Author Archive
The Pinkie Previews: Louisville (17-9, 8-5) @ DePaul (8-17, 1-12)
By: Biscuit | February 19th, 2010 | Category: Cards
What: Louisville Cardinals @ DePaul Blue Demons
Site:Allstate Arena Rosemont, IL
Date: Saturday February 20, 2010
Time: 2:00 pm EST
T.V.: ESPNU
Radio: WKRD (790 AM, 101.7 FM) and SIRIUS Ch. 122 or XM 143
Officials:Ed Corbett, Clarence Armstrong, Wally Rutecki
The University of Louisville men’s basketball team looks to continue its push toward March Madness as they travel to the Windy City to take on the Depaul Blue Demons. Louisville is coming off an exhausting double overtime victory against Notre Dame this past Wednesday 91-89. Samardo Samuels scored a career high 36 points and was unstoppable in leading the Cards to victory.
DePaul has lost seven in a row since chalking up their first (and only) conference win on January 20th against Marquette. Depaul has had several close games, including a two point loss to Syracuse. Depaul might be a bad team, but has gotten better under new coach Tracy Webster. Rumor has it however that former UK coach Billy Gillispie is a candidate to take over the reigns after this season.
Louisville and DePaulhave faced off 54 times in program history with the Cards holding a 33-21 advantage. Louisville has dominated the Irish in Freedom Hall, going 19-7 all time. However, the Cards are just 14-12 in Chicago and are 0-2 at a neutral site.
Meet the Blue Demons
Depaul’s offense is in a word, embarrassing. The Blue Demons average only 60 points per game and as a team they shoot a misely 39%. From deep, they also struggle mightily as they connect only 31% of the time. The best chance Depaul has to be effective on the offensive end is to try and penetrate the Louisville defense. The Blue Demons need to get to the rim and try to finish in the paint and hopefully get Samardo Samuels into foul trouble. If Depaul relies on their jump shot, they will struggle.
Depaul also has major struggles on the glass. They average a mere 33.2 rebounds per contest and are out rebounded by over four boards per game. Against a tall physical team like Louisville, the Blue Demons must find a way to be effective on the glass. It will come down to hustle and if the Blue Demons attack and go after the ball they might be able to get some loose balls and steal some boards away from the Cards.
The one good thing Depaul does offensively is take care of the ball. The Blue Demons rank 17th nationally, avergaing just 11.2 turnovers per game. This is something that Depaul is going to have to continue to do well against the Cards. Louisville likes to press all 40 minutes and apply tight pressure on opposing teams guards. The Blue Demons must be patient and not be forced into tough passes and shots. They can’t be intimidated by the Pitino press and move the ball around till they find an open shot. If they get some good looks, who knows they might knock them down.
The strength to this Depaulteam can be found in its defense. The Blue Demons are giving up only 66 points per game which is good for ninth in the Big East. This three points better than Louisville’s defense which is ranked 11th in the conference at 69 points per game. The Blue Demon defense also holds their opponents to only 42% shooting, but gives up 35% from beyond the arc. The 35% ranks 15th in the conference. The Blue Demons are going to have to find a way to guard the perimeter against a Louisville team that loves to shoot the deep ball. Depaul must also find a way to create turnovers and get some easy buckets in transition of these turnovers. The Blue Demons also can’t let Samardo Samuels dominate inside like he did against Notre Dame. If Depaul lets Louisville dial it up from the outside and can’t stop Samuels inside, it’s going to be ugly.
Team Comparison
| DePaul | LOU | |
| Scoring | 1511 | 2045 |
| Points per game | 60.4 | 78.7 |
| Scoring Margin | -5.5 | +8.8 |
| Field Goals-Att | 561-1405 | 701-1563 |
| Field goal pct. | 39.9% | 44.8% |
| 3 Point FG-ATT | 140-446 | 206-622 |
| 3-pt FG pct | 31.4% | 33.1% |
| 3-pt FG made per game | 5.6 | 7.9 |
| Free Throws-Att | 249-437 | 437-620 |
| Free Throw pct. | 57.0% | 70.5% |
| Free Throws made per game | 10.0 | 16.8 |
| Rebounds | 829 | 994 |
| Rebounds per game | 33.2 | 38.2 |
| Rebounding margin | -4.9 | +3.7 |
| Assists | 293 | 399 |
| Assists per game | 11.7 | 15.3 |
| Turnovers | 278 | 362 |
| Turnovers per game | 11.1 | 13.9 |
| Turnover margin | +1.6 | +1.9 |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| Steals | 193 | 203 |
| Steals per game | 7.7 | 7.8 |
| Blocks | 83 | 109 |
| Blocks per game | 3.3 | 4.2 |
Players to Watch
#30 Will Walker-Walker is the go to scorer for the Blue Demons. He leads the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game and is second on the team in assists, dropping 2.5 dimes per game. Walker is not a major threat from three, but he does a great job of creating off the dribble and getting to the rack. Based on how the Cards looked against Notre Dame trying to contain the dribble drive, Walker could give Louisville fits.
#13 Mac Koswal-Koswal is the Depaul force in the middle. The 6’10 junior is almost averaging a double-double with 14.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. His 14.3 points is second on the team and his 9.9 boards is best on the Blue Demons. Koswal is also second on his squad in field goal percentage, connecting on 53% of his shots. He is very good in the post and his height is an advantage for him against Samuels. Samuels must try to force Koswal away from the basket and make him shoot outside the paint. I also wouldn’t be suprised if Louisville tried to double down against this giant.
