 88-79 over Seton Hall. The losing streak started off normal enough, losing back-to-back road games at Louisville, which went into overtime, and at Syracuse. Then came back-to-back home losses, ending the 45-game Irish home win streak. Again, however, losing to arguably the nation's best team, Connecticut, and a surging Marquette squad in itself would not be something to sound an alarm on. The came out swinging against Pittsburgh on the road, but were run out of the building in the second half and the losing streak was suddenly at five games.

In the Big East, it is funny (well, not if your a coach, player or fan of a team in the conference) how a little snowflake can turn into a snowball and then start an avalanche. Losing at Louisville, in overtime, a game they had chances to win, probably did not knock the Irish down too much...but, it got the snowball headed down the hill.

Those five losses dropped the Irish to 3-6 in the Big East. Still, one could reason that more than 90% of Division 1-A college basketball teams would have gone 0-5 in that gauntlet, so Notre Dame headed to Cincinnati looking to re-start their season. Instead, they allowed 93 points and looked like a defeated team when they were run out of the building against UCLA on Saturday.

So, now ND has a seven-game losing streak. Overall record has dropped to 12-10 and the NCAA Tournament, which just a month ago seemed like a lock with a possible protected seed is now a long-shot. ND needs wins, they need big wins, but really, they need ANY win right now. It will not come easy hosting a Louisville team that is 9-1 in the Big East and 18-4 overall, but seeing that UL has really struggled offenisvely in their last 100 minutes of basketball, maybe there can be some life yet for the Irish.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's game:

Banged Up Louisville Visits Fighting Irish (Chicago Tribune)
Many Reasons for Notre Dame's Collapse (Chicago Tribune)
Formula Found to Fluster Fighting Irish (Journal-Gazette)
Cardinals' Samuels Banged Up, Fired Up (Courier-Journal)
Scary Talent Await Irish (South Bend Tribune)
Irish Attempt to Stop Bleeding Against Fifth-Ranked cards (Kentucky.com)

If your offense is struggling, there might not be a better site for a major conference college team on the horizon than a date with Notre Dame. After scoring 45 points in the opening 20 minutes in a 69-63 win over West Virginia almost two weeks ago, somebody turned the switch off on the UL 'O' and has forgot to turn it back on. Since that first half, UL scored 24 points in the second half against WVU, 51 in the entire game against UConn and then struggled, before hitting a plethora of late minute free throws, in a 60-47 win on Sunday over St. John's.

In their last three losses, ND has allowed nearly 92 points a game against teams that are not known for high offensive outputs (UCLA, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati). The free-flowing game that the Irish prefer is certainly to allow the Cards to find their comfort zone more easily and with buckets, Louisville will unleash their full court pressure, and area that the Cards should have excellent success with against the Irish.

I keep waiting for the Irish to come out on fire and knocking down three's at a high rate. Well, they did do that against Pitt, making 11 in the first half alone, but this team seems so allergic to playing defense that any success almost seems like foos gold as once the game gets into a grind, they do not have the willpower or confidence to overcome any adversity. Louisville is a team that thrives in putting the opposition through adversity, can Notre Dame respond?

Louisville is a 3 1/2-point favorite on the road. The proof in this one is all on the Irish to compete, you know Rick Pitino will have his team defending and rebounding. Look for their offense to return and earn the road win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 77
Notre Dame 70

LOUISVILLE STRUGGLES PAST SJU AT 'GARDEN'

2009-02-09T11:46:00.001-05:00

February 9, 2009

St. John's held visiting Louisville to only 19 points in the first half Sunday afternoon, looking to extend the misery the Cards have had in Madison Square Garden since joining the Big East conference. The Redstorm and UL battled back in forth for much of the second half before St. John's Folds Against Louisville (NY Daily News) and losses 60-47.

The game was an ugly affair, with the teams combining to shoot 39-113 (34.5%) from the field, 5-29 (17%) from three-point range and just plain stink up the joint offensively in front of 6,128 fans in the Garden.

Jerry Smith, removed from the starting line-up for the game by head coach Rick Pitino, scored a game-high 21 points, making 11 of 11 free throw attempts, many in the last minutes to ice the game. On the Bench to Start, Smith Rules the Court (Louisville Courier-Journal) thereafter, scoring 19 of those 21 in the second half. The UL bench outscored their SJU counterparts 29-0 with Terrence Jennings and Andre McGee also added four points each in relief of the starters. Earl Clark was the lone other Card in double figures, adding 12 points and 8 rebounds.

St. John's Losses to Louisville at MSG (Newsday), dropping the Redstorm to 3-8 in the Big East and 12-11 overall. Sean Evans had 12 points and 9 rebounds to lead SJU and Justin Burrell and DJ Kennedy each added 10. Paris Horne, who has been scoring well lately, was just 4-15 from the field, finishign with 9 points.

Louisville visits Notre Dame on Thursday while St. John's returns to action on Wednesday when they visit Cincinnati.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ ST. JOHN'S

2009-02-08T09:44:00.001-05:00

February 8, 2009

Since joining the Big East, Madison Square Garden has not been a friendly place for the Louisville men’s basketball team. However, this year’s Cards have risen into the top five of the national rankings with an 8-1 Big East record and a 17-4 mark overall. This afternoon, they take on the Redstorm of St. John’s in the world’s most famous arena.

St. John’s has battled injuries and youth and sit at 3-7 in the Big East and 12-10 overall. While injuries have left them short-handed all season, this is as healthy as they will be the rest of the season with Malik Boothe and Rob Thomas returning to the line-up in the last week or so.

Cards Tweak Where They’re Weak (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Line-up is Pressing Issue for Cards (Courier-Journal)

The college basketball lines list Louisville as a 10 ½ point favorite on the road. A healthy number, but the Cards are coming off a 68-51 loss at home to No. 1 UConn in a much-hyped game. The result has seemed to leave Rick Pitino reeling a bit as line-up changes with Preston Knowles and Terrence Jennings possibly seeing increased time, if not starting roles, to fix the areas Pitino is not happy with. He is looking for more of a pressing and offensively attacking line-up and these players have been showing him the most improvement.

St. John’s could be very vulnerable to this attacking defense as their ballhandling is shaky, at best. The return of Boothe allows most player to return to their natural positions, improving their ballhandling as a team, but they are still a young team prone to mistakes under pressure.

St. John’s can also be very hot and cold with their offense, as can Louisville, so expect this game to be on the low-scoring end of things.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 67
St. John’s 57

LOUISVILLE OUTCLASSED BY #1

2009-02-03T12:02:00.000-05:00

February 3, 2009

Maybe this No. 1 has some staying power. Since North Carolina lost to Boston College back on January 4th, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and Duke have took turns being the top ranked team in the country, with the latter two last just a week. Last night, Connecticut showed that the Huskies are #1 in the Poll and on the Court (Louisville Courier-Journal) in a 68-51 road win at Louisville.

The Cards had ended one previously No.1 run when they beat Pittsburgh, 69-63, at Freedom Hall last month, but This Time the Top Dogs Pull Rank on the Cards (Courier-Journal) with frontcourt intimidators Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien setting the tone in the paint.

Adrien and Thabeet Shut Down the Cardinals (Waterbury Rep-Am) limiting Earl Clark to 2-16 shooting for five points and holding Samardo Samuels scoreless. They also led the way offensively with Adrien collecting 18 points and Thabeet scored 14, adding 11 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.

Despite coming off his best game since returning to the team against PC on Saturday, Stanley Robinson logged just two minutes of action against the Cards as Jim Calhoun opted to stick with a better ball-handling combination against the UL full court press and the move paid dividends as the Pressure Doesn't Disrupt the Huskies (Hartford Courant).

The best way to combat pressure is to prevent the other team from scoring, and outside of Terrence Williams' 26 points, the rest of the Cards were just 11-45 from the floor and 2-14 from the 3-pt line. Another key factor, UConn committed just 9 fouls in the entire game and was 20-24 from the foul line while UL, on their home floor, was just 2-2 in the game.

No. 1 UConn Lives Up to their Billing (Register Citizen) in their debut as the top-ranked team. Next up is a non-league match-up with Michigan on Saturday before a date with Syracuse a week from today.

Louisville will look to get back on track with a Sunday trip to NYC to face St. John's.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CONNECTICUT @ LOUISVILLE

2009-02-02T09:26:00.003-05:00

February 2, 2009

As long as the voters in the ESPN Coaches Poll and the AP Writers Poll do the expected, the Louisville Cardinals will be welcoming in the second No. 1 team to Freedom Hall in less than a month. Connecticut, on the strength of a 94-61 demolision of Providence, and a loss by Duke earlier in the week, is poised to make the move from #2 in the country to the top spot when the polls are released today.

Pittsburgh saw their reign as the country's No. 1 team come to an end with a 69-63 loss at Louisville back in January. Now, the Cards and a frenzied Freedom Hall crowd will look for a second #1 team to knock off as Big Monday commences with a battle of the two preseason Big East favorites.

UConn may be #1 in the country when these teams hit the floor tonight, but they are still looking up at Louisville in the Big East standings. The oddsmakers do not believe the latest run at No. 1 will last long either, pegging the Cards as 3 1/2-point favorites:

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's primetime match-up:

Now They've Got to Prove It (TheDay.com)
Pitino's Cards Primed for Late Push (Plain Dealer)
Just Another Big Game for Louisville (Courier-Journal)
Huskies Face Formidable Challenge (Rep-Am)
UConn Preview Capsule (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn Plays for Big East Lead (Norwich Bulletin)
Huskies Atop Basketball World - Again (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn set for Big Match-up with Louisville (Register Citizen)
History of UConn as #1 Team (Register Citizen)

This match-up starts right away in one area, the frontcourt. Each team has a starting frontline that could see all six players in the NBE within the next year or two. Louisville starts senior Terrence Williams, junior Earl Clark and freshman Samardo Samuels while UConn counters with junior Stanley Robinson, senior Jeff Adrien and junior Hasheem Thabeet. The UConn trio was instrumental in the thrashing of Providence over the weekend with Robinson playing his best game since returning to the program in December from a semester-long hiatus, finishing with 18 points and 7 rebounds in 27 minutes. Thabeet dominated the paint with a triple-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks. Adrien, who came into the PC game with six concesutive double-doubles of points and rebounds, scored 14 points and added 6 rebounds. As a team, UConn blocked 17 shots and outscored the Friars 56-27 after halftime.

Louisville had their own dominate half on Saturday, the first half, as the Cards blitzed West Virginia for a 45-25 lead at the half before putting the game on cruise control and winning 69-63. Jerry Smith hit seven of eight shots to finish with 20 points and freshman Terrence Jennings had a career-high 13 in the win.

Back on January 17th, Louisville played then-No. 1 Pittsburgh and knocked off the Panthers, 69-63, behind 20 points from Terrence Williams and an Earl Clark double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Cards pressure forced 20 Panther turnovers and limited DeJuan Blair to just 20 minutes because of foul trouble. A 19-3 run turned a 10 point deficit into a 6-point lead in the closing minutes and the Cards were victorious.

Tonight, UL will hope that pressure gets to the experienced UConn backcourt that features senior AJ Price, junior Jerome Dyson and senior Craig Austrie and frosh Kemba Walker off the bench. Price has been playing very well of late, averaging just over 19 points a game in the last five and connecting on 50% of this three-point attempts (13-26) in the span after a slow start to the season. Price getting back to form has UConn looking like the national title contender they were exected to be in the preseason as they have won nine in a row.

The Cards have been keyed by their (T-)will to win, as in Terrence Williams. The senior small forward does a little of everything in order to win. He plays defense (team leader in steals at 2.4/game), passes the ball (team leader in assists at 4.7/game), rebounds (team leader with 9.3/game) and scored at nearly a 13-point a game clip. In the last seven games, Williams is averaging 15 points, 11 rebounds, nearly 5 assists and over 2 steals a game.

The senior duo of Williams and Price will take center stage and it will be really interesting to see which one can lead his team to a victory. In the preseason, NBE selected Louisville as the league favorite with an ever so slight nod over UConn (mostly due to UConn's uncertainty with Ater Majok, Nate Miles and Stanley Robinson at the time). Both teams are on exceptional hot streaks and the Cards definitely have a favorable schedule here on out to take the conference crown. On this night, we expect a great game, going either way down the stretch, but the UConn experience and their more productive backcourt will prevail.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 73
Louisville 68

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CARDS LOOK TO EXTEND STREAK VS WVU

2009-01-31T09:21:00.001-05:00

January 31, 2009

Louisville looks for their ninth consecutive win on Saturday afternoon when they host the Mountaineers of West Virginia. Bob Huggins’ club is 4-3 in conference play and 15-5 overall heading into the noon showdown at Freedom Hall.

After a slow start to the season, the Cards have been rolling since conference play began and are tied with Marquette atop the Big East at 7-0 in conference play. UL has to resist the urge to look ahead as they have a date with UConn looming on Monday night.

Here are some pregame stories and previews:

WVU at Home on the Road (Courier-Journal)
WVU Looking to Snap Louisville’s Streak (Register-Herald)
Louisville Shows Impressive Size, Depth (Charleston Gazette)
Cards Can Defend With Man or Zone (Daily Mail)
Freedom Riders (Charleston Gazette)
Looking for Big Win (Times West Virginian)

Louisville has been impressive since the beginning of conference play, impressing the pollsters as they have climbed to No. 7 in the latest rankings. They have also left an impression on WVU head coach Bob Huggins, and he is impressed.

“They’re good,” Huggins told media members this week during the coach’s conference call when addressing Louisville. “I think they’re the deepest team in the league…I think Rick [Pitino] does as good a job as anybody in our game of defining rolls and making sure everybody knows what they have to do. And then they just have incredible size. They stretch from one end of the floor in that 2-3 zone to the other.”

While the veteran WVU coach is saying all the right things publicly how impressed he is with Louisville, he is feeding his players motivation to try and steal a road win on Saturday. The Mountaineers certainly have an impressive stable of athletes that are also long and will get after it defensively, which is important in trying to win on the road.

This is likely a game where WVU misses a veteran guard handling the ball. Freshman Darryl ‘Truck’ Bryant is going to be under constant pressure, much like he was against Marquette. WVU will hope he took the game against the Golden Eagles as a learning experience to be applied in this one, because he will need to be smart with the ball and not get WVU out of their offense.

The other area of concern for WVU is in the middle where they do not have the size or bulk to slow down Samardo Samuels if Louisville dedicates themselves to going inside. The Mountaineers match-up elsewhere pretty well, but unless Alex Ruoff and Da’Sean Butler are both in the 20’s, the Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Samuels front line should be able to pull this one out. The Cards are 6 1/2 –point favorites.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisiville 67
West Virginia 61

LOUISVILLE NOW 7-0 IN BIG EAST

2009-01-29T10:09:00.000-05:00

January 29, 2009

After a tight first half, Louisville blew past South Florida in the second half for a resounding 80-54 win at Freedom Hall.

After trailing just 33-32 at the half, the Bulls are Worn Down by No. 7 Louisville (Tampa Tribune) and a 27-5 run to start the half facilitated the process.

With the state of Kentucky battling some brutal winter weather, the Cards Add Thrills to 'Ville's Chills (Louisville Courier-Journal) outside, especially in the second half. Edgar Sosa hit four three-pointers and led the 13 Cards who scored with 16 points. Terrence Williams scored just 5 points, but had a game-high 10 rebounds and a game-high 6 assists. Samardo Samuels added 14 and Earl Clark 12 in the win.

Dominique Jones had a game-high 19 to lead USF, who has now lost 24 straight road games against ranked opponents.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CARDS LOOK TO CONTINUE STREAK VS USF

2009-01-28T11:36:00.001-05:00

January 28, 2009

Red-hot Louisville will host South Florida in Freedom Hall this evening in a Big East conference match-up. The Cards are 6-0 in the Big East and have already won in South Florida earlier this month.

USF is 2-5 in Big East play with both wins coming against lowly DePaul. The Bulls have been dealing with injuries and distractions (arrests of Mike Mercer and Anthony Crater) and are likely in line for a long second half of the conference schedule.

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

Pitino: Bulls are Improved (Courier-Journal)
T-Will Figures it out in Fourth Year (Kentucky.com)
Jones Has a Shot at Bradley’s USF Records (Tampa Tribune)
Cards Set for South Florida (Courier-Journal)

The way things are setting up, Louisville might have the inside track at the regular season Big East championship. The home and home match-ups for the Cards include the Bulls, whom they have already beaten, Notre Dame, who is struggling mightily and West Virginia. No game is a gimme, and they can not afford to give one up in a spot like this.

With a frontline of Samardo Samuels, Earl Clark and Terrence Williams, the Cards have the firepower to overwhelm the Bulls. The Cards will unleash their full court pressure against a thin USF club that, even though their strength is in their backcourt, has trouble taking care of the ball.

Look for Louisville to rush out of the gate and then keep Dominique Jones and company at bay with their defense. Sometimes the UL offense might stall, so the NCAA basketball odds showing UL as a 17 ½-point favorite seems high, but these Cards are rolling along…

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 75
South Florida 57

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE HOPES DOME IS HOUSE OF CARDS

2009-01-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

January 25, 2009

Big East action tips off with a highly anticipated showdown at noon in the Carrier Dome when Syracuse welcomes in Louisville. The Cards are riding high at 5-0 in the conference and out their six-game win streak on the line against the Orange.

SU has lost two of three after beginning conference play with four straight wins. The schedule has gotten tougher and now the Orange look to get back into the win column before the losses begin to pile up.

Orange Scouting Report: Louisville vs. Syracuse (Post-Standard)
Louisville Wary Heading into Syracuse (Kentucky.com)
Technical Issues Plague SU (Post-Standard)
Louisville’s Smith Scoring not up to Par (Courier-Journal)
Cards Aim to Impose T-Will (Post-Standard)
Cards Know Dome Can Spell Doom (Courier-Journal)

This game might act as a little bit of a moment of truth for the Orange. As they got off to their 15-1 start, 4-0 in the Big East, they were moving up in the eyes of many as a possible title contender in the Big East. After being thoroughly beaten by Georgetown and Pitt on the road, they have a crucial home game with red-hot Louisville.

SU has relied on Jonny Flynn heavily, but he will be facing pressure all game long against the Cards which will test his decision-making for 40 minutes. As a whole, decision making seems to be one area the SU team can improve upon.

The Cards have been getting great leadership from Terrence Williams and the front court duo of Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels could be lottery picks come June if they both declare.

SU will no doubt be energized by a large home crowd in the Dome. That will help with their intensity on the boards and defensively. I still think the Louisville guards are a notch below the level to carry them in this spot, but it should be a very good game that will come down to the end. If Andy Rautins is hitting some shots for the Orange, they will be in good shape to hold off the Cards.

The latest college basketball odds has the Orange listed as a 2 ½-point favorite on their home floor.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 73
Louisville 70

BIG 1ST HALF RUN SPURS LOUISVILLE PAST RUTGERS

2009-01-22T11:27:00.001-05:00

January 22, 2009

Terrence Williams continues to shine, making his case as the league's MVP as he scored 23 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and made 4 steals in the Louisville Runaway Win in Piscataway (Louisville Courier-Journal) over Rutgers, 78-59.

Louisville Routs Rutgers (NY Daily News) using an early 23-0 run to take command of the game with a 28-7 lead on their wat to a 40-20 lead at the half and the Scarlet Knights, dropping their seventh straight game, never challenged to streaking Cardinals.

Former New Jersey high school stars Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels each added 15 for UL and Edgar Sosa added 10 as Louisville Rolls over Rutgers (Asbury Park Press).

Freshmen Mike Rosario (21 points) and Greg Echenique (13 points), a high school teammate of Samuels, were the only Scarlet Knights to reach double-figures.

Louisville will visit Syracuse for a noon tip-off on Sunday at the Carrier Dome.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ RUTGERS

2009-01-21T10:25:00.003-05:00

January 21, 2009

Louisville will hope to extend their 4-0 start in Big East play while preventing Rutgers (0-5) from earning their first conference of the year.

The Cards come in hot after beating Notre Dame and knocking Pittsburgh from their top-ranked perch last week. Now, ahead of a date in the Carrier Dome against Syracuse this weekend, Louisville travels to take on Rutgers at the RAC.

Rutgers continues to sputter in the third year of the Fred Hill era. There was some new excitement around the program heading into the season as the Scarlet Knights added McDonalds All-American Mike Rosario and highly toured Greg Echenique to a line-up that had some solid returning players. However, much like the first two years under Hill, wins have been hard to come by in the Big East. Hill is now just 5-34 in Big East games as a head coach. With a new athletic director soon to be coming on board, the pressure on Hill and his staff to find some wins is sure to mount.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet:

Rutgers Game Not a Trap Game to Cardinals (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Pitino Talks About Rutgers Match-up (Courier-Journal)
It's Apparent Cards Possess a T-Will to Win (Courier-Journal)
Pitino Pep Talk Charged Cards After Tough Loss (Kentucky.com)
Former St. Benedict's Stars Echenique and Samuels to Face Off Tonight (Star-Ledger)
Echenique, Samuels Meet Again (Asbury Park Press)

Although Louisville is saying all the right things, it is only natural to have a letdown tonight. That does not mean Rutgers is an 'upset' alert or the Cards will not win handily, but after the two tough games at home last week, overtime win over Notre Dame and stirring comeback against Pitt, the Cards probably need to take a breath and come up for air...and, with SU looming ahead this weekend, they might be taking that breath tonight.