Koswalis not only effective offensively, he is very active on the defensive end. He has quick hands and leads the team in steals with 2.1. When Samuels gets the ball in the post, he has to be strong with it and not put it on the floor to much. Otherwise Koswal will strip him just like Notre Dame did the other night.
Key’s To Victory
1) The most important key is don’t sleep on the Blue Demons. Louisville has a tendency to play to the level of their competition as we saw in the St. John’s debacle. If Louisville comes out and plays with a lack luster effort like they did against the Red Storm, they will get beat. The Cards need to have a sense of urgency and realize they are playing for an NCAA birth. A loss here would almost guarantee the Cards a trip to the NIT.
2) Force the role players of Depaul to beat you. Depaul is a two man team with Walker and Koswal. If Louisville can contain one of these guys or even both, Depaul will have to rely on someone else. This is exactly what the Cards want. Depaul doesn’t have the talent at any other position to comepte with the Cards. If Louisville can shut down Kowsal or Walker they should win.
3) Feed the post. We all saw what Samardo Samuels did to Notre Dame on Wednesday night. Get the ball back into the post to the big man and let him go to work. Samuels can be a weapon in several ways during this game. He can score in the post, pass it out for the three which Depaul can’t defend, or get Koswal in foul trouble. On Wednesday Samuels fouled out four Fighting Irish by himelf. If he can put Koswal on the bench because of foul trouble, its a major advantage for the Cards.
4) Play better defense. Louisville’s press has been mostly ineffective over the past several games. The Cards need to get back to creating havoc and forcing turnovers. Depaul does a good job of taking care of the ball so this won’t be an easy task for Louisville. The guards need to do a much better job of containing the drive. Notre Dame exploited this weakness in the defense the other night and I expect Depaul to try and do the same. Louisville needs to be quicker and force Depaul into mistakes that they normally wouldn’t make.
The Pinkie Previews: Notre Dame (17-9 6-7) @ Louisville (16-9 7-5)
By: Biscuit | February 17th, 2010 | Category: Cards
Notre Dame Figting Irish @ Louisville Cardinals
Freedom Hall Louisville, KY
Wednesday February 17, 2010
Time: 7:00 pm EST
T.V.: ESPN2
Radio: WKRD 790 AM joined in progress on WHAS 840 AM
The University of Louisville men’s basketball returns to action tonight as they look to build off their monumental upset of Syracuse this past Sunday. The Cards return to the comfort of their home floor as they welcome the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to Freedom Hall. Louisville is coming off a 1-1 road trip in which they experienced the low point of their season, a 17-point loss at St. John’s, and their highest point with a six-point win at #3 Syracuse. If Louisville is going to continue to make a push to the Big Dance, tonight is a game they must win.
Notre Dame comes in on a little bit of a slide, losing six of their last nine contests. The Fighting Irish are coming off a week in which they lost two straight, the first being a three point decision at Seton Hall last Thursday, and most recently a one point loss at home to St. John’s on Sunday. Notre Dame had been one of the teams battling Louisville for a bubble spot in March’s tournament, but their latest struggles have the Fighting Irish on the outside looking in. A win tonight against the Cards, could put them right back in the conversation.
Louisville and Notre Dame have hooked up 24 times in program history with the Cards holding a 15-9 advantage. Louisville has dominated the Irish in Freedom Hall, going 10-1 all time. The Cards are 4-5 in South Bend and are just 1-3 on a neutral site.
Meet the Irish
The major story for Notre Dame in this game is the likely absence of Luke Harangody. He is nursing an injured knee and his status is listed as day-to-day, but word has been that he is a long shot to be in the lineup. This is a huge loss for the Irish as Harangody seemingly always puts up big numbers against the Cards. Harangody was selected as the Preseason Big East Player of the Year and was a National Player of the Year candidate. He is without question the best player on this Irish team, averaging better than 24 points per game and 10 rebounds. His 24 ppg ranks second nationally and his 10.1 rebounding average is 23rdbest in the country. He has also scored in double figures in every game this season and has recorded 12 double-doubles. This is a major loss that Notre Dame can’t afford. The Irish are 0-1 in his absence.
Notre Dame is a team that is mainly built on offense. This team does an excellent job of working the ball from the inside out. Their strength is on the inside with Harangody, but since he draws so much attention, the outside jumpers have opened up and Notre Dame can knock them down. Notre Dame is also a very patient team that moves the ball well and doesn’t force anything. They wait for the defense to break down then find the open shots that they knock down with consistency. Their philosophy is to get the ball in the post to their go to guy and let him make decisions, but with Harangody possibly on the shelf with a knee injury, the entire offensive game plan might change.
The Irish are one of the top shooting teams in the nation and are among the Big East leaders in scoring. The Irish are making 41% of their three’s which ranks them sixth nationally. Their starting forward Tim Abromaitis can flat out dial it up from deep. We will talk more about him later, but his 49% average from beyond the arc is second in the nation. Overall, Notre Dame is shooting 47.7% from the field, which is third in the Big East, and their 79.2 points per game is fifth in the conference.