On the flip side, and this makes this conference SOOOO tough, Rutgers is desperate for a win, playing at home against a hot opponent with a lofty national ranking, Rutgers will come out firing on all cylinders.

However, when the game gets settled down, Louisville's talent will take over. Senior Terrence Williams has assumed command of the UL ship and is coming off an MVP-worthy week where he compiled 24 points, 16 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals against ND and then followed it up with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the win over Pittsburgh. Rutgers' Corey Chandler will have his hands full on both ends of the floor with T-Will.

Rutgers put a scare into Pitt and Marquette on their home floor and will look to do so against Louisville tonight. Mike Rosario scored 22 against both Pitt and MU, but in the other three conference losses, the former McDonald's AA is shooting just 12-50 (24%) from the floor overall and 5-28 (18%) from three-point range. He has totalled 36 points on those 50 shot-attempts.

Rosario certainly has the confidence to make 'the next one' and the green light to do so, but often times it looks to be at the expense of getting the ball inside. In those very same three losses, Greg Echenique, Hamady N'Diaye and JR Inman have combined for 51 field goal attempts (one more than Rosario) and 75 points. So, where should the RU coaching staff be trying to get more scoring opportunities from?

In the end, Louisville will have the better game plan and their constant defensive pressure should prey on the Rutgers backcourt that is prone to make poor decisions and force shots when panicked. The oddsmakers have pegged Louisville as a 10 1/2 point favorite on the road. At times I think RU will make a few runs to make it somewhat interesting, but the Cards will turn it on when they need to in order to get the win, but a little closer than expected at the end.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 70
Rutgers 60

PITINO, LOUISVILLE MINING INDY HOOPS POWER

2009-01-21T09:16:00.001-05:00

Lawrence North High school in Indianaplis is simply known by those in the region as LN. Pretty soon, it might be known as Louisville North with the amount of success Rick Pitino and his staff has had mining the Indiana power. Pitino Likes LN Star (Indy Star) senior Stephan Van Treese, a 6-foot-9 F/C who will be the first arriving among the newfound pipeline from Indianapolis to Louisville.

Lawrence North junior Justin Martin and sophomores Ryan Taylor and Michael Chandler have committed to the Cardinals, leaving highly touted junior Dominique Ferguson Hearing All About Cats-Cards (Courier-Journal). Ferguson is a verbal commitment for Kentucky. How strong is the LN program? Yet another player, forward Jeff Robinson, is committed to Purdue.

LOUISVILLE RIDING HIGH

2009-01-21T09:13:00.001-05:00

Before the season started, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino publicly claimed this could potentially by the most talented team he has had since becoming the Cards' coach. Previous teams included a run to the Final Four and last year's Elite 8 team, so that statement got our attention.

The Cards scuffled along in out of conference play, losing on neutral courts to Western Kentucky and Minnesota before bottoming out in a home loss to UNLV (who was without their best player, Wink Adams). However, Big East play brought new life and after a heroic shot by Edgar Sosa to beat Kentucky, UL has ripped off four in a row in conference play including last week's home sweep of Notre Dame and Pittsburgh which has the U of L Men Jumping up to No. 9 (Courier-Journal) in the country.

As everyone knows, there is no rest in the Big East. Up next for the Cards will be an ornery SU team that is coming off a loss and will likely have close to 30,000 fans ready to cheer on the Orange. The Cards will need their Super Subs, Super Stoppers (Courier-Journal) in Andre McGee and Preston Knowles off the bench to help slow down the SU perimeter attack led by Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE HOSTS NO. 1 PITT

2009-01-17T01:08:00.001-05:00

January 17, 2009

The Big East has marquee match-ups nearly every single night it puts action on the court. Saturday is no exception as the 6 PM match-up in Freedom Hall between Pittsburgh and Louisville will certainly draw a lot of attention.

The Panthers once again will lace up their sneakers as the #1 ranked team in the country and be the most hunted team in the land. With that large target on their back, some believe Pitt has struggled a little with St. John’s and South Florida, but winning by an average of 18 points a game in two conference contests is a way more teams would like to ‘struggle.’

Panthers Like the View from the Top (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Louisville/Pitt Preview (Card Chronicle)
Pitino: Pitt Game Wont Be Pretty (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Cards Prepare to Host Top-Ranked Pitt (News Enterprise)
Ranked Teams Lined Up to Play Pitt (Post-Gazette)

Louisville seems to be finding their stride following the thrilling last-second win over rival Kentucky before entering conference play. The Cards have opened conference play with three consecutive wins, including a 61-60 escape against Villanova and the overtime win over Notre Dame in their last game.

Even with the 3-0 Big East start, this UL team seems to be missing something. The guard play still has not risen to the level needed to push the Cards to the top of this conference, but that was expected to an ongoing battle. Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels is a front-line filled with NBA potential and will see a match-up that will test them fully as Pitt will counter with Sam Young, Tyrell Biggs and DeJuan Blair.

The match-up of Blair and Samuels in the paint should be a doozy. The young Samuels is coming off a game of battling Luke Harangody and now sees another bruising force in the paint. Samuels will need to be ready to hit the boards early and often.

Pittsburgh, even against the extended Louisville pressure, will likely rely on a flawless floor game from Levance Fields. What Pitt will also need very much to come away with a road win is Sam Young to shake off a string of lackluster performances and be ‘on’, much like he was in Pitt’s Big East Tournament win over UL last season.

Winning in the road requires top notch rebounding and defense, Pitt is known for those traits and while many Pittsburghers are fixated on the NFL Odds of their beloved Steelers to make the Super Bowl, the city has a college basketball team that is mighty impressive, too.

If Louisville can find a way to get DeJuan Blair to pick up a couple early fouls, they should be able to establish the game in the style they would prefer. If Blair is able to stay on the floor and out of foul trouble, the defense and rebounding edge that Pitt brings to the table should have the Panthers grinding out another impressive win because of their consistency and acceptance of roles. I do not think the UL attack is geared to draw the cheap fouls on Blair and therefore he is on the floor enough to help control the game in Pitt’s favor.

Also, seeing that they are 2 ½-point underdogs should serve as more motivation for the Panthers, who despite the #1 ranking, believe they are still being disrespected by the nation.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Pittsburgh 71
Louisville 65

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: NOTRE DAME AT LOUISVILLE

2009-01-12T12:56:00.000-05:00

January 12, 2009

To nobody's surprise, Big Monday on ESPN features another big conference match-up as Notre Dame travels to Freedom Hall to face Louisville for a 7 PM tip.

Notre Dame extended their home win streak to 45 games over the weekend with a win over Seton Hall. The high-scoring Irish are averaging 79.5 points a game in their 3-1 conference start. They are in the midst of a brutal stretch of games with five of their next seven on the road beginning tonight at Louisville. A road trip to Syracuse is ahead this weekend and then after their home-win streak is challenged by UConn and Miami, it is back on the road to battle Pitt, Cincinnati and a non-conference match-up with UCLA.

Louisville has started conference play with a pair of road wins against South Florida and Villanova. The win against the Wildcats over the weekend was a thrilling victory as 'Nova missed several golden opportunities in the final seconds to win the game. Louisville had led throughout, but needed a driving basket by Terrence Williams with seven seconds left to regain the lead and then held on as the buzzer sounded for a 61-60 win.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the web this morning:

Irish Need a Better Start Against Cards (South Bend Tribune)
Cards Dive Right back into Long Week (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Irish Face Tough Stretch (Journal Gazette)
Irish Men Hope Maturity Helps Through Tough Stretch (WNDU)
Tory Jackson Has Starring Role as ND's Jump-Starter (chicago Tribune)
Pitino Speaks and More Irish Notes (Chicago Tribune)
Kuric Earning his Cardinal Wings (Courier-Press)

Notre Dame remained on the heels of the league leaders with their 88-79 win over Seton Hall on Saturday. As usual, Luke Harangody pointed the way for the Irish with 30 points and 16 rebounds, which came on the heels of his Big Monday performance last week in a win over Georgetown of 31 points and 11 rebounds.

After a very up and down pre-conference slate, Louisville has opened thei Big East with back-to-back wins with Earl Clark being the catalyst. The 6-foot-9 junior has averaged 18 points and 9.5 rebounds in early conference action.

Last season these teams played a wild affair in Freedom Hall, won by Louisville 90-85. Louisville watched a 20+ point lead dwindle as Luke Harangody was raining down three's as part of his 'gody-like 40 point explosion. Departed senior David padgett led the Cards with 26 points...they have definitely missed him this season.

To win on the road in the Big East you need to rebound and defend. Notre Dame did not do those things against St. John's and the Redstorm made them pay in a 71-65 upset. Have the Irish learned their lesson? Defending the versatile and athletic Cards will be another test of the Irish mettle and show if this is a different team that scored a lot of points in the regular season, only to be bounced early in the NCAA's the last two seasons.

Louisville is a 6 1/2 point home favorite tonight. The Cards will have a very tough time slowing Harangody inside, but look for coach Pitino to sell out stopping the rest of the Irish and come up with the win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Louisville 73
Notre Dame 65

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE AT VILLANOVA

2009-01-10T09:47:00.000-05:00

January 10, 2009

The Big East wastes no time putting a top match-up on the court on Saturday with Louisville travelling to Villanova for a high-noon showdown.

The Wildcats evened their Big East record at 1-1 with an 89-85 overtime win over Seton Hall at the Prudential Center 9n Newark (NJ) earlier this week. Star junior guard Scottie Reynolds carried ‘Nova to the win, matching a career-high with 40 points in the victory. His performance was needed, every single point, as highly regarded sophomores Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher, both former New Jersey high school stars, both went scoreless.

Louisville finally opened their conference schedule this week as the Cards travelled to Tampa and came out of the sunshine state with a win over South Florida, 71-57. Earl Clark was the star of the show with 22 points and 9 rebounds as UL won in their first true road game of the season.

Here are some game previews and stories found on the ‘net this morning:

Cards Start Tough Stretch (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Cardinals Prepping for Speedy Villanova (SportingNews.com)

This will be another test for the Louisville guard corps of Edgar Sosa, Andre McGee, Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles as the Wildcats are always guard heavy. Jay Wright will try and extend the defense to push the UL offense away from the basket to neutralize the size advantage the Cards enjoy with Samardo Samuels and Earl Clark in the frontcourt. The ball-handling and passing of Terrence Williams could be a big key in this one.

Villanova is coming off an OT win at Seton Hall, but they are going to need Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes to provide MUCH more offense to win against the better teams of the Big East. Stokes is bumped and bruised, so they need him healthy as his perimeter shooting ability opens it up for the other guards to get to the rim and take the pressure of Scotty Reynolds.

Inside, Dante Cunningham is going to have his hands full with Samuels and Clark on the boards. VU will need Antonio Pena and Shane Clark to play big to keep the opportunistic Cards off the boards.

The early morning college basketball betting odds have Villanova as a 2 ½ point favorite to defend their home court. Winning at home is essential in college basketball and the importance is only multiplied in the Big East. This is a great opportunity to see what both UL and ‘Nova are made off this season. Expect a close, tight game with the Wildcat guards fending off Louisville in a nail biter.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 66
Louisville 65

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ SOUTH FLORIDA

2009-01-07T12:32:00.000-05:00

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

LOUISVILLE RECRUITING AHEAD OF THE GAME

2009-01-05T08:58:00.004-05:00

January 5, 2008

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino is setting the bar pretty high for the rest of the Big East in recruiting. As any analyst, coach or fan will attest, recruiting is the lifeblood of a program and plays a major role in determining your college basketball odds of success. Pitino, a Hall of Fame coach, has won national championships and been to the Final Four with schools such as Providence, Kentucky and Louisville, that success gets noticed by high school kids.

Relationships are important in recruiting and it looks like Pitino and his staff have developed a very fruitful relationship with Lawrence North High School of Indianapolis (IN), a school that regularly produces top players, including recent NBA 1st round picks Greg Oden and Mike Conley who starred at Ohio State.

Following the Cardinals thrilling three-point win over Kentucky on Sunday, two more Lawrence North HS Players Commit to Louisville (Indianapolis Star)as sophomores Ryan Taylor and Michael Chandler told the UL staff just after the game they want to be part of the future.

Chandler and Taylor join 2010 Louisville verbal commitment Justin Martin and 2009 signee Stephan Van Treese as current Lawrence North players that will be part of the Cardinal future. The Cards have four players signed for 2009 (Van Treese, Peyton Siva, Rakeem Buckles and Mike Marra), three verbal commitments for 2010 (Martin, Jeremy Tyler and Josh Langford) as well as Taylor and Chandler now pledged for 2011. That is a serious head start in recruiting!

other than Pitino's success at the college level, recruits also notice his time spent in the NBA coaching the Knicks and Celtics as a factor in wanting to play for him.

"Just watching Louisville play, I felt like it was a good fit for me, Ryan Taylor told Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier-Journal. "I want to play in the NBA and I felt like the best coach to get me there was Rick Pitino."

The rest of the Big East has some catching up to do on the recruiting trail!

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2009-01-04T22:22:00.003-05:00

January 4, 2009

VERBAL COMMITMENTS ALERT: Ryan Taylor, 6'6 forward and Michael Chandler, 6'11 center, both from Lawrence North HS of Indianapolis (IN) and members of the 2011 recruiting class.

Projected 2009-2010 Roster

Seniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Juniors: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Sophomores: Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Jared Swopshire (SF)
Freshmen: Mike Marra (G), Rakeem Buckles (F), Peyton Siva (PG), Stephan Van Treese (PF)
2010 Commitments: Josh Langford (SF), Jeremy Tyler (PF/C), Justin Martin (F)
2011 Commitments: Ryan Taylor (F), Michael Chandler (C)

The recruiting machine that is Rick Pitino and Louisville continues to roll on as the Cards pick up a pair of commitments from a highly regarded 2011 duo from Lawrence North HS in Indianapolis. Ryan Taylor and Michael Chandler are the Top Sophomores to U of L (Louisville Courier-Journal) and continue a burgeoning pipeline for Pitino from the powerful school in Indy.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Rick Pitino continues to stay well ahead of the game on the recruiting trail as the Louisville coach has now added two top 2011 recruits to go along with a trio of 2010 commitments from Justin Martin, Jeremy Tyler and Josh Langford to the four players already signed for the class of 2009. After this weekend's highly anticipated showdown with rival Kentucky, Lawrence North High School sophomores Michael Chandler and Ryan Taylor informed the UL staff moments after the thrilling win that they wanted to be part of the Cardinal future.

Ryan Taylor is a 6-foot-6 forward that currently plays as an undersized post. He has the toughness of a post player but the athleticism that could allow him to transition away from the basket in the future.

Michael Chandler is a 6-foot-11 sophomore that is just beginning to come into his own. While he has yet to get a lot of playing time at the high school level, coaches universally agree that his has loads of potential and also had Ohio State, Indiana, Florida, Kentucky and others very interested in his services.

Chandler and Taylor join teammate Justin Martin as verbal commitments to UL. Martin is a highly regarded 6-foot-7 forward out of the class of 2010. Martin, Chandler and Taylor are teammates of UL 2009 signee Stephan Van Treese at Lawrence North. Martin made the early commitment, picking the Cards over Xavier. Martin had yet to play a varsity basketball game, playing on the JV last season, at the time of his commitment. Martin is very long and athletic and uses that to score inside and out.

Jeremy Tyler, a highly touted 6-foot-9 manchild surprisingly ended his commitment early this Fall and verbally committed to the Cards over UCLA, Memphis, Arizona and others. Tyler made a trip to Louisville in late August and the San Diego High School star made a verbal commitment to the Cards early in October as he prepares for his junior season of high school. Tyler is a recruit considered to be comparable to current UL frosh Samardo Samuels, so the Pitino freight train on the recruiting trail rolls along and that justifies the college basketball odds listing Louisville among the favorites in the Big East year in and year out under coach Pitino.

Josh Langford of J.O. Johnson High School of Huntsville (AL) was the first to make the pledge to the Cardinals for the class of 2010. Louisville staff members have been very visible at his AAU games this summer during the open evaluation periods for the Alabama Lasers. Recently, i95ballerz.com had a very good story as Hard Work, Skill Building Nettes Langford his Dream Offer from the Cards.

As for the class of 2009, for the longest time it was widely considered that Stephan Van Treese would end up as part of Tom Crean's 2009 class at Indiana. However, things never came together and now Van Treese will take his talents across state lines to Kentucky and suit up for Louisville.

Van Treese had been recruited at times by some of the elite schools of college basketball, including the Hoosiers, UCLA, Ohio State, Michigan State, Kansas and Purdue. Van Treese will play tough in the paint and hit the boards. He is a very solid big man that will play his role for coach Pitino at Louisville.

Back in May coach Pitino picked up his third commitment from the class of 2009 when Peyton Siva out of Seattle (WA) made the Cardinals his college choice. Siva has long been considered Louisville's to lose on the recruiting trail after a visit this past season for their game with Georgetown. In the end, Louisville did not lose and scored a very good commitment from their point guard of the future.

Siva is an extremely quick and lightning fast point guard with the ball in his hands. He is also an above-average perimeter shooter who can also explode at the rim with a dunk when the time is right. As he matures, his decision making continues to improve and he always seems to be calm and cool on the floor, a trait that is a must for the most successful point guards in the game.

Siva and Van Treese join previous 2009 commitments Rakeem Buckles and Mike Marra. Buckles is a wiry and raw forward prospect who is just touching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential. At 6'8, he has explosive athletic ability that you see in an NBA small forward, however his game is still transitioning from a skinny big man to the wing and is a process that is just beginning. However, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino definitely believes it is a project worth undertaking as he aggressively courted the Miami Pace junior and landed an early verbal commitment from Buckles in February. Local Miami and West Virginia were also closely monitoring his progress, but Louisville easily took the most attention in Buckles.

Mike Marra, a 6'5 native of Smithfield (RI), was the first of Pitino's 2009 commitments. Marra is an athletic shooter for Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School. According to his coach, John Carroll, Marra averaged nearly 28 points per game and has hit 55% from 3-pt range over an 11 game stretch late last season. Marra was also considering Providence, Massachusetts, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Michigan, but after coach Rick Pitino came to watch him play last winter, Marra decided to end the process early and commit to the Cards, who had been his leader for some time. Marra visited Louisville and Freedom Hall in December and they have been on his mind ever since.

Also visiting for the UK/Louisville game of 1/4/2009 at Freedom Hall was Indianapolis Pike sophomore Marques Teague. The 6-foot-1 guard is considered an elite prospect in the class of 2011.

We will continue to monitor the UL recruiting developments as they happen as Rick Pitino continues to position the Cards among the elite to keep an eye on for March Madness betting pools each and every year.

Louisville Signee Marra Lights Up Rhode Island

2008-11-26T23:02:00.003-05:00

by Zach Smart

Smithfield, R.I.—The word spread around New England at the same rate that a Providence club promoter hypes up pre-thanksgiving rage-fest.

It was some simple buzz about the local product who was making a pretty eventful homecoming. Smithfield’s very own Mike Marra, the quick-strike three-point assassin on Northfield-Mount Hermon (Northfield, Mass.), was supposedly the best Rhode Island-bred sniper on this side of T.J. Sorrentine.

Sorrentine, the former Vermont standout who’s now an assistant at Brown, was drawing up Xs and Os just 15 minutes down the road at the Pizzitola Center in Providence, where Northwestern defeated Brown despite a valiant second-half comeback.

So for Marra, the Louisville-signee who’s tight with Rick Pitino and his son Richard, the game would be a real test of his manhood.

Read Rest of Article...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Forty minutes after the tip-off, the hometown kid was being hounded by reporters and even the local news station. He passed the test in flying colors, and the word around the campfire proved prophetic.

Marra scored a game-high 25 points, including two on an extravagant two-handed fast break dunk, as NMH rolled to a 91-63 washout over Fork Union.

NMH’s avalanche of threes, easy layups and stickbacks led to the dumpoff.
“
It felt real good,” said Marra, who raved about his teammates and their ability to shoot the ball.

“When one of us has an off-night, there’s always another guy there to pick us up. Everyone can shoot the ball.”

There was no room for an off-night last night, as Marra and highly-touted recruit Hector Harold (Boston College, Stanford, Pepperdine, California, UC-Santa Clara) shot the lights out early, en route to a smoking 14-for-26 (9-for-18 3fg), 50-point duet.

Marra picked up where he left off, right off the bat in the second half. He swiped an errant pass and raced down the court for the aforementioned flush. After throwing down a monster two-handed jam, the 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard let out a revved up roar, as NHM reached a hefty lead they wouldn’t squander.

NHM shot 46 percent in the second half, when the game evolved into scrub life. To paraphrase Marv Albert, it was supreme garbage time during the waning minutes.

“I made the decision about a year ago,” said Marra, referring to his choice to go to the Big East.

Marra, a zone buster (which helps any team's college basketball odds and pure silk-shooter whose game has drawn comparisons to Notre Dame’s Kyle McLarney, chose Louisville over Syracuse, Wake Forest, Michigan, UMass, and several other mid to high-major schools.

He followed a path that few college basketball players have taken.

Like West Virginia’s Joe Mazzulla, he passed up the Providence/URI lure to stay in-state and went out of state to a Big East program.

Though he’s not too familiar with most of the team yet, Marra plans on getting to know his future teammates soon. As a true freshman, he’d be a great supplement to Jerry Smith and Edgar Sosa in the perimeter game.

In order for him to make an immediate impact, however, his handles and mid-range shooting could use some upgrades.

Samuels Named Big East Rookie of the Week: Freshman forward/center Samuerdo Samuels, the much-hyped blue chip recruit, was announced as the conference’s first Big East Rookie of the Week on Nov.24. The award comes in the aftermath of Samuels’ two marquee performances that helped the Cardinals eat up the cupcakes of the Billy Minardi Classic. The 6-foot-8 Jamaica-born neophyte averaged 21 points, five boards, two block shots, and shot a blazing 77.3 percent (17-for-22) during the first two games of his collegiate career.

BIG EAST TOP TWO-GUARDS 2008-2009: 7) JERRY SMITH

2008-11-11T15:57:00.002-05:00

November 11, 2008

Wauwatosa (WI) native Jerry Smith returns for his junior season with the Louisville Cardinals. As a sophomore, Smith scored 10.7 PPG and led the Cards with 68 made three-pointers.

As a freshman, Smith hit 48% (55-115) from beyond the arc, a conference best. With Rick Pitino's favorable use of the three-point shot in his offense, Smith's ability to connect from long distance will keep him on the court, even with Pitino's penchant for rotating his backcourt players.

Smith will have some help from the perimeter as well with Mississippi State transfer Reginald Delk becoming eligible and another year of experience for Edgar Sosa and Preston Knowles, who both could see time at both guard positions. Senior Andre McGee is likely to play solely point guard and is a pass-first lead guard that has developed a good rapport with Smith.

Strong guard play always helps enhance the college basketball odds of the contenders. Louisville has a group that is high in potential, now they just need to add consistency to their resume. Jerry Smith is one that could be ready to break out this year.

2008-2009 PREVIEW: 1) LOUISVILLE

2008-11-09T00:08:00.001-05:00

November 9, 2008

When Rick Pitino publicly says this could be his most talented team since coming to Louisville, you tend to take notice. After all, he has already had a Final Four team and last year’s club reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament before falling to North Carolina in the Regional Final since taking over as head coach of the Cards.

So, after reviewing fifteen other Big East teams for the 2008-2009 season, we have settled in on Louisville as our preseason #1 club. The Cards edge out Connecticut for the designation as the team to beat in the country’s toughest conference, but the teams really could be titled #1 and #1-A.

Rick Pitino has a squad with an NBA caliber frontcourt and an interesting mix in the backcourt. If a point guard emerges willing to take control of the team and make those around him better, then this Card squad should have a little bit of everything needed to challenge nationally for a title.

With point guard the biggest question mark heading into the season, the health of Terrence Williams had many around the program holding their breath when he crumpled to the floor this preseason with a knee injury. Original fears of a torn ACL were quelled after an MRI revealed a lesser tear. Williams returned to practice this week and should easily be at 100% in plenty of time for Big East battles.

Read Rest of Team Preview...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Comings:

The new big man on campus at Louisville is 6-foot-8 freshman Samardo Samuels. The 240 pound manchild out of St. Benedict’s Prep (NJ) was a McDonald’s All-American last season. He has the physical stature to hold his own in the Big East from the get-go.

Joining Samuels as newcomers in the frontcourt are Terrence Jennings, an athletic 6-foot-10 C/F from Notre Dame Prep (MA) and IMG Academy product, via St. Louis (MO) Jared Swopshire, a 6-foot-7 forward. The final true freshman newcomer is 6-foot-4 guard from Evansville (IN) Kyle Juric.

Also making their Louisville debuts this season will be Reginald Delk, who is eligible after sitting out last season following a transfer from Mississippi State, and George Goode, a redshirt freshman from Missouri who sat out last season due to academics.

Goings:

The door out of Louisville was a bit busy as well. Leading scorer David Padgett completed an injury filled career with an excellent season. His importance to the team was always made clear publicly by his coach. Also graduating was Terrance Farley who saw limited action in the frontcourt in his four year career with the Cards.

The final member of last year’s team not around this season is the walking distraction that was more commonly known as Derrick Caracter. The uber-talented, but rarely motivated Caracter drove coach Pitino crazy over two years with on again and off again distractions. The final straw seemed to happen several times, but as his teammates were preparing for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, Caracter spent his time talking about the NBA and his future plans.

Net Impact:

The loss of Padgett is definitely something that should not be overlooked. Although Samuels will likely put up numbers that will likely surpass Padgett’s, it was the full package that Padgett brought to the Cards that is unlikely to be replaced this season. However, Samuels is the real deal and will bring a tremendous amount of pure talent and production, even as a freshman.

The loss of Caracter is likely to be addition by subtraction, but it is taking a big chunk of their frontcourt production from a season ago out of the mix. Freshman forwards Goode and Swopshire will find things tough in the Big East this year and Jennings also needs to get stronger, but he should play a solid role.

The addition of Delk’s shooting ability will help the Cards in a key area of their attack. Kuric is also an excellent shooter, but his impact is more looked at to be down the road for the Cards.

The addition of Samuels is big for the Cards and should be enough to push them forward this season as a team.

2008-2009 Backcourt Outlook:

When you look at the Louisville line-up the biggest area of concern is at the point guard. Having an efficient and consistent floor general increases a team’s NCAA basketball odds of a successful season greatly. While the duo of Andre McGee and Edgar Sosa is more than adequate for a successful team, if one of these two, especially Sosa, can take the reigns of this team in the manner Rick Pitino would like then this is definitely a team with the potential to be special.

Sosa averaged 7.6 points a game last year while getting just over 21 minutes a game. Sosa tends to get caught up in his own offensive chances too much and his numbers of 1.8 assists to 1.5 turnovers a game needs to improve, both in terms of more assists and a better ration. Sosa has plenty of talents, but running a team in the way his coach wants is the area he needs to improve in the most.

McGee, a senior, played just over 20 minutes, averaging 6.5 points and 1.9 assists compared to 0.9 turnovers a contest. McGee is more consistent with the ball, but is not the offensively talented lead guard that Sosa is. Coach Pitino wants his point guard to have the ability to be a dynamic scorer, but wants him to understand the role of team leader, too.

At the two-guard, junior Jerry Smith returns as the incumbent. Last year Smith averaged 10.7 points a game and hit a team-high 68 three-pointers at a 38% clip. Smith rebounded from a poor finish to the Big East season to hit 11 of 22 from beyond the arc in the NCAA Tournament where he averaged 13.5 points in the four games.

Joining Smith at the two-guard is Mississippi State transfer Reginald Delk, a nephew of former Kentucky guard Tony Delk who played for Rick Pitino at UK. Reginald is a 6-foot-4 guard who is a long-range shooting threat and he averaged over 9 points a game as a sophomore in the SEC in the 2006-2007 season, shooting 63-138 (38%) from the arc in 35 games. One scary stat, however, Reginald was 15-37 from the free throw line as a sophomore.

Rounding out the backcourt for the 2008-2009 Louisville Cardinals will be sophomore Preston Knowles, freshman Kyle Kuric and senior walk-on Will Scott. Knowles is a player that could find himself prominently in the mix for playing time this year. As a freshman, he averaged over 11 minutes a game from February through the close of the season, seeing more of a spike (13 minutes a game) in the postseason. Kuric is a promising young player that is likely to spend this year as mostly an observer behind the other more experienced players. Scott appeared in 27 games last year and his ability to make the perimeter shot will continue to find him minutes here and there under coach Pitino.

2008-2009 Frontcourt Outlook:

Louisville is considered to have an NBA frontline this season with small forward Terrence Williams, power forward Earl Clark and center Samardo Samuels. It is a good bet that all three could be getting paid to play next year at this time in the NBA.

Williams looks to have made a quick recovery from his preseason injury scare. The highly athletic and strong 6-foot-6 senior has had three consistent years with the Cards, but he always seems to be leaving observers wanting a little more. As a junior, Williams averaged 11.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and a team-high 4.5 assists a game. Williams shot 41% from the field, a career best, but still struggled from the free throw line (57%) and relies too much on the three-ball (49-144), shooting 34% from the arc. Williams is a very good defender and fills the stat sheet, but the tools are there for more. This could be the season we see it.

At the power forward is the versatile and multi-talented Earl Clark. As a sophomore Clark began to consistently show the potential for greatness. He averaged 11.1 points and team-highs in rebounds (8.1) and blocked shots (1.7). After the season, against the advice of coach Pitino, Clark declared for the NBA draft and with his length, athletic ability and perimeter skills in a 6-foot-8, 220 pound body, plenty of NBA teams were interested. However, Clark surprised many by recanting and deciding to return to school. Expectations are high for the Cards this season and Clark’s decision to return is a very big reason why. Look for a big year from him this season.

The player probably in the spotlight the most this season for Louisville is 6’8 frosh Samardo Samuels. The 240 pound beast looks to be made for waging war in the paint in this conference. His broad shoulders and tree-trunk legs will help him find life in the lane during Big East contests a little more bearable than it is for most freshman. Pegged as the co-freshman of the year by the conference coaches in the preseason poll, Samuels is poised to have a season unlike most freshman post players in the Big East.

While point guard is a question, the Cards do have players with experience and past success in the Big East to at least share the position. Frontcourt depth on the other hand is a question due to complete inexperience. 6-foot-10 Terrence Jennings, 6-foot-8 George Goode and 6-foot-7 Jared Swopshire, all freshman, make up the personnel behind Williams, Clark and Samuels. While all three are talented and all three are likely to be solid role players this year, not having an experienced big man to plug a hole here and there could be a factor from time to time in the Big East. In fact, the frontcourt for Louisville is manned by four freshman out of the six players.

2008-2009 Team Outlook:

The 2008-2009 season brings high expectations for Rick Pitino and his Louisville Cardinals. Even though their first outing was far from impressive as they struggled to beat NAIA Georgetown College, it was likely the start Rick Pitino was hoping for to bring them down to earth just a bit.

Getting Terrence Williams fully healthy and getting the freshman some key experience as they will play big roles this season will be the immediate action items for November. The talent up and down the roster for this year’s club is impressive and you can see why coach Pitino favorably compares this group to any he has had at Louisville previously.

The one hope is for a point guard to emerge as the team leader, from there, everything could fall into place for a banner season at Louisville. It very well could be one with a Big East championship or a Final Four (or more) banner, we will see if they can reach their potential as a team, and not just as individuals.

2008-2009 Big East Prediction: 14-4

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #9 LOUISVILLE

2008-11-07T09:37:00.001-05:00

November 7, 2008

Led by Lesean McCoy's 169 yards rushing and Conor Lee's five fields goals, Pittsburgh earned a huge road victory by upending Notre Dame in South Bend, 36-33. Lee was clutch all afternoon and into the early evening, hitting four of four fields goals in each overtime 'session', including a 22-yarder that followed Brandon Walker's miss in the Irish offensive series of the fourth OT to give the Panthers the win.

Pittsburgh used the win as a bounceback from their previous game, a 54-34 home loss to Rutgers. Now they need to gain some momentum again in the conference as the host Louisville this weekend. The Panthers are 6-2 overall and 2-1 in the conference. For the first time in Dave Wannstedt's four years as the Pitt head coach, the college bowls are in his site and the conference's BCS berth is a legitimate chance for his team.

Louisville on the other hand continues to struggle with inconsistency. The Cards could have put themselves into the conference mix, but a 28-21 loss to Syracuse last weekend was just another reminder of the problems the Cards have. The Orange had yet to beat a 1-A team this season, but Louisville allowed the anemic Orange to roll up over 200 yards rushing to earn their first Big East win since their upset of Louisville in September of 2007.

Victor Anderson continues to be a bright spot for the Cards as he piled up another 100-yard game last week. On the year, he is averaging over 6 yards a carry and 100 yards a game.

The NCAA Odds currently show the Panthers a 6 1/2-pt favorites on their home field. It definitely has the makings of a Pitt win as Lesean McCoy will be the best player in the game, once again, and if SU could rack up over 200 yards against the UL defense last week on the ground, expect Pitt to find success as well.

Dealing with success does seem to be something the Panthers struggle with. Home losses to Bowling Green and Rutgers offer a reminder not to go too heavy into falling for Pitt quite yet. While I fully expect the Panther ground atatck to have a lot of success and their solid defense to keep UL at bay, this does has the makings of a game Pitt allows Louisville to hang around. Once again, I think Pitt will be glad to hve Conor Lee and his foot will be the difference.

Prediction:

Pittsburgh 27
Louisville 24

BIG EAST TOP POINT GUARDS 2008-2009: 8) EDGAR SOSA

2008-11-05T15:35:00.004-05:00

November 5, 2008

Based on potential heading into last season, Edgar Sosa was rated very high and listed as a key component of Louisville becoming a national title challenger. The Cards had a very successful season, advancing to the Elite 8 and finishing just behind Georgetown in the conference standings, but it was a year of frustration for Sosa, the 6-foot-1 point guard from NYC.

After a freshman season where he averaged over 11 points per game and finished with an eye-opening 31 against Texas A&M in a second round NCAA Tournament loss, much was expected from Sosa in 2007-2008. However, Sosa never seemed to grasp the point guard position the way coach Rick Pitino demanded from him and ultimately, his numbers slid significantly, along with his playing time. Sosa averaged just 7.6 points a game and 1.8 assists as he shared the point guard position with Andre McGee.

This season, indications are once again a shared point guard role for Sosa. However, if the light turns on in his junior season under coach Pitino, Sosa could very well become the floor general this team needs and in doing so, being the driving force behind a big season for the Cards.

Finding a reliable point guard will drive the college basketball odds of Louisville into one of the favorite positions to compete for a national title. Sosa has the tools and potential and the NBE Basketball Report staffers still believe that potential can be realized.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2008-11-03T20:20:00.003-05:00

November 3, 2008

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Justin Martin, 6'7, F from Indianapolis (IN)

Projected 2009-2010 Roster

Seniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Juniors: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Sophomores: Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Jared Swopshire (SF)
Freshmen: Mike Marra (G), Rakeem Buckles (F), Peyton Siva (PG), Stephan Van Treese (PF)
2010 Commitment: Josh Langford (SF), Jeremy Tyler (PF/C), Justin Martin (F)

The recruiting machine that is Rick Pitino and Louisville continues to roll on as the Cards pick up their third commitment in the class of 2010 as Lawrence North forward Justin Martin Picks Louisville (Louisville Courier-Journal), joining Josh Langford and Jeremy Tyler as verbal commitments.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Rick Pitino continues to stay well ahead of the game on the recruiting trail as the Louisville coach has now added a trio of 2010 commitments from Justin Martin, Jeremy Tyler and Josh Langford to the four verbals already secured for the class of 2009. Martin is a highly regarded 6-foot-7 forward out of the Indianapolis power program Lawrence North High School. Martin is a teammate of UL 2009 commitment Stephan Van Treese at Lawrence North. Martin made the early commitment, picking the Cards over Xavier. Martin has yet to play a varsity basketball game, playing on the JV last season. Martin is highly long and athletic and uses that to score inside and out.

Tyler, a highly touted 6-foot-9 manchild surprisingly ends his commitment early on and chooses the Cards over UCLA, Memphis, Arizona and others. Tyler made a trip to Louisville in late August and the San Diego high school star made a verbal commitment to the Cards early in October as he prepares for his junior season of high school. Tyler is a recruit considered to be comparable to current UL frosh Samardo Samuels, so the Pitino freight train on the recruiting trail rolls along and that justifies the college basketball odds listing Louisville among the favorites in the Big East year in and year out under coach Pitino.

Josh Langford of J.O. Johnson High School of Huntsville (AL) was the first to make the pledge to the Cardinals for the class of 2010. Louisville staff members have been very visible at his AAU games this summer during the open evaluation periods for the Alabama Lasers. Recently, i95ballerz.com had a very good story as Hard Work, Skill Building Nettes Langford his Dream Offer from the Cards.

As for the class of 2009, for the longest time it was widely considered that Stephan Van Treese would end up as part of Tom Crean's 2009 class at Indiana. However, things never came together and now Van Treese will take his talents across state lines to Kentucky and suit up for Louisville.

Van Treese had been recruited at times by some of the elite schools of college basketball, including the Hoosiers, UCLA, Ohio State, Michigan State, Kansas and Purdue. Van Treese will play tough in the paint and hit the boards. He is a very solid big man that will play his role for coach Pitino at Louisville.

Back in May coach Pitino picked up his third commitment from the class of 2009 when Peyton Siva out of Seattle (WA) made the Cardinals his college choice. Siva has long been considered Louisville's to lose on the recruiting trail after a visit this past season for their game with Georgetown. In the end, Louisville did not lose and scored a very good commitment from their point guard of the future.

Siva is an extremely quick and lightning fast point guard with the ball in his hands. He is also an above-average perimeter shooter who can also explode at the rim with a dunk when the time is right. As he matures, his decision making continues to improve and he always seems to be calm and cool on the floor, a trait that is a must for the most successful point guards in the game.

Siva and Van Treese join previous 2009 commitments Rakeem Buckles and Mike Marra. Buckles is a wiry and raw forward prospect who is just touching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential. At 6'8, he has explosive athletic ability that you see in an NBA small forward, however his game is still transitioning from a skinny big man to the wing and is a process that is just beginning. However, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino definitely believes it is a project worth undertaking as he aggressively courted the Miami Pace junior and landed an early verbal commitment from Buckles in February. Local Miami and West Virginia were also closely monitoring his progress, but Louisville easily took the most attention in Buckles.

Mike Marra, a 6'5 native of Smithfield (RI), was the first of Pitino's 2009 commitments. Marra is an athletic shooter for Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School. According to his coach, John Carroll, Marra averaged nearly 28 points per game and has hit 55% from 3-pt range over an 11 game stretch late last season. Marra was also considering Providence, Massachusetts, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Michigan, but after coach Rick Pitino came to watch him play last winter, Marra decided to end the process early and commit to the Cards, who had been his leader for some time. Marra visited Louisville and Freedom Hall in December and they have been on his mind ever since.

We will continue to monitor the UL recruiting developments as they happen as Rick Pitino continues to position the Cards among the elite to keep an eye on for March Madness.

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #7 LOUISVILLE

2008-10-24T11:37:00.002-04:00

October 24, 2008

Louisville gets back into Big East conference action this weekend when they welcome the Bulls of South Florida to town. After a season opening loss to Kentucky, the Cards have won four of five, inlcuding last week's 42-23 victory over Middle Tennessee State. The lone loss was to Connecticut, their lone conference contest, meaning UL is still looking for their first Big East win of the season.

The Bulls got back into the win column last weekend by trouncing Syracuse 45-13 with a big second half effort, breaking wide open a close game at the half. USF is 6-1 on the season, and their win over SU evened their record in the Big East at 1-1 following their first loss of the season to Pitt.

NCAA Football Betting lines have the Bulls as 3 1/2 point favorites on the road to keep Louisville winless in conference play.

USF outscored Syracuse 24-0 int he second half last week and rolled up 487 yards of offense, limiting SU to just 230 last week. The Bulls showed balance, piling up 239 of their yards on the ground and the other 248 through the air. Matt Grothe accounted for 320 of their yards (rushing + receiving) and four touchdowns, showing he might be back in the comfort zone as the Bulls continue to round into shape. South Florida ranks among the top 25% of the NCAA in most offensive categories, but their rush defense has been among the best in the nation so far this season and could be a big key on the road.

Jury is still out with Louisville, despite a solid 4-2 record. Their most impressive win of the year was a home victory over Kansas State, all other contests have come against lesser opponents since the opening week loss to rival Kentucky. The strength offensively for Louisville this season has been their ground game, but that will be tested by the speed of the USF defense.

The Bulls have been on the road several times this season, while they have not been dominant in their wins against lesser opponents on the road, their experience and improvement shown last week should carry then to victory this weekend, but it might be tougher than expected.

Prediction:

South Florida 30
Louisville 27

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #6 LOUISVILLE

2008-10-17T11:59:00.002-04:00

October 17, 2008

The College Football Lines have Louisville as a 14 and a half point favorite when they host Middle Tennessee State this Saturday afternoon. The Blue Raiders own a win against Maryland this season, but still enter the contest at just 2-4.

Louisville still seems to be looking for solid footing under coach Kragthorpe, as they stand 3-2 on the young season. They already own wins over teams from the state of Tennessee such as Tennessee Tech and their latest, a win over Memphis on the road last Friday, so look for them to make it a hat trick this weekend, but expect it to be a little closet than most might anticipate.

Prediction:

Louisville 38
MTSU 24

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2008-10-11T21:43:00.003-04:00

October 11, 2008

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Jeremy Tyler, 6'9, PF/C from San Diego (CA)

Projected 2009-2010 Roster

Seniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Juniors: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Sophomores: Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Jared Swopshire (SF)
Freshmen: Mike Marra (G), Rakeem Buckles (F), Peyton Siva (PG), Stephan Van Treese (PF)
2010 Commitment: Josh Langford (SF), Jeremy Tyler (PF/C)

The recruiting machine that is Rick Pitino and Louisville continues to roll on as Jeremy Tyler is the second class of 2010 prospect to commit to the Cards already. Tyler to Louisville (Louisville Courier-Journal) is official as UL strikes once again!