What’s most impressive about this Notre Dame team is how well they take care of the ball. As I mentioned, this team is patient and moves the ball well until they find the openings. The Irish are third in the nation in assists per game (18.0) and are fifth nationally in fewest turnovers per contest (10.4). Their assist/turnover ratio of 1.71 is tops in the country. This is the perfect recipe against Louisville’s defense. The Cards like to apply a lot of pressure and the best way to beat this pressure is ball movement. Notre Dame is a very intelligent team that doesn’t make mistakes and won’t cave into the Louisville pressure easily.
On the defensive side of things, the Irish are a little shaky. They don’t force a lot of turnovers and allow their opponents to shoot a fairly high percentage. Notre Dame opponents are committing only 10.4 turnovers a game, and are shooting better than 44% from the field. The Irish field goal defense is the second worst in the 16 team Big East and their three-point defense is ranked dead last at 37.7%. This is an advantage to the Cards who love to shoot the outside jumper. Louisville will get several good looks in this game and need to knock them down if they are to win. The Cards must move the ball like they did against Syracuse and make the extra pass. This is what leads to open threes and points.
Team Comparison
| ND | LOU | |
| Scoring | 2060 | 1954 |
| Points per game | 79.2 | 78.2 |
| Scoring Margin | 7.3 | 9.1 |
| Field Goals-Att | 718-1505 | 677-1508 |
| Field goal pct. | 47% | 32.70% |
| 3 Point FG-ATT | 205-500 | 198-605 |
| 3-pt FG pct | 41% | 32.70% |
| 3-pt FG made per game | 7.9 | 7.9 |
| Free Throws-Att | 419-577 | 402-580 |
| Free Throw pct. | 72.60% | 69.30% |
| Free Throws made per game | 16.1 | 16.1 |
| Rebounds | 958 | 960 |
| Rebounds per game | 36.8 | 38.4 |
| Rebounding margin | 3.7 | 3.8 |
| Assists | 469 | 387 |
| Assists per game | 18 | 15.5 |
| Turnovers | 271 | 347 |
| Turnovers per game | 10.4 | 13.9 |
| Turnover margin | 0 | 2 |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| Steals | 135 | 198 |
| Steals per game | 5.2 | 7.9 |
| Blocks | 75 | 102 |
| Blocks per game | 2.9 | 4.1 |
Players to Watch
#21 Tim Abromaitis-This junior forward is Notre Dame’s biggest threat. He stands at 6’8 and can flat out shoot the rock. As I mentioned earlier, Abromaitis ranks second nationally in three-point percentage at 49%. Overall he converts on 52.6% from the field. He is second on the team in scoring behind Harangody, averaging 16.9 points per game. He also averages 4.8 rebounds per game, which is third on the team. The Cards better be aware of this kid on the perimeter at all times. If Louisville gives him even one ounce of breathing room, he will drain it. Louisville has done a good job defensively on shooters so far this season, most recently against Andy Rautins of Syracuse, and I expect them to have a strong game plan for Abromaitis.
#23 Ben Hansbrough-If the last name sounds familiar you are probably thinking in the right direction. Ben is the younger brother of former North Carolina standout Tyler Hansbrough. Even though he isn’t his brother, Ben has some tremendous talent. He is the third leading scorer on the Irish squad, producing 11.8 points per game. He is also second on the team in assists with 125 on the season, but most importantly he takes great care of the basketball. Hansbrough leads the Big East and is third nationally in assist/turnover ratio (3.13). He is also a weapon when it comes to shooting the ball. Hansbrough connects on 48.5% of his shots, including 46.4% from downtown. This kid can hurt the Cards in a variety of ways so Louisville must guard him close. The Cards need to apply hard defensive pressure on him and force him to make difficult passes and take bad shots. If Louisville lets him split their defense and get into the lane, he will find the open men on the perimeter or underneath and it could be a long day for the Cards.
Key’s To Victory
1) Guard the perimeter. Notre Dame loves to shoot the three and can drain them. The Cards need to be aware of where the shooters are at all time and have someone shadow Abromaitis everywhere on the court. I expect the Cards to extend their defense a little bit further to prevent the Irish from getting good looks from deep.
2) Turn up the pressure. The Cards have had some problems with their press in the last few games. Teams are starting to get the ball up court a lot faster, thus creating easy buckets. Louisville needs to have an effective press and apply good ball pressure in the half court sets if they want to beat Notre Dame. The Irish don’t turn the ball over very often and do a great job of being patient. The Cards defense needs to take the Irish out of their comfort zone and force them into tough passes and shots. Louisville needs to find a way to create turnovers and get some easy buckets on the other end.
3) Look inside. If Harangody is out, the Cards will have a huge advantage in the frontcourt. Give the ball to Samardo Samuels and let the big man go to work. He is much bigger and stronger than what Notre Dame will throw at him so get him the ball. If he is effective early, the Irish might start to double down, thus creating more open looks from the outside.
4) Make shots. Notre Dame’s defense is not that good. They allow teams to shoot at a high percentage and give up a lot of good looks. Louisville must take advantage of this weakness and convert on the opportunities that are given. The Cards did a great job of moving the ball against the ‘Cuse on Sunday and it paid off. If Louisville is patient, finds the holes in the defense, and looks for the open man it will be lights out for the Irish. I expect the penetration and kick by the guards to be effective in this one.