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Rick Pitino continues to stay well ahead of the game on the recruiting trail as the Louisville coach ha snow added 2010 commitments from Jeremy Tyler and Josh Lanford to the four verbals already secured for the class of 2009. Tyler, a highly touted 6-foot-9 manchild surprisingly ends his commitment early on and chooses the Cards over UCLA, Memphis, Arizona and others. Tyler made a trip to Louisville in late August and now the San Diego high school star has made a verbal commitment to the Cards as he prepares for his junior season of high school. Tyler is a recruit considered to be comparable to current UL frosh Samardo Samuels, so the Pitino freight train on the recruiting trail rolls along and that justifies the college basketball odds listing Louisville among the favorites in the Big East year in and year out under coach Pitino.

Josh Langford of J.O. Johnson High School of Huntsville (AL) was the first to make the pledge to the Cardinals for the class of 2010. Louisville staff members have been very visible at his AAU games this summer during the open evaluation periods for the Alabama Lasers. Recently, i95ballerz.com had a very good story as Hard Work, Skill Building Nettes Langford his Dream Offer from the Cards.

As for the class of 2009, for the longest time it was widely considered that Stephan Van Treese would end up as part of Tom Crean's 2009 class at Indiana. However, things never came together and now Van Treese will take his talents across state lines to Kentucky and suit up for Louisville.

Van Treese had been recruited at times by some of the elite schools of college basketball, including the Hoosiers, UCLA, Ohio State, Michigan State, Kansas and Purdue. Van Treese will play tough in the paint and hit the boards. He is a very solid big man that will play his role for coach Pitino at Louisville.

Back in May coach Pitino picked up his third commitment from the class of 2009 when Peyton Siva out of Seattle (WA) made the Cardinals his college choice. Siva has long been considered Louisville's to lose on the recruiting trail after a visit this past season for their game with Georgetown. In the end, Louisville did not lose and scored a very good commitment from their point guard of the future.

Siva is an extremely quick and lightning fast point guard with the ball in his hands. He is also an above-average perimeter shooter who can also explode at the rim with a dunk when the time is right. As he matures, his decision making continues to improve and he always seems to be calm and cool on the floor, a trait that is a must for the most successful point guards in the game.

Siva and Van Treese join previous 2009 commitments Rakeem Buckles and Mike Marra. Buckles is a wiry and raw forward prospect who is just touching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential. At 6'8, he has explosive athletic ability that you see in an NBA small forward, however his game is still transitioning from a skinny big man to the wing and is a process that is just beginning. However, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino definitely believes it is a project worth undertaking as he aggressively courted the Miami Pace junior and landed an early verbal commitment from Buckles in February. Local Miami and West Virginia were also closely monitoring his progress, but Louisville easily took the most attention in Buckles.

Mike Marra, a 6'5 native of Smithfield (RI), was the first of Pitino's 2009 commitments. Marra is an athletic shooter for Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School. According to his coach, John Carroll, Marra averaged nearly 28 points per game and has hit 55% from 3-pt range over an 11 game stretch late last season. Marra was also considering Providence, Massachusetts, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Michigan, but after coach Rick Pitino came to watch him play last winter, Marra decided to end the process early and commit to the Cards, who had been his leader for some time. Marra visited Louisville and Freedom Hall in December and they have been on his mind ever since.

Also in the class of 2009, Louisville has reportedly offered Aaron Dotson, a shooting guard from Seattle (WA) who attended the same high school as current card Terrence Williams.

We will continue to monitor the UL recruiting developments as they happen as Rick Pitino continues to position the Cards among the elite to keep an eye on for March Madness.

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #5 LOUISVILLE

2008-10-09T11:44:00.003-04:00

October 9, 2008

Friday night college football lights will feature the Louisville Cardinals of the Big East as they travel out of conference to visit former Conference USA rival the Memphis Tigers. While this match-up would get all the college basketball fans around the country excited, the sad truth is that it hardly will register much interest during this college football weekend.

The Cards dropped their opening conference match-up with Connecticut in their last outing, another Friday night special, 26-21 on September 26th. The face a Memphis team that has won three in a row, but, in all honesty, has not been very impressive this season.

Louisville is 2-2 on the season, bookending losses to UConn and an opening loss to Kentucky with wins over Kansas State and Tennessee Tech in between. The Kansas State win showed some promise for the Cards, but we are still not exactly sure what we have here. However, we do know, against this Memphis team, bet on Louisville to get the job down in a road victory by double digits.

Prediction:

Louisville 33
Memphis 21

MIKE MARRA IMPROVING AT NORTHFIELD MOUNT HERMON

2008-09-19T22:11:00.003-04:00

September 20, 2008

Rick Pitino has once again flexed his recruiting muscles with the Louisville 2009 recruiting class featuring four verbal commitments. The class got started when often overlooked Mike Marra made the call and committed to Louisville last season.

Marra has one more season at Northfield Mount Hermon Prep under John Carroll before heading off to Louisville and the battles of the Big East. The Smithfield (RI) native currently stands 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 205 pounds, according to his coach, as he continues to put in the work to make himself available to contribute immediately upon arriving in Louisville.

"Mike is among the elite three-point shooters in the country at any level," coach Carroll stated. "Last year, he outdueled Devin Ebanks and St. Thomas More."

Coach Carroll was remembered Northfield's 90-81 win. Marra poured in 36 points, but more impressive was his shooting display from beyond the arc where he nailed 10 of 11 three balls, a performance for the ages. In one 1:50 span, Marra hit five consecutive three's to turn a seven-point deficit into an eight point lead in the blink of an eye. Even with his shooting skill likely paving the way for him to a Division 1-A scholarship in the nation's best conference, Marra is working hard at diversifying his game.

"He realizes that he will be a more attractive player for (Rick) Pitino and (compete) for more minutes if he is a multi-positional player and he is working hard to fit the role of scoring guard and small forward," his coach explained.

Even with a solid commitment from Marra, the Louisville staff made sure they came to New England this fall to spend some quality time with a recruit that committed to them last January.

"Rick and Richard (Pitino) were at Mike's house for dinner for a home visit this past Sunday," notes coach Carroll.

In the future, expect to see Mike Marra launching bombs from beyond the arc, restoring a valuable weapon in the Louisville attack.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2008-09-17T00:14:00.002-04:00

September 17, 2008

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Stephan Van Treese, 6'9, power Forward from Lawrence North HS (IN)

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Juniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Sophomores: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Freshmen: Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Jared Swopshire (SF)
2009 Commitments: Mike Marra (G), Rakeem Buckles (F), Peyton Siva (PG), Stephan Van Treese (PF)
2010 Commitment: Josh Langford (SF)

Rick Pitino made the trip on Tuesday to Indianapolis to meet with Stephan Van Treese to re-iterate the interest the Cardinals had in the 6'9 power forward. The point was made as the Indiana Star Commits to Louisville (Louisville Courier-Journal) and becomes the fourth member of UL's 2009 class.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

For the longest time it was widely considered that Stephan Van Treese would end up as part of Tom Crean's 2009 class at Indiana. However, things never came together and now Van Treese will take his talents across state lines to Kentucku and suite up for Louisville.

Van Treese had been recruited at times by some of the elite schools of college basketball, including the Hoosiers, UCLA, Ohio State, Michigan State, Kansas and Purdue. Van Treese will play tough in the paint and hit the boards. He is a very solid big man that will play his role for coach Pitino at Louisville.

Back in May coach Pitino picked up his third commitment from the class of 2009 when Peyton Siva out of Seattle (WA) made the Cardinals his college choice. Siva has long been considered Louisville's to lose on the recruiting trail after a visit this past season for their game with Georgetown. In the end, Louisville did not lose and scored a very good commitment from their point guard of the future.

Siva is an extremely quick and lightning fast point guard with the ball in his hands. He is also an above-average perimeter shooter who can also explode at the rim with a dunk when the time is right. As he matures, his decision making continues to improve and he always seems to be calm and cool on the floor, a trait that is a must for the most successful point guards in the game.

Siva and Van Treese join previous 2009 commitments Rakeem Buckles and Mike Marra. Buckles is a wiry and raw forward prospect who is just touching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential. At 6'8, he has explosive athletic ability that you see in an NBA small forward, however his game is still transitioning from a skinny big man to the wing and is a process that is just beginning. However, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino definitely believes it is a project worth undertaking as he aggressively courted the Miami Pace junior and landed an early verbal commitment from Buckles in February. Local Miami and West Virginia were also closely monitoring his progress, but Louisville easily took the most attention in Buckles.

Mike Marra, a 6'5 native of Smithfield (RI), was the first of Pitino's 2009 commitments. Marra is an athletic shooter for Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School. According to his coach, John Carroll, Marra averaged nearly 28 points per game and has hit 55% from 3-pt range over an 11 game stretch late last season. Marra was also considering Providence, Massachusetts, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Michigan, but after coach Rick Pitino came to watch him play last winter, Marra decided to end the process early and commit to the Cards, who had been his leader for some time. Marra visited Louisville and Freedom Hall in December and they have been on his mind ever since.

Also in the class of 2009, Louisville has been making a strong push forward for Rice HS and NY Gaucho do-everything guard Durand Scott and also reportedly offered Aaron Dotson, a shooting guard from Seattle (WA) who attended the same high school as current card Terrence Williams. Another Alabama high school player has picqued U of L's interest as Bawa Muniru, an African import who is a legitimate 7-footer now playing at Charis Prep.

Rick Pitino continues to stay well ahead of the game on the recruiting trail as the Louisville coach ha snow added a 2010 commitment to the three verbals already secured for the class of 2009. Josh Langford of J.O. Johnson High School of Huntsville (AL) is the latest to make the pledge to the Cardinals. Louisville staff members have been very visible at his AAU games this summer during the open evaluation periods for the Alabama Lasers. Recently, i95ballerz.com had a very good story as Hard Work, Skill Building Nettes Langford his Dream Offer from the Cards.

We will continue to monitor the UL recruiting developments as they happen.

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #3 LOUISVILLE

2008-09-16T22:41:00.004-04:00

September 16, 2008

It is a Big East buffet this week with all nine teams in action and it starts on Wednesday nigt with the Louisville Cardinals hosting the Wildcats of Kansas State at Papa John Stadium.

This is an important early season for both teams as both are looking to try to get back into the NCAA Bowl Games picture after both missed out on the post-season in 2007.

Kansas State enters into the contest at 2-0 with an average margin of victory of 57-8 in their first two games. Of course, the competition of North Texas (0-3, outscored 142-35) and Montana State (1-2 with a win over Adams St) means they have yet to be tested.

Louisville opened their season with a test...and failed, losing at home to rival Kentucky by the score of 27-2. The Cards bounced back and put a licking on Tennessee Tech 51-10 eleven days ago to even their record at 1-1.

It is hard to put much stock into their numbers from the first two games, but Kansas State QB Josh Freeman has been off the charts, completing 76% of his passes at 11.6 yards an attempt with five TD's (and no picks) in his 45 passing attempts. However, this will be his first test without last year's security blankets in RB James Johnson (1,106 yards in 2007) and WR Jordy Nelson (122 catches and over 1,600 yards in '07).

The Louisville defense has been stellar this season, allowing just 63 yards rushing, 210 overall, in their loss against UK. The numbers were even better in game #2 as they allowed just 33 yards rushing to Tennessee Tech and 176 yards overall.

The College Football Betting odds show Kansas State as a 4-point favorite in their first road game of the season in this match-up. Coming off a 5-7 season, the Wildcats are chomping at the bit to prove they are ready to compete again this season. Winning on the road at Louisville will be a step forward. The difference in the game will be the experience at the quarterback position and look for Freeman to come through in the clutch in a tough win for KSU.

Prediction:

Kansas State 31
Louisville 24

PITINO SCHEDULED TO VISIT ANDREW FITZGERALD

2008-09-15T12:05:00.004-04:00

September 15, 2008

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino will make a trip up to New Hampshire to see more than just the fall foliage today as he will also stop by Brewster Academy to visit with power forward Andrew Fitzgerald.

"Yes, Coach Pitino will be on campus today to meet with Andrew Fitzgerald (today)," Brewster Academy head coach Jason Smith informed the NBE Basketball Report. "Virginia was also in last week to see Andrew. This week, in addition to Louisville, Andrew will visit with Oklahoma today and Boston College Wednesday," says coach Smith.

RICK PITINO VISITES LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL

2008-09-10T21:30:00.003-04:00

September 10, 2008

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino showed how much of a priority 2010 forward prospect Tobias Harris is by making the trip to Long Island earlier today to see him workout.

"Coach Rick Pitino showed that his recruiting efforts were not all talk by visiting Lutheran High School to watch Tobias for a two hour workout after school today," Torrel Harris, Sr. told the NBE Basketball Report.

Tobias recently visited Louisville for their season opening football contest against rival Kentucky and Harris Enjoyed Louisville Visit and subsequently named the Cards as one of his (10) leading choices.

"Tobias told me he was very happy to see coach Pitino's interest in him and felt that it really meant something that he choose to be there rather than sending an assistant coach," Mr. Harris said.

Big East schools such as Syracuse, Rutgers, Marquette, West Virginia and Georgetown joined UL among Harris' list of top 10 schools. In recent days, it looks like Connecticut has made it a top 11 list of schools as they have renewed some of their interest as well.

INTRODUCING RODERICK ODUM Jr.

2008-09-08T12:29:00.001-04:00

Louisville travelling to Middlesex to see 2010 prospect

September 8, 2008

Coming from the rigorous academic setting of the Middlesex (MA) School and the under the radar AAU program of the Expressions Elite, Roderick Odom Jr. is not a name that many fans are aware of from the class of 2010. However, after a stock-boosting summer, the 6-foot-8 guard/forward is a name that college coaches are becoming more and more familiar with, and in turn, basketball fans will be hearing much more of in the near future.

It does not take long to realize that the Middlesex School is not your normal home to high-major basketball talent. With the demanding course work and Saturday class schedule, it can be difficult for a player to find the exposure needed by playing in events in the off-season or to make college trips. However, a very big July on the AAU circuit has college coaches coming to Odum to see more.

"Because of the nature of the prep school he goes to, rigorous academics and Saturday classes, Rod will not take as many visits as he would like," Roderick Odum Sr. told the NBE Basketball Report. "Instead his coach has set up workout dates for coaches to attend."

At this point, it looks like Middlesex head coach Jamie Gallagher has set up four days in September when college coaches are on the road visiting prospects to come by Middlesex.

"So far Louisville, West Virgina, Davidson, Bucknell, Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, Princeton, Yale, Xavier, GW, Umass, Boston College and Rutgers are just a few of the coaches that have committed to see the workouts this month," Mr Odum said.

At 6-foot-8 with perimter skills, expect it also to be just the beginning of what we hear from Roderick Odum Jr. Remeber the name as a player with that mix of size, potential and acadmic prowess is guaranteed to help any school's NCAA Basketball Odds whether advancing deep into the NCAA Tournament and at the same time strengthening the programs APR.

BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #2 LOUISVILLE

2008-09-05T09:39:00.002-04:00

September 5, 2008

it was a pitiful, mistake-filled opening weekend effort for the Louisville Cardinals as they lost at home to in-state rival Kentucky.

The Cards turned the ball over five times, with two of the fumbles being returned for touchdowns, in thier 27-2 loss to UK. Quarteback Hunter Cantwell went to the air 43 times, but managed only 152 yards and their rushing offense only 53 more yards on the ground to complete their poor offensive effort.

Defensively the Cards were pretty good, or Kentucky was just as bad offensively. Despite turning the ball over 5 times, UK only managed one offensive touchdown themselves and a meager 210 yards of total offense.

This match-up is not even showing up as listes in the latest Football Lines, but the Cards woudl likely be a heavy favorite over Tennessee Tech, although they are coming off an opening win, 28-12, over Gardner-Webb.

We look for UL to continue to play good defense and find some offense this weekend, but it is still looking like a tough year for their fans.

Prediction:

Louisville 31
Tennessee tech 14

TOBIAS HARRIS ENJOYS LOUISVILLE VISIT, NAMES FAVORITES

2008-09-03T10:45:00.006-04:00

September 3, 2008

Over the weekend, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino hosted an impressive group of basketball recruits as the Cardinal football team opened up their season by hosting in-state rival Kentucky on Monday afternoon. While the football results did not please the Louisville faithful, it sounds as though the basketball visits went over much better.

One of the prospects was actually amking his second trip to Louisville as Long Island native Tobias Harris made the trip to check things out again. We noticed coach Pitino intently watching Harris earlier this summer at the Reebok All-American camp when he was very impressive in a head to head match-up with Renardo Sidney.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

"Tobias had a great visit to Louisville," Tobias' father, Torrel Harris Sr., told the NBE Basketball Report. "The whole visit was nice, Tobias had the chance watch (the) football game against...Kentucky, the fan (support) was unbelievable, especially when the Louisville basketball team was introduced. The whole atmosphere was great," Mr. Harris said.

The Harris' were extemely impressed with the facilities available to the athletes at Louisville, including the stadiums and dorms. The chance to play for a coach like Rick Pitino also is a feather in the Louisville cap as far as they are concerned.

For Louisville, it is the inside-out potential of Tobias that has the staff trying hard to land the 2010 prospect.

"He (coach Pitino) had seen Tobias play doing the July evaluation period at Reebok All American camp and Peach Jam," Torrel said. "He said to Tobias that he really liked the multi-skill level of his game."

According to the Tobias Harris Recruiting Update from the NBE Basketball Report, it looked like the visit to Louisville was successful in getting the Cardinals listed as one of the favorites to land the 6-foot-8 Harris.

“The hectic schedule Tobias has endured over the past three months has allowed him to intimately learn about many schools’ style of play, campus, facilities, academic programs and support, as well as establishing a relationship with the coaching staffs,” Mr. Harris continued.

For now, in no particular order, here are the 10 schools that have made the initial list of the top 10 favorites for Harris:

Louisville, Syracuse, Rutgers, Georgetown, Virginia, Maryland, Marquette, West Virginia, Wake Forest and USC.

Tobias will also start at a new school this year, Long Island Lutheran High School. Harris currently carries an impressive 3.5 GPA average with an eye towards a business major in the future. With a variety of skills on the basketball court, playing for a coach like Rick Pitno could also help his NBA Odds as the well-regarded coach has produced his fair share of NBA players in his excellent career, and his time spent in the league is another added draw to a high school recruit.

BIG RECRUITING WEEKEND AT LOUISVILLE

2008-09-02T10:30:00.002-04:00

September 2, 2008

Louisville football had a bad weekend, losing on their home field to rival Kentucky. Rick Pitino hopes his weekend will be more productive in the near future as U of L Basketball was Courting Prospects (Courier-Journal) by hosting several top recruits for the game.

Sophomore Marquis Teague of Pike High School in Indianapolis was on hand. The 6-foot-1 point guard is the son of Shawn Teague who played for coach Pitino at Boston University back in the day. Justin Martin of Lawrence North, also of Indianapolis, was on hand as well. The 6-foot-6 junior will also visit Xavier this month.

Another Big Guest was San Diego big man Jeremy Tyler, one of the top rated players of the junior class.

Durand Scott (class of 2009) and 2010 prospects Doron Lamb, Josh Selby and Tobias Harris were also expected to be on hand for the football game.

Speaking of Harris, we had a Tobias Harris Recruiting Update last night as Harris has decided on a ‘top 10’ list of colleges he is interested in. The list contains six Big East schools, including Louisville.

REGINALD DELK: IMPACT BIG EAST TRANSFER

2008-08-24T01:09:00.004-04:00

August 23, 2008

Reginald Delk of Louisville is an important piece of the 2008-2009 Louisville squad.

Rick Pitino has had previous success with the Delk family as the head coach of Kentucky, now at Louisville, he is going back for more. After having Tony Delk help lead his Kentucky Wildcats to the 1996 NCAA Championship prior to a 10-year NBA career, coach Pitino welcomed Tony's nephew, Reginald, into the mix for 2008-2009.

As a prep star from Tennessee, Reginald Delk chose to attend Mississippi State. After starting 59 games in 65 games, Delk decided to move on with his college basketball career and found a home at Louisville.

As a freshman, Reginald averaged 9 points a game and hit 41% of his three-point shots. His scoring increased to 9.5 points as a sophomore for a 21-14 squad and the 6-foot-4 guard with long-range ability will find a place in the Louisville rotation. While returning guards Edgar Sosa and Andre McGee have struggled from the perimeter, Delk should give the Cards another viable threat from long range to place beside Jerry Smith. The Cards have a deep and talented roster, evidenced by the fact they are at 15:1 currently in the Odds to Win the 2009 NCAA Championship, so his numbers might not quite be as strong as they were at Missississi State, but he will make an impact often this coming season.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2008-07-29T10:43:00.003-04:00

July 29, 2008

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Josh Langford, (2010) 6'6, Small Forward from Huntsville (AL)

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Juniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Sophomores: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Freshmen: Melquan Bolding (G), Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Clarence Holloway (C), Jared Swopshire (SF)
2009 Commitments: Mike Marra (G), Rakeem Buckles (F), Peyton Siva (PG)
2010 Commitment: Josh Langford (SF)

Class of 2010 small forward Josh Langford has been dropping strong hints the last couple weeks that Louisville was the clear leader for his services. Once an official scholarship offer was made, Langford wasted little time in making his decision, meaning U of L Hoops Adds a Commitment (Louisville Courier-Journal), their first for 2010.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Rick Pitino continues to stay well ahead of the game on the recruiting trail as the Louisville coach ha snow added a 2010 commitment to the three verbals already secured for the class of 2009. Josh Langford of J.O. Johnson High School of Huntsville (AL) is the latest to make the pledge to the Cardinals. Louisville staff members have been very visible at his AAU games this summer during the open evaluation periods for the Alabama Lasers. Recently, i95ballerz.com had a very good story as Hard Work, Skill Building Nettes Langford his Dream Offer from the Cards.

Back in May coach Pitino picked up his third commitment from the class of 2009 when Peyton Siva out of Seattle (WA) made the Cardinals his college choice. Siva has long been considered Louisville's to lose on the recruiting trail after a visit this past season for their game with Georgetown. In the end, Louisville did not lose and scored a very good commitment from their point guard of the future.

Siva is an extremely quick and lightning fast point guard with the ball in his hands. He is also an above-average perimeter shooter who can also explode at the rim with a dunk when the time is right. As he matures, his decision making continues to improve and he always seems to be calm and cool on the floor, a trait that is a must for the most successful point guards in the game.

Siva joins previous 2009 commitments Rakeem Buckles and Mike Marra. Buckles is a wiry and raw forward prospect who is just touching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential. At 6'8, he has explosive athletic ability that you see in an NBA small forward, however his game is still transitioning from a skinny big man to the wing and is a process that is just beginning. However, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino definitely believes it is a project worth undertaking as he aggressively courted the Miami Pace junior and landed an early verbal commitment from Buckles in February. Local Miami and West Virginia were also closely monitoring his progress, but Louisville easily took the most attention in Buckles.

Buckles and Siva join Mike Marra, a 6'5 native of Smithfield (RI), as coach Pitino's 2009 commitments. Marra is an athletic shooter for Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School. According to his coach, John Carroll, Marra averaged nearly 28 points per game and has hit 55% from 3-pt range over an 11 game stretch late last season. Marra was also considering Providence, Massachusetts, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Michigan, but after coach Rick Pitino came to watch him play last winter, Marra decided to end the process early and commit to the Cards, who had been his leader for some time. Marra visited Louisville and Freedom Hall in December and they have been on his mind ever since.

Also in the class of 2009, Louisville has been making a strong push forward for Rice HS and NY Gaucho do-everything guard Durand Scott and also reportedly offered Aaron Dotson, a shooting guard from Seattle (WA) who attended the same high school as current card Terrence Williams. Noel Johnson of the Atlanta Celtics has been watched often by the UL staff and his long-range shooting ability is a strength UL is intrigued by. Another Alabama high school player has picqued U of L's interest as Bawa Muniru, an African import who is a legitimate 7-footer now playing in Madison (AL).

We will continue to monitor the UL recruiting developments as they happen.

LOUISVILLE OFFERS TOBIAS HARRIS

2008-07-18T21:40:00.004-04:00

Class of 2010 prospect racks up offers

Tobias Harris, 6-foot-8 small forward from Half Hollows Hills West High School on Long Island (NY), had an impressive showing with the Albany City Rocks AAU program earlier this week at the Nike Peach Jam. This followed a very good effort at the Reebok All-American and has led to schools such as Wake Forest, Florida State, Texas, Louisville, Miami, and Syracuse extending scholarship offers, according to his father, Torrel Harris Sr.

Here is what Brian Crownover saw from Harris at the Reebok All-American Camp his News & Notes From Camp Week for the NBE Basketball Report:

While the big man (Sidney) can move well, he wasn't quick enough to handle the multi-talented Tobias Harris. Tobias took him off the dribble time and time again.

Tobias is a solidly built player in his own right. When I first saw him dominate as a freshman, I wondered how much better the youngster could get. He already had good size and great skill. He did alot of the same things at the Reebok Camp, but this time against a very high level of competition and with many players being a year older than him. The east coast has already been all over this talented forward, but look for the rest of the country to get involved in Tobias now.

Tobias has already made several unofficial visits to Big East schools this summer, including a trip to Louisville.

“Tobias’ visit was great,” his father, Torrel Harris Sr. told the NBE Basketball Report following the visit. “He got to see the campus, …meet some players, played pick up games and he had a chance to talk to Coach (Rick) Pitino. He is a great guy and a good person. Tobias just had a great time out there in Kentucky,” Mr. Harris said.

Harris has also visited Rutgers, St. John's, Marquette and West Virginia and hopes to see Syracuse and Connecticut this summer as well.

Contrary to some previous reports, the Harris' have not begun to narrow the recruiting scope as of yet and their list is in the neighborhood of 15-209 schools long. "Tobias doesn't have a leader in his recruiting process," Torrel Harris said.

Next up for Tobias Harris and his Albany City Rocks teammates is a trip to Orlando for the AAU Nationals and Super Showcase.

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Louisville is one of the favorites in the Odds to Win the 2009 Championship, see all the futures odd.
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LOUISVILLE AFTER FLORIDA DB

2008-07-14T12:01:00.002-04:00

July 14, 2008

According to the State.com, South Carolina's home page, defensive back Mywan Jackson (6-0, 180) of Seffner, Fla., has Louisville recruiting him the hardest. Jackson, who plays quarterback for his high school team, will visit North Carolina, Illinois and Michigan this month, and he might stop by South Carolina. Jackson also has offers from the Cardinals, Rutgers, Auburn and West Virginia. Jackson is being recruited as a cornerback.

NOEL JOHNSON PLANS LOUISVILLE VISIT

2008-07-01T14:24:00.001-04:00

July 1, 2008

Noel Johnson, a 6-foot-7 class of 2009 small forward prospect from Fayette County (GA) High School has had the attention of college recruiters for a long time. His play this spring and early summer with the high-powered Atlanta Celtics has done nothing but increase that as Johnson is Drawing Attention on the Court (NBE Basketball Report).

Johnson has the bloodlines to be successful in basketball. His father is Lynbert 'Cheese' Johnson, a former star at Wichita State who accumulated over 1,900 points and 1,000 rebounds, being named to the 1st team all-MVC conference twice and 2nd team once in his four year career with the Shockers. He is a member of Wichita State's athletic Hall of Fame.

Now it is Noel's turn to be the family basketball star and colleges are lining up to bring the versatile forward into their program. Since a successful run at the NBA Top 100 camp at the University of Virginia recently, Johnson has continued to hear often from schools such as Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Louisville, USC and Wake Forest. For now, he is not quite tipping his hand of a leader.

"No, I'm still wide open," Johnson said. Buit, he did offer up a couple planned visits in the future. "I plan to visit USC and Louisville in the fall."

2009 LOUISVILLE COMMTMENTS STRONG AT NBA CAMP

2008-06-25T15:26:00.002-04:00

June 25, 2008

**story courtesy of Ron Bailey of the NBE Basketball Report and photo courtesy of i95ballerz.com**

Peyton Siva – 6’0”, 180 pounds (Louisville commit) - It must be something with Louisville and spunky, offensive minded guards, as Siva fits the bill, and is headed to that storied program. Normally the Cardinal’s coach, Rick Pitino snaps up a New York-area guard to fill the bill (see Edgar Sosa and long ago, Billy Donavan), but this time, he returned to Seattle to nab Peyton Siva (following current L’Ville swingman Terrance Williams).

Siva, a junior, can score and pass, and does so with an irrepressible flair; going into championship play Saturday, he was 17th in the camp in assists. Peyton must get stronger for Big East play, but should fit in well at Louisville, where the guards are required to score, particularly from the perimeter.

Rakeem Buckles – 6’8”, 210 pounds (Louisville commit) – A frontcourt man who excels at using his athleticism and activity to attack the rim and clean glass, Buckles is your prototypical Florida-bred forward in that he keeps moving and overwhelms opponents resultantly. The kid really works around the tin.

Going forward, Buckles, a junior, must gain weight and get stronger, as his game is more in the paint than out of it. Increased mid-range shooting is in line also, as Louisville probably will transition him to power/small forward mix, thereby mandating he hit such shots.

TOBIAS HARRIS VISITS LOUISVILLE BASKETBALL PROGRAM

2008-06-24T10:45:00.003-04:00

June 24, 2008

Tobias Harris continues his world tour of college campuses as he made an unofficial visit to meet up with Rick Pitino and see the Louisville program this past weekend.

"Tobias' visit was great," his father, Torrel Harris Sr. told the NBE Basketball Report Sunday night. "He got to see the campus, ...meet some players, played pick up games and he had a chance to talk to Coach (Rick) Pitino. He is a great guy and a good person. Tobias just had a great time out there in Kentucky," Mr. Harris said.

Louisville put their best foot forward for Harris and he definitely liked what he saw. A highlight, of course, was getting the chance to meet and talk with coach Pitino, who made the expected positive impression. The Louisville campus was also a star of the visit.

"The campus is beautiful," Tobias indicated. "It's not really too big and not really too small, it is just cool. The school itself has a history of winning. It is a great school," Harris said.

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LOUISVILLE ENTERES CHEEK SWEEPSTAKES

2008-06-16T11:50:00.002-04:00

June 16, 2008

Dominic Cheek is piling up the offers as more schools are becoming interested in the elite 2009 wing from St. Anthony's in Jersey City (NJ). Cheek Picks Up Memphis, Louisville Offers (NBE Basketball Report) recently to go with intense interest from Villanova, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Florida, UConn, Texas, Rutgers, Seton Hall and Maryland.

“I talked to Rick Pitino and everything,” Cheek told Adam Zagoria at the Rumble in the Bronx at Fordham University. “It was exciting.”

He added that former Pitt and current Memphis assistant Orlando Antigua is recruiting him for John Calipari’s team.

“I’m still wide open right now,” said Cheek, who hit a bunch of 3-pointers while also making athletic forays to the hoop in leading the Playaz to several victories. “I don’t have a favorite right now.”

Cheek said he plans to “start cutting the list down soon.” With a busy summer ahead, expect more schools to try and get involved as well.

LOUISVILLE 2008-2009 SNAPSHOT

2008-06-10T11:49:00.004-04:00

June 10, 2008

Head Coach: Rick Pitino
2007-2008 Record: 27-9 (14-4 Big East), NCAA Elite 8

Returning Players:
Terrence Williams, Senior (Small Forward)
Andre McGee, Senior (Guard)
Earl Clark, Junior (Forward)
Edgar Sosa, Junior (Guard)
Jerry Smith, Junior (Guard)
Will Scott (non-scholarship), Senior (Guard)
George Goode, rsFreshman (Forward)
Preston Knowles, Sophomore (Guard)

Incoming Players:
Samardo Samuels, Power Forward/Center
Terrence Jennings, Center/Power Forward
Jared Swopshire, Small Forward
Kyle Kuric, Shooting Guard

Eligible Transfer:
Reginald Delk, Junior (Guard)

Graduated Players:
Juan Palacios, Senior (Forward)
David Padgett, Senior (Center)
Terrance Farley, Senior (Center)

Transferred Out (or no longer playing):
Clarence Holloway, Freshman (Center)
Derrick Caracter, Sophomore (Center)

Open Items/Issues:
Spring time in Louisville can be quite busy, while the Cards were quiet on the 2008 recruiting front, they have been busy on the recruiting trail for 2009, locking up three verbal commitments. As for their roster, recruit Melquan Bolding parted ways with Louisville and signed with Duquesne, Clarence Holloway had to leave the basketball team due to health reasons and Derrick Caracter was declared academically ineligible to compete this coming season. The roster shake-up has settled has shaped the line-up for next season at 12 scholarship players.

Summary:
Louisville probably received the biggest internal boost this spring when Terrence Williams and Earl Clark quickly made decisions not to pursue their NBA Draft possibilities and return to the Cardinal line-up for the 2008-2009 season. Clark led the team in rebounding (8.1) with Williams 2nd on the club (7.2) and T-Will was the Cards' top assist man at 4.5/game and they both averaged 11.1 point a game, right behind David Padgett for the team lead. Clark also led the team in blocks with 59 last season. Clark's return did come as a surprise as a strong pre-season showed the flashes of his tremendous potential and had many believing he would be a mid-first round draft pick. It had also been speculated that he had no intention of staying in college for more than two seasons, but he decided to take Rick Pitino's advice and could be in line for an All-American season as a junior.

Louisville will definitely be a top-10 contender nationally next season and their success will likely hinge on Edgar Sosa becoming the consistent point guard that Rick Pitino is trying to develop out of him. Sosa can get into a rut of tunnel vision looking for his own offense at times, but Pitino is working hard to get him to think more team oriented and to concentrate on his defense more often. Jerry Smith is one of the league's top three-point threats and Andre McGee offers experience in the back court. The addition of transfer Reginald Delk will provide a perimeter shooting boost that is very crucial in Pitino's offensive system, something that has not been a consistent weapon the last couple seasons.

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The front court took a hit this off season with the graduation of David Padgett, Juan Palacios and Terrence Farley and the merciful end to the Derrick Caracter saga as the underachieving big forward failed to remain academically eligible. Padgett was often praised by coach Pitino for his all around play and making the team better with his high basketball IQ and understanding of what the Cardinals were trying to accomplish on each possession. He will be very difficult to replace, but the candidates are impressive with all-American recruit Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings leading the way.

As usual, Rick Pitino has an impressive list of athletes at his disposal to run his system. Terrence Williams and Earl Clark will be among the top players in the conference (as well as the country) at the forward positions and Samardo Samuels should be one of the most college-ready incoming big men in the nation. Three-point shooting weapons like Jerry Smith and Reginald Delk round out an offensive line-up that should put up a lot of points. If Edgar Sosa takes the big step in his junior year and they find some depth in the front court, this will be a definite top four Big East team and a club that will once again be knocking on the door of the Final Four.

IT IS OFFICIAL: BOLDING NOT HEADED TO LOUISVILLE

2008-05-21T15:40:00.002-04:00

The speculation that Melquan Bolding would not end up at Louisville has been rampant for months and months. Now it is official as Bolding Signs Letter of Intent with Duquesne (Pittsburgh Tribune Review) and will attend the Atlantic 10 school as a member of the class of 2008.

Bolding committed to Louisville while still in high school at Archbishop Stepinac. The intention was to do a year of prep, which he did at Notre Dame Prep (MA) and then sign with the Cardinals. When the Fall signing period passed without a signed letter of intent, the speculation was ramped up and Bolding had re-opened his recruitment this spring, only to once again insist he was headed to Louisville, however, in the end, he looks to have found the right fit with Ron Everhart and Duquesne.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2008-05-16T10:42:00.003-04:00

May 16, 2008

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Peyton Siva, (2009) 5'11, 160 lb (PG) from Seattle (WA) Franklin HS

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Juniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Sophomores: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Freshmen: Melquan Bolding (G), Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Clarence Holloway (C), Jared Swopshire (SF)
2009 Commitment: Mike Marra (G), Rakeem Buckles (F), Peyton Siva (PG)

While Terrence Williams is scheduled to graduate and move to the pro ranks, Rick Pitino again looks to the Pacific Northwest and the Seattle Rotary Select AAU program for another young star in Peyton Siva. Earlier today, the class of 2009 point guard decided to end his recruitment. The news of Siva to Louisville (Louisville Courier-Journal) is evidence again of coach Pitino's far reaching power on the recruiting trail.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Rick Pitino continues to stay well ahead of the game on the recruiting trail as the Louisville coach picked up his third commitment from the class of 2009 this morning when Peyton Siva out of Seattle (WA) made the Cardinals his college choice. Siva has long been considered Louisville's to lose on the recruiting trail after a visit this past season for their game with Georgetown. In the end, Louisville did not lose and scored a very good commitment from their point guard of the future.

Siva is an extremely quick and lightning fast point guard with the ball in his hands. He is also an above-average perimeter shooter who can also explode at the rim with a dunk when the time is right. As he matures, his decision making continues to improve and he always seems to be calm and cool on the floor, a trait that is a must for the most successful point guards in the game.

Siva joins previous 2009 commitments Rakeem Buckles and Mike Marra. Buckles is a wiry and raw forward prospect who is just touching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential. At 6'8, he has explosive athletic ability that you see in an NBA small forward, however his game is still transitioning from a skinny big man to the wing and is a process that is just beginning. However, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino definitely believes it is a project worth undertaking as he aggressively courted the Miami Pace junior and landed an early verbal commitment from Buckles in February. Local Miami and West Virginia were also closely monitoring his progress, but Louisville easily took the most attention in Buckles.

Buckles and Siva join Mike Marra, a 6'5 native of Smithfield (RI), as coach Pitino's 2009 commitments. Marra is an athletic shooter for Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School. According to his coach, John Carroll, Marra averaged nearly 28 points per game and has hit 55% from 3-pt range over an 11 game stretch late last season. Marra was also considering Providence, Massachusetts, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Michigan, but after coach Rick Pitino came to watch him play last winter, Marra decided to end the process early and commit to the Cards, who had been his leader for some time. Marra visited Louisville and Freedom Hall in December and they have been on his mind ever since.

NYC native Lamont 'MoMo' Jones, currently at American Christian school, committed to Louisville during his sophomore season at Rice (NYC) HS. However, Jones decided to re-open the process and is looking at schools such as Memphis (who landed Tyreke Evans, his teammate at American Christian), Xavier, Pittsburgh, Florida State, Seton Hall, among others.

As of today, our recruiting board for Louisville shows 15 players slotted for scholarships in the 2009-2010 season, two above the NCAA limit of 13. The first spot likely to be open is that of Melquan Bolding, who has long been rumored to be on the outside looking in with the Cardinal class of 2008. Bolding was at Notre Dame Prep this past season honing his skills a sorting out his academic situation. He committed to Louisville qute some time ago, but has not signed a letter of intent in either signing period and at this point it is a severe longshot that he ever does with UL.

Another player that is more then unlikely to be part of the 2008-2009 team is Clarence Holloway. The mammaoth big man has taken a long road to Louisville, where he originally committed as part of the class of 2005, but his career never got started in 2007 as a heart condition led to open heart surgery prior to the season. This medical ailment (and it was never certain that he was cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse) makes it unlikely he plays basketball at Louisville in the future.

The other aspect of the roster to be sorted out prior to the class of 2009 arriving is the early NBA departures. Earl Calrk was considered a 1st round choice in the 2008 draft and after a brief period where he declared for the draft, Clark had second thoughts and pulled out of the deep draft pool to return to Louisville for his junior season. With a projected weaker pool for the 2009 draft and a season as the go-to player in Rick Pitino's system, one can expect with near certainty that Clark will enter the 2009 draft.

With those circumstances likely to happen, it is very possible that Louisville will have another scholarship open, at least, for the class of 2009. The Cards have been involved with Indianapolis big man Stephan Van Treese as well as Maryland small forward Isaiah Armwood, Alabama wing Christian Watford and Virginia power forward Deshawn Painter, among others.

As always, Rick Pitino is not one to wait around on anyone. He is already making it known to several prospects in the class of 2010 that the Cardinals are interested. U of L is On Indiana Shooter (Courier-Journal) Russell Byrd, 6'7 forward from Fort Wayne (IN), making the Blackhawk Christian player a scholarship offer already. Another player Louisville has made early overtures with is All-Ohio Red power forward Adreian Payne. The 6'9 member of the powerful 16-U all-Ohio Red AAU squad attends Jefferson HS in Dayton (OH) and U of L is on the List of the 2010 Star (Courier-Journal). Terone Johnson is a gaurd from North Central in Indianapolis (which produced recent IU star Eric Gordon) and is also getting interest of late from Rick Pitino and staff in the class of 2010.

We will continue to follow the Louisville recruiting situation closely as Rick Pitino is always keeping the Cards in the headlines on the recruiting trail.

BIG EAST ELITE AFTER ISAIAH ARMWOOD

2008-05-14T12:52:00.001-04:00

One of the best prospects in the class of 2009 is Montrose Christian's 6'8 small forward Isaiah Armwood. The smooth wing turned in a strong performance playing for the WPC Elite at the recent DC Assault AAU Tournament 'Take Your Best Shot' in Virginia.

Saturday at the DC Assault AAU Tournament (NBE Basketball Report), Armwood scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a win over Potomac Pride. Armwood mentions Big East schools such as Georgetown, Louisville, Syracuse and Villanova in the recruiting process as schools of interest. He also is looking at Maryland, North Carolina and Texas at this stage of the process.

LOUISVILLE LOOKS TO CLOSE 2008 CLASS

2008-05-09T13:33:00.002-04:00

Kyle Kuric has been orally committed to Louisville and coach Rick Pitino since last October, rumors about the future of 6’4 shooting guard Kyle Kuric remained. Without signing a letter of intent, neither party was bound to the verbal commitment. Would Louisville still have a scholarship available? Would Kuric look to one of the other schools that recruited him, like Michigan, St. Louis, Southern Illinois or Evansville?

Well, the speculation and rumors can officially cease come Monday as the 6’4 shooting guard from Evansville (IN) Memorial High School ends the process as Kuric Will Sign with Louisville (Courier Press) and be part of the UL family. Kuric averaged 20.8 points and 6.7 rebounds, was named the All-Metro player of the year, leading his team to a sectional championship.