Louisvile Earns Resume Win, Close Out #2/#3 ‘Cuse 66-60
By: Biscuit | February 15th, 2010 | Category: Cards
The University of Louisville men’s basketball team earned an enormous road victory and put themselves back into the Big Dance conversation by downing the Syracuse Orange 66-60 at the Carrier Dome. Just when everything seemed hopeless for the Cards coming off a thumping at St. John’s on Thursday, they rebounded and earned themselves a quality win over the #2/ #3 team in the nation. Most bracketologist and analysts had the cards dead and buried after the St. John’s game, but tonight they are singing a different tune. Louisville finally got that resume building win they had lacked and they did it on the road which is doubly impressive. As of now, you have to think Louisville has put itself back into the field of 65.
Recap
The Carrier Dome was packed with 31,053 fans in Orange, making it the largest on-campus crowd to watch a basketball game in Syracuse history and it was a big advantage for the home team early. Louisville got off to another terrible start just like they did in Madison Square Garden Thursday night. In that game, Louisville didn’t score a point for the first 6 1/2 minutes and today looked like it was headed in that direction as the Cards first points came on a Jared Swopshire floater 3:47 into the game. The Cards continued to struggle shooting the ball for the first several minutes as they opened the game 1-9 from the field and fell behind by 11 with 8:02 to play in the first half. Louisville looked lost on defense as Syracuse was moving the ball withease and getting whatever looks they wanted both inside and beyond the arc. Pitino called a timeout, and Louisville came back looking like a different team.
Preston Knowles and Mike Marra combined for two big three’s, sparking a 17-5 run by the Cards, including 12-3 over the final six minutes to put Louisville up a point at 28-27 with a minute left. Syracuse got a bucket from Scoop Jardine late to put the ‘Cuse up 29-28 at the break. Despite the slow start and Samardo Samuels being on the bench with no points because of two early fouls, the Cards battled back and were in position to pull the upset.
The second half started a lot better for the Cards. Louisville got the ball at the start and Knowles nailed an off balance deep two as the shot clock buzzer sounded. Syracuse then scored four straight to take a 33-30 lead when Knowles came up big again. He knocked down another huge three to tie the game at 33. The two teams battled back and forth, matching bucket for bucket with neither team able to pull away. With the Cards up three with 11:30 left, the Syracuse crowd and team seemed to be dejected. Then Andy Rautins decided to strike. Rautins nailed a three from the top of the key to tie the game at 42 and seconds later drilled another from the right wing to bring the crowd to its feet, prompting a Rick Pitino timeout. Louisville found themselves trailing 45-42 and the Orange had all the momentum. It could of been the time the Cards would fold but they didn’t.
The Cards would fall behind by four at 50-46 when the under eight media timeout hit, but that’s when a sleeping giant awoke. Samardo Samuels had been held scoreless up to this point, but after the timeout he went to work. He hit two free throws to close the gap to 50-48, then made a tough off balance layup on the next possession to tie the game at 50. Marra then nailed another clutch three, capping a 7-0 run and putting Louisville up 53-50. The Cards would never trail again.
The ’Cuse closed the gap to 53-52 when Samuels hit another tough off balance shot in the lane. About a minute later, Rakeem Buckles gathered a huge offensive rebound off a Samuels miss, and stuck it back in for a 57-52 lead. It was the first time the Cards had been up by more than one possession. After a Mike Marra missed three pointer, Louisville recorded another offensive rebound and had it knocked out of bounds with 3:05 on the clock, prompting the under four media timeout.
Coming out of the break, the genius of Rick Pitino came to light. He designed one of the best inbounds plays I can ever remember him doing during his time at Louisville. He had Edgar Sosa throwing the ball in, and started Samuels at the top of the Key. Samuels came off a delayed screen right down an open lane and Sosa lobbed him the ball. The pass barely eluded a leaping Arinze Onuaku and landed right in the hands of Samuels who threw down a thunderous jam on the alley-oop. The Cards had their largest lead of the game at 59-52.
Louisville would go scoreless over the next minute and a half, allowing Syracuse to get back within a possession at 59-56. With a 1:41 on the clock, the Cards best free throw shooter Jared Swopshire had a chance to give the Cards a two possession lead again. But just like the common theme has been over the last several weeks, Swopshire missed the front end of the one and one in a clutch situation.
However, Marra came through with the biggest two plays of the season thus far for the Cards. He flew into the lane on the miss and corralled another offensive rebound. This allowed Louisville to run some more clock up by three. The Cards took full advantage as they ran the time down to 1:21 and moved the ball around. With the shot clock at 10, Swopshire made an excellent ball fake in the lane and found a wide open Marra set up in the left corner. Marra released and nailed the open three right in front of a fired up Louisville bench, delivering the dagger by putting the Cads up 62-56 with 1:22.
Even though the Cards were up six, the game was not over just yet. Kris Joseph made a pair of free throws with 1:04 to play cutting the lead to 62-58. Syracuse then fouled Edgar Sosa with 45 seconds left, putting the point guard at the line for a one and one. Sosa once again choked in the clutch by bricking the first shot. The ‘Cuse rebounded the ball and Joseph drove the lane and dunked on the ensuing possession making it a 62-60 game with 32 ticks remaining. Buckles inbounded the ball to Sosa who was immediately trapped in the corner. He threw it back to Buckles who then tried to pass along the base line. The ball landed out of bounds for the 12th Louisville turnover of the game. At this point, the common reaction was “Here we go again!”.