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Juniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Sophomores: Preston Knowles (G)
Freshmen: George Goode (F), Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Jared Swopshire (SF)

There still is a little uncertainty as Melquan Bolding remians a verbal commitment for 2008. Also, Clarence Holloway sat out the 2007-2007 season because of a medical condition, and we never received word if the NCAA Clearninghouse cleared him to be eligible for a scholarship. At this point in time, there is still questions on if he will play because of the medical condition that required heart surgery last fall. We have at least 12 players on scholarship, Holloway would be the 13th, but if he is a medical hardship, that would open another for Bolding. The possibility also exists neither is at UL next season.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: NOTRE DAME @ LOUISVILLE

2008-02-28T11:03:00.001-05:00

February 28, 2008

This week's Thursday Night spotlight is a dandy as Notre Dame and Louisville battle it out for what could be a showdown for the conference title. The Irish finish up their schedule with DePaul, St. John's and South Florida after tonight, so this is obviously their biggest challenge in their last four games. Louisville will host Villanova on Sunday and travel to Georgetown to close out the conference regular season schedule.

Here are the local media previews and game stories on tonight's showdown:

Irish Battle Tested for Showdown (South Bend Tribune)
It's Time for Irish to Take Title Shot (Chicago Tribune)
Season Heading into Interesting (Journal Gazette)
Notre Dame Offense Will Test U of L (Courier-Journal)
UofL Bracing for Hot Shooting Notre Dame (Kentucky.com)
Cards to Try Bit of Everything Against Notre Dame (Courier-Journal)

An exciting match-up is set for Freedom Hall tonight and the two teams that seem to be playing the best basketball right now in the Big East go head to head when Louisville hosts Notre Dame.

Louisivlle has won nine of their last 10, losing only by two points at Connecticut in that stretch. The Cards have won with defense, they have won with offense, whatever is needed, they have responded with it. Senior David Padgett has overcome a series of injuries the last few years and has stepped up his game down the stretch providing leadership and production on a consistent basis. He scored 18 in the win over Georgetown, added 20 in a victory at DePaul and scored 21 on Sunday against Pittsburgh. Tonight, he will use his post moves and height to work against Luke Harangody of the Irish. Harangody will look to bull his way through Padgett and continue his assault on the Big East. Harangody has emerged as the favorite to win the Big East's Player of the Year award, but the way Louisville has taken off with a healthy Padgett, you could argue that Padgett might be the most valuable player to his team.

The Louisville defense will be challenged by the inside/out combination of Kyle McAlarney and Harangody. McAlarney is coming off a Notre Dame record nine three's against Syracuse on Sunday and will challenge and stretch the Cardinal defense. Rick Pitino has seen it all before and will try to come up with different wrinkles to contest McAlarney's shots and try not to allow him to get comfortable on the perimeter. Super-quick Tory Jackson will provide another challenge as his dribble penetration could provide kick-outs to an open McAlarney on the perimeter.

The Irish, winners of eight of nine, also have had their last loss handed to them at Connecticut. Notre Dame is not the deepest team in the league, normally playing seven or eight players with Luke Zeller and Jonathan Peoples getting spot minutes behind a top 6, that also includes consistent Rob Kurz and small forwards Ryan Ayers and Zach Hillesland. How the Irish handle the pressure defense from the Cards will decide this game.

Louisville will look to get their athletic forwards Earl Clark and Terrence Williams free against the ND defense. The Irish were destroyed on the boards against Syracuse on Sunday and the Cards have the size and depth on the front line to give them fits on the boards as well. Juan Palacios and Derrick Caracter could start for nearly every team in the Big East, so they have high-quality depth behind Padgett and Clark. Williams is the x-factor, he is capable of taking his game to another level, especially if his shot is falling. The UL guards have been getting more consistent in playing both sides of the ball in Pitino's preferred style, brining it all together for the Cardinals.

Louisville started the season as the preseason co-favorite with Georgetown and after suffering through the injury bug, it looks as though they have put the pieces together for a late season run. Notre Dame has faced a tough schedule and they just keep on winning, setting themselves up to be in position for the league title. It has been a great season that still has more success to come for the Irish.

Playign at home, I think Louisville controls this game. They are the 8-pt favorite and I think they jump on Notre Dame defensively and work the boards hard to get key second chance points when needed.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 77 Notre Dame 67

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2008-02-25T11:58:00.002-05:00

February 25, 2008

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Rakeem Buckles, (2009) 6'8, 200 lb (F) from Miami (FL) Pace HS

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Juniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Derrick Caracter (BF), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Sophomores: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Freshmen: Melquan Bolding (G), Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Clarence Holloway (C), Jared Swopshire (SF)
2009 Commitment: Mike Marra (G), Rakeem Buckles (F)

Rick Pitino REALLY was not kidding when he said he was concentrating his recruiting efforts on the class of 2009, seemingly pulling out of the Tyreke Evans' sweepstakes. In the week since he made that proclamation, Louisville landed 6'5 junior Mike Marra and today comes More Good News for Louisville Hoops (Courier-Journal) as Rakeem Buckles verbally commits to the Cardinals.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Rakeem Buckles is a wiry and raw forward prospect. At 6'8, he has explosive athletic ability that you see in an NBA small forward, however his game is still raw and transitioning from a skinny big man to the wing is a process that is just beginning. However, Louisville head coach Rick Pitino definitely believes it is a project worth undertaking as he aggressively courted the Miami Pace junior and landed an early verbal commitment from Buckles earlier today.

Buckles is averaging about 14 PPG and 8 rebounds a contest for Pace in his junior season and the potential to be a major impact player is certainly there, you just do not teach that kind of athletic ability in a 6'8 player. Local Miami and West Virginia were also closely monitoring his progress, but Louisville easily took the most attention in Buckles.

Buckles joins Mike Marra, a 6'5 native of Smithfield (RI), as coach Pitino's 2009 commitments. Marra is an athletic shooter for Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School. According to his coach, John Carroll, Marra is averaging 28 points per game and has hit 55% from 3-pt range the last 11 games. Marra was also considering Providence, Massachusetts, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Michigan, but after coach Rick Pitino came to watch him play this week, Marra decided to end the process early and commit to the Cards, who has been his leader for some time. Marra visited Louisville and Freedom Hall in December and they have been on his mind ever since.

NYC native Lamont 'MoMo' Jones, currently at American Christian school, committed to Louisville during his sophomore season at Rice (NYC) HS. However, Jones recently decided to re-open the process and is looking at schools such as Memphis (likely to land Tyreke Evans, his teammate at American Christian), Xavier, Pittsburgh, Florida State, Seton Hall, among others.

Another immediate target in the class of 2009 that Pitino and his staff will concentrate on is Seattle (WA) Franklin 5'11 point guard Peyton Siva. Siva recently took a trip to Louisville for their game with Georgetown and spoke very highly of the experience.

It certainly was a busy, busy time to follow Louisville recruiting during the class of 2008 where Rick Pitino sealed commitments from Martez Walker, Jeff Withey, Melquan Bolding, Samardo Samuels, Kyle Kuric, Terrence Jennings and Jared Swopshire. Walker and Withey subsequently de-committed and the status of Bolding's commitment is up in the air at this point. The main topic of discussion of Louisville recruiting the last several months has been their chase for Tyreke Evans. For much of the last few years, Louisville had been considered the leader for the American Christian star. However, although he has still not committed to a school, Rick Pitino has seemingly resigned himself to the fact that Evans is likely to commit to one of the other finalists (likely Memphis) and has moved in, in a hurry, towards the class of 2009.

Of course, with 15 players on paper for the 2008-2009 AND 2009-2010 seasons, the Louisville roster situation does have some sorting out to do. Whispers are that Clarence Holloway is unlikely to continue his basketball career due to health issues (and, it is unclear if he ever made it through the NCAA Clearinghouse, but it must have been settled if he is in school on scholarship), Mequan Bolding is not going to enroll and Derrick Caracter, among others, is likely to declare for the NBA Draft this spring. Stay tuned...things could change again soon...

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2008-02-21T21:59:00.002-05:00

February 21, 2008

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Mike Marra, (G) Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Juniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Derrick Caracter (BF), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Sophomores: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Freshmen: Melquan Bolding (G), Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Clarence Holloway (C), Jared Swopshire (SF)
2009 Commitment: Mike Marra (G)

With Rick Pitino moving his sights away from the 2008 class, Tyreke Evans included, to the class of 2009, it did not take the Louisville head coach long to score his first commitment from the 2009 class as Louisville Lands Sharpshooter (Louisville Courier-Journal) Mike Marra.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Mike Marra, a 6'5 native of Smithfield (RI), is an athletic shooter for Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School. According to his coach, John Carroll, Marra is averaging 28 points per game and has hit 55% from 3-pt range the last 11 games. Marra was also considering Providence, Massachusetts, Gonzaga, Wake Forest and Michigan, but after coach Rick Pitino came to watch him play this week, Marra decided to end the process early and commit to the Cards, who has been his leader for some time. Marra visited Louisville and Freedom Hall in December and they have been on his mind ever since.

Marra is the second player in the class of 2009 to commit for Louisville. NYC native Lamont 'MoMo' Jones, currently at American Christian school, committed during his sophomore season at Rice HS. However, Jones recently decided to re-open the process and is looking at schools such as Memphis (likely to land Tyreke Evans, his teammate at American Christian), Xavier, Pittsburgh, Florida State, among others.

The two immediate targets in the class of 2009 that Pitino and his staff will concentrate on are Seattle (WA) Franklin 5'11 point guard Peyton Siva and Miami (FL) Pace 6'8 forward Rakeem Buckles. Siva recently took a trip to Louisville for their game with Georgetown and spoke very highly of the experience.

It certainly was a busy, busy time to follow Louisville recruiting during the class of 2008 where Rick Pitino sealed commitments from Martez Walker, Jeff Withey, Melquan Bolding, Samardo Samuels, Kyle Kuric, Terrence Jennings and Jared Swopshire. Walker and Withey subsequently de-committed and the status of Bolding's commitment is up in the air at this point. The main topic of discussion of Louisville recruiting the last several months has been their chase for Tyreke Evans. For much of the last few years, Louisville had been considered the leader for the American Christian star. However, although he has still not committed to a school, Rick Pitino has seemingly resigned himself to the fact that Evans is likely to commit to one of the other finalists (likely Memphis).

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ DEPAUL

2008-02-12T09:57:00.000-05:00

February 12, 2008

The Louisville Cardinals look to follow-up their stirring win in an electric atmosphere over Georgetown by earning a road win at DePaul this evening. The Blue Demons needed a big 2nd half rally on Saturday to defeat the lowly South Florida Bulls.

Here are the pregame stories and previews from local media outlets:

DePaul's Will Walker Coming into His Own (Chicago Tribune)
Pitino Says Cards Ae at Best So Far (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Walker's Stats Running Higher (Daily Herald)
Demons Seek Upset over Louisville (Sun-Times)

Another Conference-USA rivalry is renewed tonight in Chicago as DePaul hosts Louisville in a Big East conference match-up. The Blue Demons have a tough road ahead in the Big East schedule, so finding a way to come out with victories at home is very important. DePaul avoided disaster on Saturday, rallying from an 11-point halftime defecit to beat South Florida. Tonight they will hope to catch Louisville still on a high from their Primetime Saturday nigh win over Georgetown in 'White-out' conditions at Freedom Hall.

The Blue Demons have the athletic ability and size to match-up with Louisville, but they do not have the depth upfront, so they need to keep Mac Koshwal and Wesley Green on the floor as much as possible. They could go smaller and try to match-up Karron Clarke with forwards Earl Clark and Juan Palacios, but that will hurt them on the boards. Dar Tucker on the wing is a similar player to Terrence Williams but has the disadvantage in terms of experience. The guard situations are rather similar as well with each head coach trying to get his point guards to take on the prefered role. It looks like Edgar Sosa for Louisville and Cliff Clinkscales for DePaul are coming around more consistently.

Louisville is a 7.5-pt favorite, but be aware of a letdown tonight. Rick Pitino might be shuttling players in and out to find the combination that is ready to play tonight while DePaul will look to jump on the Cards early. If Louisville depends on the three-point shot, look for the Blue Demons to build an early lead...however, Louisville will right the ship and come from behind for the win.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 69 DePaul 63

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: GEORGETOWN @ LOUISVILLE

2008-02-08T15:51:00.000-05:00

February 9, 2008

ESPN Primetime, live from Freedom Hall! It is going to be a full day of excitement and events for the Louisville fans as they prepare to welcome Georgetown Saturday night. This is the match-up of the Big East co-favorites from the preseason. Georgetown has lived up to their advanced billing, while Louisville has been a little slower in hitting their stride, but they have certainly showed signs of putting things together from time to time.

Georgetown has only lost one game in the Big East, at Pittsburgh, and sit at 9-1 with a six-game win streak. They have not always been impressive, but while every other team has been up and down and not immune to be blown out, the Hoyas remain in every game and doing enough to win them.

Georgetown is a team that shares the ball and runs effecient offensive sets. Roy Hibbert is their leader in the middle at 7'2. He might not look fancy on offense and often looks awkward, but he has learned to use every inch of his 7'2 frame to his advantage on both ends of the floor and is comfortable passing the ball on the perimeter to cutters. DaJuan Summers is still the player I am waiting on to take a giant leap forward in becoming one of the league's best, but the Georgetown system seems to allow everyone a fair share in the spoils.

This game features two excellent and deep frontcourts. Hibbert and Summers with Patrick Ewing Jr and Vernon Macklin off the bench face off against David Padgett and Earl Clark with Juan Palacious and Derrick Caracter off the bench for Louisville. If either unit can get an edge, it could tilt the game in favor of their team. With Padgett back in the line-up, Louisville is much more consistent and their offense flows better. They just need to stay away from falling in love with the perimeter shot.

Running the show for Louisville is Edgar Sosa. He needs to make sure the Cards get the ball inside, take his offense when it comes and manage the game. He is still learning the position of point guard for Rick Pitino and the learning curve has continued, but he is coming off his best performance of the season as the point guard in the win at Marquette. Jerry Smith is his backcourt mate and is one of the league's best three-point shooters. If Sosa concentrates on getting his teammates involved offensively in position to score, they will be tough to beat.

The Georgetown backcourt of Jesse Sapp and Jonathan Wallace is definitely under-appreciated by the masses, but they have both hit many BIG shots in BIG situations. They may not be the flashiest or the most exciting, but they are very effective. They understand where the Georgetown team excels and take their opportunities as they come to them.

At the wing, Louisville's best all-around player, Terrence Williams is matched up with promising Georgetown freshman Austin Freeman. Both players have good size and play an all-around game, but if Williams is hitting his shots, Louisville is VERY tough to beat. Freeman seems very close to completely busting out, he and Summers are a pair that could take Georgetown to another level down the stretch if they become more assertive.

Georgetown is definitely the most effective team in the Big East this season. Louisville is the team we are waiting to bust out. They have showed signs with big wins over Marquette and blowing out Rutgers like no other. However, they have had their shares of lapses too. Whenever your ready to jump on the Louisville to the Final Four bandwagon, they blow a tire. However, if Edgar Sosa relishes the role of playmaker, they could get this wagon moving quickly.

With a national audience and a jazzed Freedom Hall crowd, we look forward to seeing Louisville at their best and getting an impressive win over Georgetown.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 74 Georgetown 66

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ MARQUETTE

2008-02-04T09:22:00.001-05:00

February 4, 2008

Conference positioning is at stake as Louisville and Marquette both look to break from the masses in the middle of the conference and solidify position for one of the four Big East Tournament byes. The Cardinals beat Marquette in Freedom Hall back in January, 71-51, and the Golden Eagles will look for revenge tonight.

Here are the local media previews on tonight's Big Monday match-up:

Cards on their Mark, Set to Go to Marquette (Louisville Courier-Journal)
MU Rivalry With Louisville Has Developed into a Classic (Journal-Sentinel)
Cards Start Big Week at Marquette (Kentucky.com)
cards Better Be Ready for Primetime (Courier-Journal)

It is a VERY big week for the Louisville Cardinals, beginning tonight as part of Big Monday on ESPN when they travel to meet Marquette and ending late Saturday night with a ESPN Primetime showdown with league-leading Georgetown. The Cards enter tonight's contest at 6-3 in the conference and the second half of their conference schedule is definitely among the toughest in the league.

Marquette played strong and came up with a conference road win, dispatching Cincinnati 75-60 on Saturday. Marquette has now won three in a row in the Big East and got the monkey off their back by winning a Big East game on the road. Like the Louisville schedule, things do not get any easier for Marquette as the Big East heads towards March.

In their prior meeting, Marquette put forth a dismal offensive display, shooting 30% overall from the field, which included an o-fer (0-12) from beyond the arc. The Cards also battered Marquette on the boards, outrebounding Tom Crean's squad 49-34. Terrence Williams (20 pts) and David Padgett (17 pts, 10 rebounds) led the way for the Cards. The Marquette offense was so bad they registered just two assists in the entire game against 13 turnovers, seven of which were committed by Jerel McNeal (16 pts).

Marquette is coming off what is likely their best performance of the season, a 75-60 win at Cincinnati. Ousmane Barro, who has largely been invisible this season, stepped up and scored a season-high 19 pts and added 10 rebounds as the Golden Eagles won the battle of the boards as well. Lazar Hayward also scored 19 in the win. Jerel McNeal scored 13 points, added 7 assists and did not commit a single turnover.

Marquette will need another strong effort from Barro against the big and deep Louisville frontcourt. The Cards have a senior duo of Padgett and Juan Palacios along with a sophomore pair of Derrick Caracter and Earl Clark to face Barro, Dwight Burke and the small forward pair of Lazar Hayward and Dan Fitzgerald that masquerade as power forwards in the Marquette attack. Their lack of size in many instances is covered up by their deep and talented group of guards led by McNeal, Dominic James and Wesley Mathews, who all have help from Maurice Acker and David Cubillan off the bench.

Louisville's backcourt is manned by Jerry Smith, a Wisconsin native who was Louisville's hero in last season's thrilling win in the Bradley Center, Edgar Sosa and Andre McGee. This group, along with super-athletic junior wing Terrence Williams demolished Rutgers, forcing them into 24 turnovers, 87-50 over the weekend as the Cards looked like a classic Rick Pitino club flying all over the court.

If Louisville is going to take their place as the challenger to Georgetown that everyone expected in the preseason, this is the week to do it. Marquette will definitely have something to say about that as the Golden Eagles were also expected to challenge. Marquette is a 3.5-pt favorite tonight on their home floor and the Bradley Center crowd should have Marquette amped. The energy buzz that the crowd should provide the home team should allow the defensive clamps to be put down on the perimeter, making it tough for Louisville to take advantage of their front court advantage. If Marquette can make just enough from the perimeter, they should fend off Louisville in a spirited match-up.

NBE Blogger's Prediction: Marquette 69 Louisville 66

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ LOUISVILLE

2008-02-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

February 2, 2008

Rutgers and Louisville meet for the second time this season as the Cardinals came up with a win earlier this year at the RAC. On Saturday, the Scarlet Knights travel to Freedom Hall as the Cards try to rebound from last Monday's defeat at UConn on Big Monday.

Rutgers is coming off a draining overtime home loss to rival Seton Hall. RU rallied from a 12-pt halftime lead to force overtime, but the Pirates regrouped and outscored Rutgers 17-4 in the extra session.

It is time for Louisville to begin turning things on. They are as healthy as they are likely to get this year with seniors Juan Palacios and David Padgett playing upfront with sophomores Derrick Caracter and Earl Clark. The super-athletic Terrence Williams handles the wing position. Rick Pitino will start pointing this club towards 'March' mode and time to let them run. They still need to get their talented, but inconsistent, backcourt to utilize their talent in the frontcourt. They should not be hoisting up 20 three's in a first half like they did against Connecticut last week, even with the imposing presence of Hasheem Thabeet in the middle.

Rutgers doesn't quite have a Thabeet in the middle, but Hamady D'Diaye and JR Inman form an athletic and big duo with Byron Joynes in the frontcourt. However, that is all they have upfront, so I look for Rick Pitino to implore his troops to sttack the post.

Rutgers improvement of the last few weeks has been led by their freshman guard duo of Corey Chandler and Mike Coburn. Coburn scored 40 points combined in the wins over Pittsburgh and Villanova recently and Chandler looks to be getting over the foot injury that limited him as conference play began. Anthony Farmer and Jaron Griffin round out the regulars for RU, they are not deep, but their backcourt is solid.

Coming off the loss to UConn, I expect the Cards to go on a run of good basketball and that it will start on Saturday. They will still look for their share of three's, but the look inside will be made first and that will open up their game.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 78 Rutgers 65

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ CONNECTICUT

2008-01-28T08:55:00.000-05:00

January 28, 2008

The XL Center in Hartford is the site of this week's Big Monday contest as Louisville travels to Connecticut to take on the Huskies in a pivotal Big East Conference Showdown. Both teams were in action on Saturday afternoon as Louisville eased past St. John's and a short-handed UConn squad pulled off a big win on the road against Indiana.