With 23 seconds left, Wesley Johnson drove baseline and tried a reverse layup to tie the game, but was denied by Buckles who blocked the shot off the bottom of the back board. The ball ended up in the arms of Jerry Smith who was immediately pulled to the ground by Joseph. In a controversial call, the referees whistled Joseph for an intentional foul. The Cards would have two shots and the ball. Smith stepped to the line and knocked down both free throws, ending any hope of a Syracuse miracle. After two missed three point attempts with 10 seconds left, Sosa scooped up a lose rebound, threw it ahead to Buckles who slammed home the exclamation point as the buzzer sounded. Louisville had pulled off the upset, 66-60.
Louisville was led by a balanced scoring attack as four players scored in doubled figures. Sosa and Marra led the team with 12 points each while Swopshire and Knowles pitched in 10 apiece. Samuels and Buckles both contributed eight. Samuels was also the Cards leading rebounder with six.
Syracuse also had four players score in double figures, led by Johnson who finished with 14. Onuaku and Rautins recorded 12 points each, while Joseph pitched in 10 off the bench. Johnson and Joseph both tied for the team lead in rebounds with eight each.
Why Louisville Won
This was a very impressive performance for the Cards. After the loss at St. John’s I thought this team had given up. I was in the boat that thought the Big Dance was out of reach, and this team was incapable of winning a big game on the road.
This team proved me wrong by getting off the mat and coming back with a vengence. Things started off terribly once again, with the Cards not scoring a point for the first 3 1/2 minutes, starting 1-9 from the field, and allowing Syracuse to get open looks wherever they wanted. When they got down by 11 and 31,000+ fans were fired up, the game could of easily gotten out of reach. But the Cards didn’t falter. They made several adjustments and tightened things up on the defensive end. They held the best shooting team in the nation to just 41% when they normally shoot 52.7%. They contained Rautins and shut down the ‘Cuse leading scorer Wesley Johnson.
Rautins finished with only 12 points on 4-8 shooting, including just 3-7 from beyond the arc. Johnson, who averages better than 16 points per game, was held to a dismal 5-20 from the field and was a non factor all game long.
The Cards also didn’t allow the ’Cuse to get out in transition and give up easy buckets. Syracuse has one of the best offensive transition games in all of basketball, but the Cards did a great job of slowing the game down and forcing the Orange into their half court sets. Pitino felt that the Cards needed to keep the game a low scoring one and that’s exactly what happened.
Offensively, the Cards were very patient. Louisville did a great job of moving the ball against the tough Syracuse 2-3 zone and took several open shots. The Cards didn’t force much and did an excellent job of taking care of the ball. They wound up with only 12 turnovers and limited the fourth best steals team in the nation to only four steals. After the tough shooting start, the Cards got on track. They finished the game shooting better than 42% and converted on 9-30 three’s.
The biggest factor that led the Cards to victory could be found on the offensive glass. Louisville did an outstanding job of crashing the boards on the offensive end and wound up with several second chance opportunities that they would cash in on. Louisville outscored Syracuse in second chance points 22-12 and seemed to always get a clutch offensive board down the stretch. The biggest offensive rebound came from Marra, who then hit the three on the extra possession effectively ending the hopes of the ‘Cuse.
Key Performers
Mike Marra- I still am not buying into this whole “Mike Marra is the best shooter I’ve ever seen” nonsense that Pitino keeps preaching, but the kid was huge in this game. He had his role increased due to a back injury to Reginald Delk and foul trouble by Knowles. Marra made the most of his opportunity by hitting big shots and coming up with a huge offensive rebound. He didn’t exactly shoot lights out, going 4-12 from the field (all three’s), but he didn’t get rattled. He was very confident and kept shooting, knowing his shots would eventually fall. Playing in front of 31,000 fans as a Freshman is not easy and this kid stepped up to the challenge. His play was without question the biggest reason the Cards pulled this one out. He had four rebounds, an assist, and a block to go along with his 12 points.
Rakeem Buckles-Buckles saw the most playing time that he has seen in recent weeks and was a big factor. He finished with eight points on 3-4 shooting and knocked down his only two free throws of the game. He always seemed to come up with a big play whenever the Cards needed one. Whether it is the offensive rebound and put back late in the game to put the Cards up five or the blocked shot when Syracuse tried to tie the game in the last 30 seconds, Buckles was active on both ends and gave Louisville some crucial play off the bench.
Samardo Samuels-Samuels had a tough match up today going against two physical big men in Onuaku and Rick Jackson. Samuels spent most of the first half on the bench in foul trouble and was non existent for most of the second half. But down the stretch when the Cards needed him, Samuels answered the call. He scored all eight of his points in a four minute stretch late in the second half with the game within one possession. He also finished the game as the Cards leading rebounder with six and dished out four assists.
What’s Next
The Cards can celebrate this major victory for one night, but they must realize there is a lot of work left to do in order to get to the Big Dance. They may of played their way back into the tourney as of now, but it will all be for nothing unless they take care of business down the stretch. This stretch run starts Wednesday night when the Notre Dame fighting Irish invade Freedom Hall for a 7:00 game. Notre Dame is another team on the bubble with the Cards that is fighting for one of those last tournament spots. It’s another must win for the Cards as they look to avenge the 30 point beat down they received in South Bend last season.
The Pinkie Previews: Louisville (15-8 6-4) @ St. John’s (12-10) (2-8)
By: Biscuit | February 11th, 2010 | Category: Cards
University of Louisville @ St. John’s University
Madison Square Garden New York, New York
Thursday February 11, 2010
Time: 7:00 pm EST
T.V.: ESPN2
Radio: WHAS 840 AM
The University of Louisville men’s basketball team will try and extend it’s current winning streak to three tonight as the Cards travel to NYC to take on the St. John’s Red Storm. Louisville has had their backs against the wall the past few weeks and are starting to respond. Louisville has won two straight over conference opponents which include UCONN and most recently a 76-60 victory over Rutgers last Saturday.
The Cards are once again faced with a must win situation at the Garden. Louisville really doesn’t have a signature win so a loss tonight against a bad team would not help the cause. Louisville must win the games they are supposed to win, and then pull of an upset or two down the stretch against a highly ranked opponent.
St. John’s comes into this contest ranked 13th in the 16 team Big East. The Johnies are currently rididng a five game losing streak which includes a loss to an absurdly bad Rutgers team by 12. In their last outing, the Red Storm got waxed on their home court by West Virginia 79-60. In that game, St. John’s held a 16 point second half lead and let it get away.
The Cards and Red Storm are no strangers to each other. The two teams met back on January 9th at Freedom Hall in a game that saw Louisville pull out a seven point victory 75-68. That game was a lot closer than people may think. In fact, St. John’s held a four point halftime lead against the Cards before Louisville took control in the second half. St. John’s had four players score in double figures during the first meeting , led by star D.J. Kennedy’s 20 points. Louisville was led by Jerry Smith’s 16 points and Jared Swopshire’s 15.
Meet the Red Storm…..Again
On paper, St. John’s looks like a pretty average team. They don’t put up extraordinary numbers offensively, averaging only 67 points per game, but they do the small things to keep themselves in a position to win. The Red Storm are an ok shooting team. They make 41% of their shots from the field, including 32.6% from deep. These numbers aren’t spectacular and the Johnnies can’t rely on their offensive to win. This means the Red Storm need to play to their strengths which include taking care of the ball, rebounding, and great passing.
The Red Storm also do a pretty good job on the defensive end. They apply good pressure to their opponents and force them to make mistakes. They are forcing opponents into nearly 15 turnovers per game and average seven steals. They also play long and contest a lot of shots. The Red Storm average just over four blocks per contest, the same as Louisville. St. John’s also does a good job of holding their opponents to just 65 points per game. As explosive as Louisville’s offense is, the Red Storm are going to have to have one of their best defensive efforts. If they can keep Louisville in the 60’s, they have a great chance to win.
Also, against the pressure Louisville defense, St. John’s will need to be smart and take care of the basketball. They have done a decent job of that so far this year, committing only 13 TO’s per contest, and will need to keep up that kind of play to have a chance against the Cards.
The Red Storm are also a pretty good rebounding team. St. John’s averages 37 boards per game, and are outrebounding their opponents by 1.5 rebounds per contest. Louisville averages slightly better numbers on the glass, but should face a tough challenge tonight.
A major disadvantage for the Red Storm is their size. The tallest player in their starting lineup is just 6’8. Against the monsters that Louisville with throw at them in Samuels and Jennings, St. John’s will have a tough time. Louisville needs to exploit this weakness and take advantage on the inside.
Statistical Comparison
| Team Statistics | SJU | LOU |
| SCORING | 1474 | 1833 |
| Points per game | 67.0 | 79.7 |
| Scoring margin | +1.3 | +10.4 |
| FIELD GOALS-ATT | 543-1298 | 633-1404 |
| Field goal pct | 0.418 | 0.451 |
| 3 POINT FG-ATT | 125-384 | 183-556 |
| 3-point FG pct | 0.326 | 0.329 |
| 3-pt FG made per game | 5.7 | 8.0 |
| FREE THROWS-ATT | 263-413 | 384-545 |
| Free throw pct | 0.637 | 0.705 |
| F-Throws made per game | 12.0 | 16.7 |
| REBOUNDS | 813 | 896 |
| Rebounds per game | 37 | 39 |
| Rebounding margin | +1.5 | +4.7 |
| ASSISTS | 273 | 361 |
| Assists per game | 12.4 | 15.7 |
| TURNOVERS | 286 | 319 |
| Turnovers per game | 13.0 | 13.9 |
| Turnover margin | +1.3 | +2.5 |
| Assist/turnover ratio | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| STEALS | 154 | 186 |
| Steals per game | 7.0 | 8.1 |
| BLOCKS | 91 | 94 |
| Blocks per game | 4.1 | 4.1 |
Players to Watch
#1 D.J. Kennedy- The Red Storm is led by Junior Forward D.J. Kennedy. Kennedy is a flat out stat stuffer. He leads St. John’s in pretty much every statistical category including scoring (15.0ppg), rebounding (6.6 rpg), assists (3.1 apg), steals (1.2 spg), and minutes played (31.2 min per game) . Kennedy is phenomenal on the offensive end. He is the St. John’s go to player withgood reason. He is shooting 45% from the field including 35% from downtown. Kennedy has scored in double figures 18 times this season and 53 times in his career. He has been named to the Big East Honor Roll four times this season and is the most recent member of St. John’s 1,000 point scoring club. As I said, this kid can do it all on both ends of floor. He can shoot it from long range, but is also athletic enough to take his man off the dribble and finish at the rim. In the first meeting against Louisville this year, Kennedy finished with a game high 20 points and collected 8 rebounds to go along with 2 assists.