Here are the local medial previews and stories on tonight's game:

No Rest for the Weary (New London Day)
Huskies Game Carries Weight for Cards (Louiville Courier-Journal)
Thabeet Blossoming on the Block (Courier-Journal)
U of L Faces Surging UConn (Kentucky.com)
Dyson, Wiggins Wont Play Against Cards (Courier-Journal)
Little Time to Savor Win (Hartfod Courant)
Calhoun Proud of 'Special' Win (Rep-Am)
Underage Huskies Found With Alcohol (Connecticut Post)

Connecticut has been on a roll since they lost at the XL Center to Providence College 11 days ago. Since that game they rolled past Marquette and picked up road wins over Cincinnati and now Indiana. The win over Indiana was particularly impressive as it handed Kelvin Sampson his first loss at home since becomming the Hoosiers head coach. The win also came without Jerome Dyson and Doug Wiggins, suspended prior to the game by UConn coach Jim Calhoun. Late Thursday night the pair was cited by UConn police for possession of alcohol by minors. They remain suspended indefinitely and will not be with the team for tonight's game.

Louisville sits at 5-2 in conference play and has won six of their last seven games overall. The lone loss was on the road to Seton Hall on January 19th. Louisville saw a 14-pt 2nd half lead evaporate in that one. Since then, they have cruised past both South Florida and St. John's and now look to make a statement in the conference that they want to be the challenger of Georgetown's lead in the Big East. So far, anyone who looks like they are positioning themselves to join the Hoyas as separating from the conference pack have been pulled back to the pack, sometimes (see Pitt) in the unlikeliest of ways.

Without Dyson and Wiggins, the Huskies become quite thin in the backcourt. AJ Price remains the starting point guard and is joined in the backcourt by Craig Austrie. Their only backcourt reserve is freshman Donnell Beverly, who was not seeing much time prior to the suspensions.

Louisville does not have much depth in the backcourt either and relies on three guards to play most of their minutes with Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Andre McGee. coach Rick Pitino does have a couple options with freshman Preston Knowles and walk-on Will Scott to go deeper, but often times they are used when Pitino seems exasperated with his other guards.

UConn's depth has been hit throughout the season with the transfer of Marcus Johnson earlier and now the indefinite suspenions of Dyson, their leading scorer, and Wiggins. Stanley Robinson now becomes an even more vital player and must find consistent production from the wing with a ton of potential. The inside combination of strongman Jeff Adrien and 7'3 Hasheem Thabeet is usually enough to intimidate anyone, but the Cardinals bring a talented frontline themselves with seniors David Padgett and Juan Palacios along with sophomores Derrick Caracter and Earl Clark. On the wing, Terrence Williams is the one that makes the Cards go with his all-around play.

We have seen teams band together short-handed and get a short-term lift to overcome the adversity. However, it is often tough to maintain that level. With such a quick turnaround from their trip to Indiana for a tough win and coming home to face a Louisville team that is slowly putting things together, it looks to be a tall order for the Huskies. They still have talent and they still have decent numbers on the roster, but Louisville will be coming with something to prove.

Connecticut is a slight home favorite in the early lines, but look for Louisville to be just a little too deep and to continue their defensive improvement to get a tight win on the road.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 67 Connecticut 64

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: ST. JOHN'S @ LOUISVILLE

2008-01-25T14:22:00.000-05:00

January 26, 2008

Hopefully for Norm Roberts and his young St. John's Redstrom, Wednesday night will be the low water mark of the season. The Redstorm, playing their first Big East game at Madison Square Garden, were pounded by Pittsburgh 81-57 in front of a crowd that barely filled 25% of the season.

Louisville has been playing well and bounced back from a tough loss at Seton Hall with a dominating win over South Florida on the road. The Cardinals seem to have their injury woes behind them and are moving forward. Not quite in a stright-line, but progress is evident.

Prior to the Pitt debacle, St. John's played West Virginia tough in Morgantown and there seemed to be some hope. Against the Panthers the only bright spot was Anthony Mason's 29-pt performance. The rest of the team combined for 28 as a colelctive group.

Now the 'Storm travels to Freedom Hall and you do feel a little but of pity towards the young group. Louisville looks to have a clear advantage at every position on the floor and if you went with a 2nd five from Louisville against the SJU top 5, you would be hard pressed to find more than one SJU advantage.

But, the play the games for a reason. St. John's does have some athletes that can get up and down the floor and defend with vigor. If they find anyone willing to consistently knock down a few shots, they would improve greatly. The best candidate seems to be sophomore Larry Wright, but he seems to have falled out of favor with the SJU staff.

Louisville needs to play to their strengths, get the ball in deep to their post players and take advantage of some excellent passers for players at non-guard positions. Louisville has a mix of experience and as much raw talent as anyone in the conference, but they also need to show a maturation in managing the game with consistent effort and shot selection. There are times when they can be downright dominating defensively and others when they allow poor play to snowball. At home against the young Redstorm, I look for a dominating defensive performance and will likely get it.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 73 St. John's 52

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ SOUTH FLORIDA

2008-01-23T08:59:00.000-05:00

January 23, 2008

Louisville looks to rebound on the road following their 92-82 setback at Seton Hall on Saturday night. South Florida will look to snap a 5-game losing streak and re-enter the picture for the race for New York City and a spot in the Big East Tournament.

Here are the local media previews and articles on tonight's game:

Slump Just Another Thing to Overcome (St. Petersburg Times)
Gransberry is Indeed South Florida's #1 (Tampa Tribune)
Time For Cards to Just Move On (Courier-Journal)

The Bulls road woes are well documented as USF has yet to win a road game in the Big East in two+ years. However, their home success has not been much more as they have just five wins on their home floor since coming to the Big East. I highly doubt number six will come tonight when a motivated Louisville squad comes south.

Rick Pitino is unlikely to allow any mid-winter vacationing on the trip south. The Cardinals need to get better and in a hurry. Each time it looks like the Cardinals are starting to turn a corner, they pull a U-Turn. Just days after blitzing Marquette, 71-51, and continuing a stretch of excellent defense, the Cards give up 92 points and fail to get any defensive stops when they needed them in a 10-pt loss to Seton Hall.

With Juan Palacios and David Padgett back in the line-up, Louisville is as deep and talented as anyone in the conference. Coach Pitino is still trying to find consistent leadership out of his guards where Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Andre McGee all seem more comfortable as under-sized shooting guards than being true point guards. With talented forwards and big men such as Derrick Caracter, Earl Clark, Terrence Williams, Padgett and Palacios, the guards should be concentrating on allowing them to do the scoring and find ways to get them the ball in position to score. However, that is not always the case.

The Bulls really do not match up well with Louisville. Kentrell Gransberry is their biggest weapon, but Louisville is so deep and, can be, very active inside that Gransberry will have his hands full on both ends of the court. Dominique Jones is a dynamic scorer, but the Cards can lock him down if they give a consistent effort on defense. The rest of the Bulls are too inconsistent to count too much on anyone stepping up for a big game.

On a night when home dominance will be tested in each contest, I expect Louisville to come out with some fire and a little more skip in their hop. As a 7.5-pt favorite, the Cards could be flying high again.

NBE Blogeer Prediction: Louisville 73 South Florida 63

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: MARQUETTE @ LOUISVILLE

2008-01-17T08:55:00.000-05:00

January 17, 2008

The highlight of tonight's schedule brings together two former rivals from Conference USA as Marquette travels to Freedom Hall to take on the Louisville Cardinals.

After dropping their conference opener at home against Cincinnati, Louisville has won their last two Big East games, beating West Virginia at home and getting the win at Rutgers last weekend.

Marquette is one of the many tied atop the conference at 3-1 and looks to make their break from the pack. The Golden Eagles are coming off a 92-66 thumping of Notre Dame and also owns home wins over Seton Hall and Providence. Their lone conference defeat came at West Virginia.

Here are the local media previews of tonight's game:

Marquette Will Try to Steal One (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Marquette Men's Basketball Preview (post-Crescent)
Eagles Can Make Move in Big East (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Looking at louisville (Journal-Sentinel)
cards Eyeing 'Big-Time' Win Over Marquette (Kentucky.com)

We are waiting for someone to make a statement in the Big East and show they are serious about winning this conference. Marquette has just that opportunity tonight when they travel to face Louisville in a Big East conference game.

For the Cards, if they hope to compete for the conference crown, these are they games they must win, on their home floor against other good teams. We are still waiting for Louisville to show us how good they are, but with David Padgett and Juan Palacios back in the line-up, the Cards could be hitting their stride soon.

The strength of the Marquette squad is obviously in their guards. With Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews the Marquette guard trio is among the best in the country. It doesn't stop there, Maurice Acker and David Cubillan are very capable back-ups each adding a distinct role to the rotation.

At the forward spot, Lazar Hayward and Dan Fitzgerald are far from proto-type Big East power forwards. However, they each create match-up problems for most opponents with their inside-out talents. That probably will not be as much of an advantage against a team like Louisville who also has a pair of versatile big forwards in Juan Palacios and Earl Clark to match-up with Hayward and Fitzgerald. The Cardinals are still trying to sort out their rotation with the talent they possess, so they have not been as consistent as they should since the return of Palacios and David Padgett from injuries. Padgett teams up with Derrick Caracter in the post for coach Rick Pitino and Marquette counters with their two-headed center tandem of Dwight Burke and Ousmane Barro. On paper, Louisville should be able to take full advantage in the paint with their depth and talent.

That leaves the Louiville guards. The trio of Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Andre McGee will have their hands full with Marquette. Terrence Williams should do well against Wesley Mathews and find his opportunities to shine, but coach Pitino will need his guards to be at their best in terms of decision making and shot selection. Louisville has some clear advantages in the game and it will be up to their guards to take take advantage of the opportunities.

I expect the Cards to learn from other teams that have played Marquette and use several different defenses, but mostly find themselves in a zone. The zone will cut down on the MU dribble penetration and force them to make perimeter shots on the road, a tough task.

This promises to be a very good game. Marquette will try to steal this one with pressure on the ball from their guards, but Louisville, a 2.5-pt home favorite, knows the importance of winning at home in the conference, especially after letting the game with Cincinnati get away.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 66 Marquette 64

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ LOUISVILLE

2008-01-10T09:52:00.000-05:00

January 9, 2008

Rick Pitino and his Louisville Cardinals look to earn their first Big East win of 2008 when they host an old nemesis, Bob Huggins, and his West Virginia Mountaineers at Freedom Hall tonight.

Here are the local media previews of tonight's game:

Could Be Another UofL-WVU Classic (Kentucky.com)
WVU Men;s Welcome Challenge of Facing Louisville (Times West Virginian)
WVU Needs Short Memory (Charleston Gazette)
It's Huggins vs. Pitino...Again (SI.com)
Cards Hope They are Over Hump (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Louisville is a home favorite tonight, but it is slight, just 2.5 points over the visiting Mountaineers. West Virginia hit the road once already in the Big East and lost at Notre Dame, suffering their worst offensive showing of the season in the process. Louisville was surprised by Cincinnati, at home, in their Big East opener on New Year's Day.

West Virginia rebounded from their loss to Notre Dame over the weekend by cruising past Marquette at home. The Mountaineers got back to the effecient offense that makes them very difficult to play and Bob Huggins has been mixing in several different defenses to incorporate his strategies while meeting the strengths of his players.

For Rick Pitino, things have not been easy. They have already been through injuries with seniors Juan Palacios and David Padgett and frustrations with a talented, but inconsistent sophomore class. Palacios had his most productive game since returning to the line-up from a knee injury in the Cards' 89-75 win over Kentucky last weekend. Padgett had a quality showing in his first game back, in the loss to Cincinnati, and will continue to get stronger. Both players add experience and an element of comfort for Pitino, they also offer options if sophomores Derrick Caracter and Earl Clark are not playing up to their massive potentials. Thus far, it can be hit or miss with the talented forwards.

As frustrated as Pitino has been with the play of his forwards, it has been sophomore point guard Edgar Sosa that has been the most puzzling situation. Sosa is naturally a scoring guard from the tough CHSAA league in New York City. Pitino is trying to get his sophomore guard to be more of a true point guard, but all too often Sosa's natural instinct to hunt out his own offensive opportunities take over. This has led to Sosa spending a lot of time on the bench, but his talent is definitely needed on the floor.

One player coach Pitino has no worries about in terms of effort is Terrence Williams, the athletically gifted 6'6 junior forward. Few have the athletic ability of Williams int he college game and he can hurt an opponent in many ways. The effort is always there, sometimes he can be a bit out of control and needs to allow the game to come to him. With the veteran presence of Palacios and Padgett in the line-up more, it should begin to work that way for Williams.

The backcourt is completed by Andre McGee and Jerry Smith, a pair of quality guards that are capable of scoring in a hurry, especially Smith, one of the best 3-pt shooters in the league. Will Scott adds a deep threat and Terrence Farley rounds out the frontcourt rotation.

For West Virginia, they have an experienced point guard in Darris Nichols who understands the importance of running the team and putting players in position to score. One of the things coach Huggins has tried to get Nichols to do more is be aggressive and show it is ok to make mistakes being aggressive. Nichols, a senior, can hit the perimeter shot and makes very few mistakes with the ball, almost ensuring WVU has a chance to score on each and every possession.

Nichols' backcourt mate is Alex Ruoff, a solid ballhandler, fundamentally sound defender and excellent 3-pt shooter. Joe Alexander is their go-to forward who plays within the system and uses lenght and ahtleticism to produce points and rebounds. The pair of juniors have progressed into all-league type of players in the Big East.

Maybe the west Virginia x-factor is DaSean Butler, a do-everyting 6'7 sophomore forward. Butler can shoot, pass, defend or just plain score. He is the type of player that excels in any system or any type of game. Again, he is one that can be too unselfish, but when WVU needs a play, he is typically the one to make it, on either side of the ball.

West Virginia's glaring weakness is inside presence. Jamie Smalligan is 7-foot in height, but is more prone to be out by the 3-pt line on offense. He will battle and hustle, but his game is not really suited for the physical Big East. A pair of forwards, Wellington Smith and John Flowers, are quickly developing into quality Big East reserves, capable of having good games against anyone and Jou Mazzulla adds quality depth to the backcourt.

Louisville got a much needed confidence boost with their win over Kentucky. No, Kentucky is not the Kentucky of old, or even the Lentucky of Tubby Smith circa 2006-2007, but winning on your rivals home floor with a dominating 2nd half can give you a lift. They need to carry the intensity back to the court tonight and defend the perimeter with their athleticism and hit the boards with their size. We are starting to see Louisville with the personnell they expected to have this year, maybe now we will start seeing the Louisville team we expected.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 74 West Virginai 69

2007-2008 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 2) LOUISVILLE

2007-11-02T12:42:00.000-04:00

November 3, 2007

LOUISVILLE ESSENTIALS:

Official Website of Louisville Basketball

2007-2008 Official Louisville Roster & Bios

Meet Coach Rick Pitino

Freedom Hall and the practice home of Cardinal basketball, the Yum! Center

2007-2008 Louisville Basketball Schedule

OVERVIEW:

Rick Pitino is entering his 8th season as head coach of the Louisville Cardinal program. Pitino's up-tempo style, pressure defense, strong work ethic and family atmosphere quickly returned the Cardinals to national prominence. The Cardinals visit to the 2005 Final Four was Louisville’s first trip in 19 years. It was also the third school that Pitino led to the NCAA Championships Final Four.

With a strong close to the 2006-2007 season, expectations of another run to the Final Four have been placed on the Louisville club this season. Coach Pitino continues to be one of the best recruiters in the game and has a team high on experience and potential in place to make this a season to remember for Cardinal fans.

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A 2006 inductee to the New York City Hall of Fame, Pitino has embraced the storied tradition of Louisville Basketball and made a commitment to producing a vibrant program that could challenge for a national title this year.
Pitino is no stranger to the Big East and it’s programs. He served two seasons as an assistant at Syracuse under Jim Boeheim from 1976-78. He was head coach at Providence College for two seasons (1985-87), producing a 42-23 record there. He guided the Friars to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1986 and a trip to the NCAA Final Four in 1987, winning the regional championship in Freedom Hall.
Pitino has coached at the highest levels of the college game and has also been in the NBA, serving as an assistant under Hubie Brown with the Knicks and after his stint at Providence, he was head coach of the Knicks. After a successful run at Kentucky, coach Pitino returned to the NBA and had a 3 ½ year stint as president and head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics. However, Pitino realized that his coaching methods and philosophy fit much better in the college game. On March 21, 2001, just over 2 months after resigning from the Celtics, Rick Pitino was named as head coach of the Louisville program, replacing legend Denny Crum. A move that has worked out very well and with the Cardinal’s move to the Big East, the Louisville athletic program has never been in better shape!

THE 2006-2007 SEASON:

Coming off a struggling 2005-2006 season, Louisville looked to rebound under Rick Pitino. The early portion of the season, which included losses to Dayton (in Cincinnati), home against Massachusetts in the Billy Minardi Classic, a 49-point effort in a home loss to Kentucky and a 16-pt loss in their Big East opener at Notre Dame, did not give the Louisville faithful much optimism for a successful return to the NCAA Tournament. The natives were definitely getting restless and coach Pitino was coming under some fire for an under-achieving recruiting class and a revolving door in the program that saw several recruits never make it to campus and others leave quickly.

After a mid-January loss to Marquette, Louisville found themselves at 12-6 overall and 2-2 in the Big East. To date, their signature win might have been against a mediocre Providence club. With the difficult portion of their schedule ahead, things changed quickly for the Cardinals.

The Cards rebounded to win 10 of their last 12 Big East conference games, including their last six to earn the 2nd seed in the Big East Tournament. With their strong freshman class of Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith, Derrick Caracter and Earl Clark learning the ropes of the college game, and even more importantly, learning what Rick Pitino expected of them on and off the court, the Cards began to fly. Sophomore Terrence Williams also began to play within himself more consistently and the oft-injured David Padgett got stronger and worked himself into better shape as the season went on.

In the post-season, Louisville suffered tough losses in the Big East Tournament to Pittsburgh and in the NCAA Tournament’s 2nd round to Texas A&M. The A&M game had the rest of the nation take notice of Edgar Sosa who was sensational, scoring 31 points. However, Derrick Caracter showed why he was inconsistent, fouling out in just 7 minutes, but scored 8 pts in that limited time.

A record of 12-4 in the conference and 24-10 overall was a solid season for the Cardinals. With only senior Brandon Jenkins (5.2 PPG) moving on from their rotation, Louisville is expected to build upon that season in 2007-2008.

THE BACKCOURT:

Louisville’s backcourt is definitely a case of quality, but might be a little thin on quantity heading into the season. Sophomores Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith return and junior Andre McGee looks to rebound from injuries to take a more prominent role in the rotation. That trip should receive the large majority of minutes at the guard positions.

Sosa is a fiery and emotional lead guard who is still trying to find that balance between scorer and distributor. Coach Pitino wants to see more defense and less emotion out of his general, but as far as guards go in the Big East, Sosa’s talent ranks up there with any of them. He can score in a variety of ways and he has the typical NYC toughness that most guards develop playing against some of the best talent available while developing. His weaknesses are mostly items that can be cured by maturity, so look for a more consistent sophomore season.

Smith was a pleasant surprise last year, hitting 48% of his three-point attempts on the season. We knew he could play, but the shooting touch from the arc was a pleasant surprise and fit in perfectly with the Louisville style of play. Smith is a powerful guard that should develop quickly into one of the better all-around guards in the conference. McGee struggled with injuries in his sophomore year and was unable to get his legs under him all season. Shooting a dismal 23% from the floor, McGee has worked very hard this season on his shooting and getting in better physical condition. He will be a very vital cog in the rotation this year with the graduation of Brandon Jenkins.

Rounding out the guard position is non-scholarship shooting guard Will Scott, freshman Preston Knowles and walk-ons Stuart Miller and Lee Steidan. Scott transferred to Louisville from Cornell and walked-on the basketball team. He is an excellent shooter from the arc and has a high-level of basketball intelligence. Rick Pitino is not afraid to throw Scott into any game. Knowles has surprised the staff early on this season and is further along than anticipated. If injuries continue to hamper the Cards, Knowles could be pressed into duty.

THE FRONTCOURT:

One can make the argument that the Louisville front line is one the THE best in college basketball this season. The first member of the group is d-everything forward Terrence Williams. T-Will as he is known led Louisville last season in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and was second in blocks. He has had a tremendous summer and a quick start in the exhibition games this week. He has always been a phenomenal athlete and his basketball IQ and skill-level has improved impressively since the middle of last season. Rick Pitino finds Williams so important to his team that he might use him as a power forward if they need to go to a smaller line-up. Williams may even find some time at shooting guard when the Cards go to a bigger line-up. The one thing that is certain, Williams will be in the line-up!

The rest of the frontcourt picture is a little muddled, but that is mostly because of the tremendous talent available to coach Pitino. Senior David Padgett is FINALLY healthy and is also having a strong preseason. Padgett is a hybrid big man, not to strongest player in the post, but he has a variety of skills and an offense can almost be run through him because of his excellent post-passing skills. Padgett is an opportunistic rebounder and shot-blocker that produces by being in the right place at the right time. I’d like to see him finish inside more consistently against stronger players, but if there is one player that many people are overlooking in the conference this season, I think it might be Padgett.