#12 Dwight Hardy- Hardy is a junior guard that has started just two games this season and mainly comes off the bench. Despite coming off the pine, he puts up starter like numbers. He is second on the team in scoring with 11.8 ppg. Hardy is also St. John’s best three-point shooter as he bombs it in at a 39% clip. He has scored in double figures 14 times this year, including a career high 19 point performance against Cincinnati earlier this season. Hardy produced a 12 point, 2 rebound performance earlier this season against the Cards in which he shot 5-10 from the field.
Other players of note include #23 Paris Horne who averages 8.4 points per game as the starting point guard. He poured in 15 points against the Cards back in January. Also, starting forward #5 Sean Evans was the fourth double digit scorer for St. John’s against Louisville earlier this year when he netted 10. On the season, Evans is averaging 7.0 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Keys to Victory
1) Don’t let D.J. Kennedy beat you. The Cards need to force other St. John’s players to play their best games of the season in order for the Red Storm to get a win. Louisville can’t let Kennedy go nuts all over the court. This includes, scoring, rebounding, assists, and defensively. Louisville must force him into some tough shots and make him pass the ball away from the basket. Louisville’s pressure defense has been effective this year against some great players and this should be no different. Force Kennedy into mistakes and take him out of his element. The Cards must also keep him off the glass and limit his second chance opportunities. D.J. Kennedy cannot be the reason Louisville loses this game.
2) Turn up the pressure. St. John’s has done a great job this year protecting the basketball. Louisville must make their guards feel uncomfortable and force them into mistakes. This will lead to some fast breaks and more opportunities at the offensive end for the Cards. If St. John’s gets rattled early, it will be tough for them to get back in it.
3) The Cards must score. St. John’s has done a good job holding teams to low scoring outputs this season. They are giving up only 65 points per game. Louisville likes to play an uptempo style which includes shooting a lot of threes. The Cards must hit their shots, get run outs, and convert on some easy opportunities. If the St. John’s defense holds the Cards in the low 60’s, chances are Louisville could lose.
4) Pound the ball inside. Let Samuels go to work all day against the smaller front line of St. John’s. Samuels has really improved his game since conference play and I look for him to be a beast again tonight.
The Pinkie Previews: Rutgers (11-11 2-8) @ Louisville (14-8 5-4)
By: Biscuit | February 5th, 2010 | Category: Cards
Rutgers Scarlet Knights @ Louisville Cardinals
Freedom Hall Louisville, KY
Saturday February 6, 2010
Time: 4:04 pm EST
Radio: WKRD 790 AM and 101.7 FM
T.V.: WHAS 11 (Insight Channel 4)
The University of Louisville men’s basketball team will return to action Saturday afternoon in Freedom Hall to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. The Cards are coming off a big win on Big Monday when they defeated the UCONN Huskies 82-69. Louisville is fighting for its tournament lives every time they step on the court and a win against UCONN was big. It’s another must win situation this Saturday for the Cards when they take on one of the worst teams in the Big East. A loss to Rutgers would be a damaging mark on the ol’ tourney resume.
The Scarlet Knights have awoken from the dead over the past week and are playing their best ball of the season. Rutgers started off the conference season going 0-8 and were in the basement of the Big East. This past week however, Rutgers has hit a hot streak. Well, it’s a hot streak when talking about Rutgers basketball. The Scarlet Knights have won two straight, defeating Notre Dame 74-73 last weekend and St. John’s 84-72 Tuesday night in Madison Square Garden. The Scarlet Knights are looking to knock off Louisville for their third straight conference win which would be the first time they accomplish this feat since 2003-2004.
Louisville and Rutgers have met eight times in program history with the Cards dominating the series 7-1. Louisville is 3-0 on its home court and 2-1 on the road. The Cards are also 2-0 against the Knights at a neutral site. In their last meeting, Louisville dominated with a 78-59 victory at Rutgers on January 21, 2009.
Meet the Scarlet Knights
Let’s face it, at 11-11 overall and 2-8 in the Big East, Rutgers isn’t that good of a team. Yes, they have played better lately, but there is nothing spectacular that stands out about this team.
Offensively, the Scarlet Knights are pretty poor. They don’t score a lot of points and are ranked 13thin the 16 team league in scoring offense with 68.0 pts per game. They shoot 42.9% from the field which is ranked 14th in the Big East. They are a little bit better shooting the ball from deep as they make about 33.4% from beyond the arc which is good for 9th in the conference.
As far as taking care of the ball on the offensive end, Rutgers is one of the worst teams in the league. Their 15.5 turnovers per game is second to last in the league and they rank dead last in turnover margin at -2.91. Rutgers does not do a very good job of distributing the ball to each other. They average just 13.6 assists per game which is 13th in the Big East. With stats like this, Louisville should have an easy time setting up the press and generating turnovers. The Cards prey on teams like this with their pressure defense. I expect Rutgers to fold under the Cards pressure and make several mistakes which will lead to some easy buckets.
As far as the defensive side of things, Rutgers is just as bad as they are on the offensive side of the ball. They rank 13th in the league in points given up at 71.5 ppg. The Scarlet Knights are second worst in the conference in scoring margin at -3.5. Only Depaul is worse at -5.4. Rutgers does an average job at field goal defense. The Knights are ranked 9th in the B.E. in field goal defense and 12th in three-point field goal defense at 42.2% and 33.4% respectively. I don’t see Louisville having many problems in getting open looks. It’s up to the Cards if they can knock them down or not, but the opportunities should come early and often.