Padgett might not have to put up big numbers or play more than 25 minutes, because the sophomore duo of Derrick Caracter and Earl Clark have as much potential for greatness as anyone in the Big East. The character story is very familiar and Pitino is still onhim about keeping the weight down. Caracter learned some hard lessons last season and only appeared in eight Big East games. The Louisville record in those eight games? 6-2. He played in each of their six wins to close out the Big East schedule, averaging 13.2 ppg and 5.2 rebounds in just 17.8 minutes a game. The average of 13 points per game would have led Louisville on the season, and he did that in less than 18 minutes a game. If Caracter can cut down his fouling by improving his defense, he could be a major difference maker this year.

Fellow New Jersey native Earl Clark is a versatile 6’9 forward that NBA scouts are drooling over because of his versatile game. Clark got off to a slow start last year, but once he settled into the rotation he began to flash the potential that had made him a coveted recruit. He averaged 8.1 points and 5.2 rebounds over the last 16 games with 17 pts and 9 rebounds in the Big East Tournament win against West Virginia.

Rounding out the frontcourt is Terrence Farley, a 6’10 senior who is an athletic shot blocker. Many teams in the conference could use Farley in a much more prominent role, but he will get very limited time, but play an important role behind Padgett and Caracter, for the Cards. Even with all that talent, we have not even mentioned senior Juan Palacios. Another player cursed with injuries, Palacios has shown flashes of brilliance at times in his career but has been unable to sustain those moments for ling stretches. Now, his senior year is on hold as he recovers from a preseason knee injury that could keep him out for an extended period of time. A pair of freshmen added for depth are also questionable this season and beyond. 6’8 forward George Goode, at last report, is still awaiting NCAA Clearance on his eligibility and 7’0 center Clarence Holloway, who also has NCAA Clearinghouse issues that needed to be addressed, is out for the season due to surgery to correct a heart defect.

2007-2008 PREDICTION:

With all the talent and potential of this club it is VERY hard not to make them the preseason #1 team. The feeling with this team is they are going to be very good throughout the season, but they might be even better come February and March. I see them sorting through some things early on and might drop a game or two they should not as coach Pitino works through the rotation and tries to keep players sharp and on their toes. There is a lot of talent to play and a lot of combinations to try out from time to time. Injuries also seem to pop up more with this team than anyone else in the league and a wary eye will be cast towards players like Padgett, Sosa, McGee and Caracter, along with Palacios, to see if they can play through an entire season. Do not expect coach Pitino to risk the postseason chances on someone’s health in the regular season, therefore, like I felt with Georgetown last season, they are right there with the league favorite, but they could have the potential to be the best team in the end.

BIG EAST PREDICTION: 14-4

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2007-10-22T08:58:00.000-04:00

October 22, 2007

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Jared Swopshire, (SF) IMG Academy Bradenton, FL.

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Juniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Derrick Caracter (BF), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Sophomores: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Freshmen: Melquan Bolding (G), Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Clarence Holloway (C), Jared Swopshire (SF)

Louisville adds another, their 5th commitment, to the incoming class of 2008 as Jared Swopshire commits while on an official visit this weekend. He was the third commitment in a week as the Florida Forward Commitments to Cardinals (Louisville Courier-Journal).

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It certainly has been a busy, busy time to follow Louisville recruiting the last several months. For the class of 2008 we have seen Rick Pitino seal commitments from Martez Walker, Jeff Withey, Melquan Bolding, Samardo Samuels, Kyle Kuric, Terrence Jennings and now Jared Swopshire. Walker and Withey subsequently de-committed, as did an early 2009 commitment, Lamont 'Mo Mo' Jones, but Rick Pitino marches on and has his sights set firmly on the big prize in the class of 2008, Tyreke Evans.

Swopshire, a 6'8, 185-pound small forward, averaged 20 points and eight rebounds a game for IMG last season. He chose the Cards over Marquette, whom he visited last weekend for their 'Marquette Madness' and Clemson. Swopshire is originally from St. Louis and will get a chance to play in Louisville this season as his IMG team will play American Christian of Aston, Pa., in the All-American Shootout on Dec. 7 at Freedom Hall.

Swopshire is a long, lanky athlete that plays very smooth. He could definitely use a little meat to his bones and become more aggressive and physical, but expect Rick Pitino to instill that in him when he arrives on campus. Coach Pitino and his trainers have done a good job taking weight off of players, now they will have to add some weight on to a player. Swopshire, because of his size and skill, has a lot of potential and as his body matures physically he could become a top wing talent in the Big East.

Swopshire joins Terrence Jennings, Kyle Kuric, Melquan Bolding and Samardo Samuels in the incoming class for 2008. Again, on paper, Rick Pitino has 'over-recruited' the class with 15 scholarships currently distributed. Rumors have come out that senior Terrence Farley could redshirt this season as he is behind David Padgett and Derrick Caracter on the depth chart this year. Farley has looked really good this Fall, but a knee injury to Juan Palacios might spell an immediate need for his services. Also, Padgett has been slowed due to injury again and Caracter can sometimes find himself in Pitino's doghouse due to weight issues. Of course, the injury to Palacios also could bring the possibility of a medical redshirt for him if his recovery lasts longer than the initial prognosis of up to six weeks.

As with any talented Louisville team, there are possibilities for early departures for the NBA. Rumors in New Jersey insist that Caracter and Earl Clark, both sophomores, will aggressively look into the 2008 NBA Draft. Strong seasons by Edgar Sosa and Terrence Williams could also have them testing the waters. Also, since Pitino has been at Louisville, players trasnferring out of the program is also a common practice with all the talent he brings in annually.

Also, Louisville might not be done yet as we head towards the early signing period, the attention will remain on Louisville's recruitment of Tyreke Evans, who is also being courted aggressively by Villanova, Memphis, Seton Hall, UConn and Texas. Many believe Louisville has been the leader for a long time and that has not changed to this point. However, until he actually signs the LOI, this recruitment is not over. We will continue to follow the potential twists and turns to the end in the Evans saga.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2007-10-16T09:24:00.000-04:00

October 15, 2007

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERTS: Terrence Jennings, 6'10 C from Notre Dame Prep and Kyle Kuric, 6'5 G/F from Evansville (IN).

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Juniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Derrick Caracter (BF), Earl Clark (G/F), Reginald Delk (G)
Sophomores: George Goode (F), Preston Knowles (G)
Freshmen: Melquan Bolding (G), Samardo Samuels (BF/C), Terrence Jennings (C), Kyle Kuric (G/F), Clarence Holloway (C)

It was a BUSY weekend at Louisville as Kyle Kuric Decided he Will Play Hoops at U of L (Louisville Courier-Journal) and Terrence Jennings, a Top 15 Prospect in 2008, Commits to Cards (Louisville Courier-Journal) while on campus to celebrate Midnight Madness festivities.

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It certainly has been a busy, busy time to follow Louisville recruiting the last several months. For the class of 2008 we have seen Rick Pitino seal commitments from Martez Walker, Jeff Withey, Melquan Bolding, Samardo Samuels and now Kyle Kuric and Terrence Jennings. Walker and Withey subsequently de-committed, as did an early 2009 commitment, Lamont 'Mo Mo' Jones, but Rick Pitino marches on and has his sights set firmly on the big prize in the class of 2008, Tyreke Evans.

The 6'10 Jennings recently created a stir when he de-committed from Maryland and his sudden departure from Mt. Zion Prep School as well. After settling in at Notre Dame Prep, Jennings said he wanted to look around and visit some schools. Rumors persisted that Louisville was a major player, but the Jennings camp had a list of schools they were interested in and Louisville was not among them. However, a few short weeks later, Jennings visits Louisville for Midnight Madness and commits on his first visit since backing out on his Maryland verbal.

Jennings joins Samardo Samuels and thr redshirting Clarency Holloway to give the Cardinals a HUGE trio of freshmen for the 2008-2009 season. Jennings is the player with tremendous upside as he is a gifted athelte at 6'10. He runs the floor extremely well and can use that athletic ability to blog shots and hit the offensive boards. He needs to gain strength to be more of a consistent force on the defensive end and posting up, but he is also developing more game away from the hoop. Since he was orgininally part of the 2006 class, Jennings is slightly older than most of his peers in the class of 2008, so you would have liked to see him begin to fill out a little more by this time.

Coming into Louisville with much less hype is Kyle Kuric. The 6'5 G/F from Reitz Memorial out of Evansville (IN) has been a big time scorer on the high school and AAU levels, putting up over 25 PPG last season as a junior. Everyone knew Kuric could dial it in from long range, however his ability to slash to the hoop this summer impressed many onlookers and saw his recruitment take off. He was still a priority target for many of the best mid-major schools in the country (Southern Illinois, Bradley, Butler, etc) and schools like Duke, Louisville and Michigan were showing significant interest as well. Louisville first approached Kuric about being an invited walk-on with a promise of a future scholarship. The fact he was seriously considering that offer over some impressive scholarship offers showed how much he liked Louisville. When the Cards and coach Rick Pitino came back with a full ride for 2008 in August, it seemed like only a matter of time before Kuric would pull the trigger. After narrowing it down between Southern Illinois and Louisville, Kuric made a trip to Louisville last weekend and gave the Cards a verbal commitment in person.

Jennings and Kuric join Bolding and Samuels in the incoming class for 2008. Again, on paper, Rick Pitino has 'over-recruited' the class with 14 scholarships currently distributed. Rumors have come out that senior Terrence Farley could redshirt this season as he is behind David Padgett and Derrick Caracter on the depth chart this year. Farley has looked really good this Fall, but a knee injury to Juan Palacios might spell an immediate need for his services if. Of course, the injury to Palacios also could bring the possibility of a medical redshirt for him if his recovery lasts longer than the initial prognosis of up to six weeks.

As with any talented Louisville team, there are possibilities for early departures for the NBA. Rumors in New Jersey insist that Caracter and Earl Clark, both sophomores, will aggressively look into the 2008 NBA Draft. Strong seasons by Edgar Sosa and Terrence Williams could also have them testing the waters. Also, since Pitino has been at Louisville, players trasnferring out of the program is also a common practice with all the talent he brings in annually.

As we head towards the early signing period, the attention will remain on Louisville's recruitment of Tyreke Evans, who is also being courted aggressively by Villanova, Memphis, Seton Hall, UConn and Texas. Many believe Louisville has been the leader for a long time and that has not changed to this point. However, until he actually signs the LOI, this recruitment is not over. We will continue to follow the potential twists and turns to the end in the Evans saga.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2007-06-13T07:59:00.000-04:00

June 13, 2007

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Samardo Samuels (BF/C), St. Benedict's (NJ)

Projected 2008-2009 Roster

Seniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Juniors: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Derrick Caracter (BF), Earl Clark (G/F)
Sophomores: George Goode (F), Clarence Holloway (C), Preston Knowles (G)
Freshmen: Melquan Bolding (G), Samardo Samuels (BF/C)

With commitments and de-commitments, it has already been a busy 2008 recruiting class for Rick Pitino. Early commitments from Melquan Bolding, Martez Walker and Jeff Withey have led to de-commitments from Walker and Withey, but yesterday the Cards showed the kind of recruiting power they have with Rick Pitino as To Recruit Samardo Samuels Commits to Louisville (Louisville Courier-Journal).

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

With Juan Palacios, David Padgett and Terrence Farley graduating after the 2007-2008 season, the Louisville Cardinals had some big shoes to fill in their frontcourt and that opportunity for immediate playing time helped seal the deal with elite prospect Samardo Samuels shortly after a weekend trip to Louisville. Samuels verbally committed to Louisville yesterday and joins Melquan Bolding in the Cardinal class of 2009.

Samuels currently plays for coach Danny Hurley at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, NJ and runs with the Metro Hawks AAU program out of the NYC-area. The 6'9, 230 lb Samuels picked Louisville over North Carolina and Connecticut. Before taking his unofficial visit to Louisville last Friday and Saturday, it was reported that Samuels was leaning towards North Carolina and planned on making another stop at Connecticut, at least. However, that all changed once he visited Louisville:

To tell you the truth, I thought it was just another trip,” Samuels said of his expectations. “But when I went down there and started seeing things and picturing things happening and what can I do at this place, it was perfect.”

The commitment by Samuels is a huge step toward the Cardinals landing a top recruiting class. Samuels is friends with another top U of L target, Tyreke Evans, who is a top-five player and is looking seriously at the Cardinals. On paper, the Cards have two scholarships left to give and Evans is their #1 perimeter target. They still need help in the frontcourt and the list of players they are interested in is impressive: Angel Garcia (in this past weekend for visit), Greg Monroe(considered the nation's top player), Darius Miller (Mason County standout) as well as forwards Ed Davis, Romero Osby, Chris Singleton and Steve Tchiengang and centers Eloy Vargas and Edgar Gariby.

Now, the key is 'on paper' Louisville has two scholarships remaining. As with any Rick Pitino team, the Cards are loaded next year with impressive athletes with pro potential. Candidates to at least test the NBA waters include Terrence Williams, Derrick Caracter and Earl Clark. A strong season by Edgar Sosa could also have him tempted to audition for the NBA a year from now. With that in mind, expect the Cardinals to 'over-recruit' their roster, especially with a frontcourt prospect. Stay tuned...

LOUISVILLE 2007-2008 SNAPSHOT

2007-05-04T14:21:00.000-04:00

May 4, 2007

Head Coach: Rick Pitino
2006-2007 Record: 24-10 (12-4 Big East), NCAA 2nd Round

Returning Players:
Juan Palacios, Senior (Forward)
David Padgett, Senior (Center)
Terrance Farley, Senior (Center)
Terrence Williams, Junior (Small Forward)
Andre McGee, Junior (Guard)
Earl Clark, Sophomore (Forward)
Edgar Sosa, Sophomore (Guard)
Jerry Smith, Sophomore (Guard)
Derrick Caracter, Sophomore (Center)
Will Scott (non-scholarship), Junios (Guard)

Incoming Players:
George Goode (Forward)
Clarence Holloway (Center)
Preston Knowles (Guard)

Incoming Transfer:
Reginald Delk, Junior (Guard). Eligible in 2008-2009.

Graduated Players:
Brandon Jenkins
Perrin Johnson

Transferred Out:
Jonathan Huffman

Open Items/Issues:
Rick Pitino had an open spot on his staff after Kevin Willard left the Cards for the head coaching job at Iona. Pitino did not look too far for a replacement as he hired his son Richard away from Duquesne. Also, earlier this week, coach Pitino signed an extension with Louisville through the 2012-2013 season.

The Cardinals added a recruit (Preston Knowles), a transfer (Reginald Delk) and saw one player leave (Jonathan Huffman) this spring, but otherwise it has been a quiet offseason to date as nobody is testing the NBA waters and nobody has been suspended!

Summary:
Expectations will be high next year for the Cardinals. After struggling out of the gate this past season, the young squad rallied to finish 12-4 in the Big East and nearly knocked off Texas A&M in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament. With the Cardinals struggling at 16-8 and 6-4 in the Big East, without a quaility win, Derrick Caracter was reinstated to the team after a series of suspensions. The Cards ripped off six straight wins to close out the regular season and move from the out-side looking in of the NCAA Tournament bubble to a team to watch.

The Cardinals battled their share of injuries again last season as an assortment of ailments kept Brandon Jenkins, David Padgett, Juan Palacios, Andre McGee, Earl Clark and others away from the team at times. When they were healthy late in the season (except for Palacios) they were among the best in the conference. They return 95% of their scoring next season and look for their four freshmen (Caracter, Clark, Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith) to continue to improve and a healthy Juan Palacios makes this a team that will be more dangerous next year than they were late this season.

Louisville is probably the clear-cut favorite in the Big East for next season and a legitimate Final Four contender (assuming both Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert do not return to Georgetown). They have experience in the frontcourt with Palacios, Padgett and Terrence Farley and their backcourt is only going to get bettwe as Andre McGee, Sosa and Smith mature. We have not even begun to talk about their catalyst, the uber-athletic Terrence Williams, who excels in the open court system that Pitino loves. As he played more under control last season, the Cardinals rose towards the top, look for them to start there next season and continue to get even better!

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: LOUISVILLE

2007-04-10T09:14:00.000-04:00

April 10, 2007

VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Preston Knowles (G), Clark County High School

Projected 2007-2008 Roster

Seniors: Juan Palacios (F), David Padgett (F/C), Terrence Farley (C)
Juniors: Andre McGee (PG), Terrence Williams (SF)
Sophomores: Edgar Sosa (G), Jerry Smith (G), Derrick Caracter (BF), Earl Clark (G/F)
Freshmen: George Goode (F), Clarence Holloway (C), Preston Knowles (G)
2008 Commitments: Jeff Withey (C)

Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardinals added a third member to their 2007 recruiting class when Preston Knowles decided to make a verbal pledge to the Cardinals and the Cards Get the Clark County Star (Louisville Courier-Journal) who will sign a LOI at a 2:30 press conference on the opening day of the spring signing period.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

Preston Knowles was a virtual unknown in recruiting circles as he was not a fixture on the reputation-making AAU circuit, meaning not a lot of exposure for the 6'2 guard. Knowles averaged 21.4 PPG and 7 rebounds a game. He made 91 3-pters on the season (38.6%) as he helped his team to the 10th Region title this season. Knowles was also courted in recent weeks by Virginia Commonwealth, Louisiana State, South Alabama and Miami of Ohio. It was believed that VCU was the leader for Knowles until a visit to Louisville last weekend which netted the Kentucky native a scholarship offer from Rick Pitino. Knowles has not always had a smooth career at Clark County as he was suspended several times as a sophomore and at least one game as a senior. His high school coach, Scott Humphrey, insists Knowles is not a bad kid, just that he was hard on him to instill discipline in him to reach his potential. With a scholarship to Louisville, it looks like Knowles is on his way.

Knowles joins George Goode and Clarence Holloway in the 2007 recruiting class. Goode is one of the ideal players for the Pitino system with his length and ability to hit the 3-ball and rattle the rim with an impressive dunk. Goode will need to get stronger to battle inside in the Big East as he tips the scales at a rather slight 205 lbs currently. Goode is a player that can do just a little bit of everything and with his body filling out and using improved strength to be even more dangerous on the boards and defensively. Goode selected the Cards over Oklahoma St, Missouri, Kansas, Baylor and Marquette. Originally expected to be part of the 2005 class, Holloway did not qualify academically and opted to attend prep school after graduating from Harlan High school in Chicago. After a stay at IMG Academy, a brief flirtation with the NBA draft and his current home at Boys to Men Academy in Chicago, Holloway intends to be in Louisville next year. The 7'1 Holloway averaged 15 pts and 10 rebounds as a senior at Harlan, playing at over 300 lbs. He says his academics are in order and his current weight is closer to 275 lbs.

Since our last report, the Louisville roster has seen a change as Jonathan Huffman recently decided to transfer. Being behind Scott Padgett, Terrence Farley and Derrick Caracter for at least another year and with Clarence Holloway coming in, playing time never seemed to be in the cards for Huffman and he is looking at his options with other schools. Early 2008 commitment Martez Walker and Louisville have also parted ways.

Louisville has one scholarship remaining and we will keep following the Cards on the recruiting trail in their pursuit of filling that grant. However, at this point, it looks like their recruiting of freshmen for 2007 is done, but they definitely seem to be entertaining the thought of adding a transfer. Stay tuned...

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: St. John's @ Louisville

2007-02-21T09:42:00.000-05:00

February 21, 2007

The red-hot Louisville Cardinals look to strenghten their hold on one of the four Big East Conference Tournament byes when they welcome the St. John's Redstorm to Freedom Hall for a game telecast by ESPN2.

The Cardinals have won three in a row, including road wins over Pittsburgh and Marquette, and return home with a national ranking and a 9-4 Big East mark. The Cards have a favorable schedule down the stretch with a trip to Connecticut and a home game with Seton Hall to close out the Big East slate.

St. John's has put themselves in solid shape to make the Big East Tournament, holding a 3-win lead in the standings over South Florida, Rutgers and Seton Hall. After tonight, the 'Storm host Duke this weekend before wrapping up conference play with Providence on March 4th.

Here are a few pregame articles found on the internet this morning:

Cards Expected to Go Without Palacios (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Cards Get the Message: Slump is Over (Lexington Herald-Leader)
Pitino Wary of Johnnies (NY Post)

It has not been an easy transition for Louisville from Conference USA to the Big East. Last season the Cardinals barely qualified for the Big East tournament and a series of injuries had Rick Pitino's squad off to another slow start this year. However, in the last month, Louisville has won seven of their last nine games as they have rounded back into shape after getting everyone healthier. Also, their highly regarded freshman class has matured on and off the floor, meaning minutes for Derrick Caracter, more minutes for Earl Clark and more consistent play out of Jerry Smith (Saturday's hero) and Edgar Sosa.

St. John's got off to a slow start in the Big East, losing four of their first five games. However back-to-back home wins over Syracuse and Notre Dame gave the Redstorm some life and since then they have beaten the teams they were supposed to (Cincinnati, USF & Rutgers). In Norm Roberts third season, it was the year they were supposed to take a step forward as a program. It looks like they have, maybe not as big of a step as hoped, but they have shown progress.

Tonight, Louisville is a 12.5-p favorite at home. They are a deep team, even though they are likely without Juan Palacios in this game. They are also a versatile team with athletic and long wings to match with St. John's strength. The Redstorm have a bit of a tendency to lose big on the road to quality teams, that could be a trend that continues tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Louisville 68 St. John's 54