When it comes to rebounding, Rutgers is downright terrible. They are second to last in rebounding in the Big East, getting out rebounded by -2.4 boards per game. They give up an average of 38.6 boards per game to their opponents which is also 15thin the 16 team league. With the size of Louisville down low in Samuels and Jennings, I don’t see how it’s possible that Rutgers will be able to compete on the boards. Louisville should wipe the glass clean all game long.
The Scarlet Knights also don’t do a very good job in generating turnovers. They force their opponents into just 12.6 turnovers per game and rank 13th in the conference in steals with only 5.9 per game. If Louisville is patient and doesn’t rush things offensively, I don’t see the Rutgers defense playing a major factor. Louisville should be able to do what they want, when they want on the offensive end.
The one positive thing I can say about this Scarlet Knight squad is they block a lot of shots. In fact, Rutgers ranks second in the conference with an average of 7.5 blocks per game. Center Hamady Ndiaye ranks first in the B.E. and is third nationally in blocked shots per game with an average of 4.9. This allows the Scarlet Knight defense a little room for error. If the Louisvlle guards are able to get by the Rutgers guards and penetrate into the lane, they still have to worry about the enforcers inside. Ndiaye has the ability to alter several shots and could present a big challenge for the Cards inside. This especially presents a problem for a player like Samardo Samuels. Samuels, who has a reputation of being soft and fading away from the rim, may struggle getting his shots off against Ndiaye. This is one aspect of the game that does concern me as a Louisville fan.
Statistical Comparrison
Rutgers…………………..Category ……………………………………….UofL
8.0………………Points Per Game …………………79.9
71.5 …………..Opp. Points Per Game……………69.7
.429 …………..Field Goal Percentage……………448
.422 ………..Opp. Field Goal Percentage ….. …424
.334 ……….3-Pt. Field Goal Percentage …….. .328
.333……..Opp. 3-Pt. Field Goal Percentage…. .354
.669 ………….Free Throw Percentage …………. .701
-2.4 ……………..Rebound Margin…………………..+4.5
6.4 ……………….3-Pts. Per Game …………………….7.9
6.2……………..Opp. 3-Pts. Per Game……………….6.5
7.5 ……………….Blocks Per Game ………………….4.2
5.9 …………………Steals Per Game ………………….8.2
13.6 ……………….Assists Per Game…………………15.5
15.5……………..Turnovers Per Game …………….13.8
12.6 …………Turnovers Forced Per Game ……..16.6
Players to Watch
#3 Mike Rosario-This 6’3, 180lb sophomore guard is the Scarlet Knight’s best player. He is their go to guy on the offensive end and he produces. He is the leading scorer on the team, averaging 16.5 ppg which is also good for 12th in the conference. Rosario is coming off a career high in points (33) and field goals made (13) in the Scarlet Knights last victory over St. John’s and has scored in double figures during 47 of his 54 career games. He is also the best long range shooter on the team, connecting on 51 of his 149 attempts from beyond the arc for 34.2%. Rosario ranks third on the team in both assists (36) and steals (20). He is, however, very turnover prone. He is by far the team leader in turnovers with 61 on the season. Louisville should look to exploit this weakness in his game and force him into mistakes.
Rosario is the type of player that just makes plays. He is a versatile scorer that can shoot it from deep, but can also put the ball on the deck and get to the rim. He presents a tough match up for any defense and Louisville must be careful with him.
#5 Hamady Ndiaye- This 6’11, 235lb senior center is the enforcer inside for the Knights. He ranks third on the team in scoring with 9.5 ppg, second in rebounding (6.5 rpg), and first in blocked shots (4.9 bpg). Ndiaye currently ranks first in the Big East and third in the nation in blocked shots. He is also second among active NCAA players in career blocks with 321. Those 321 blocks ranks Ndiaye second in school history and his 108 blocks this season is already second most among the single season leaders in school history.
Ndiaye is a tall, physical presence that can create a problem for Louisville. As I mentioned earlier, Samuels is going to have a tough time scoring if he continues to fade away from the goal. Also, if Sosa, Siva, Knowles, and Smith drive the lane past the guards, they must look to pass instead of forcing up a shot. If they try to challenge Ndiaye their ball will wind up in the stands. They must look for the dump down or the kick out instead of trying to score because Ndiaye is just too big of a force.
Keys To Victory
1) Don’t be over confident. It is clear by the stats and video that Louisville is the superior team. Everyone knows this and it could cause a lack of focus for the Cards. They need to come out and respect Rutgers and not think they will walk all over them. Rutgers has been playing better lately and is not going to be intimidated by Louisville. The Cards need to come out with some intensity and play all 40 minutes.
2) Jump on Rutgers early. The Cards need to get out of the gates quick and build up a lead early. Take the Scarlet Knights out of the game in the first half and don’t allow them to hang around. Upsets happen when the underdog is allowed to hang around. If this game is close in the second half, it becomes a Rutgers advantage. The Knights have nothing to lose and will fight the entire game. Louisville has a lot more riding on this game and if it comes down to the final minutes, the Cards may get tense. The best way to fight this is to just put the Knights in their place early.
3) Move the ball. The Cards need to move the ball on offense and knock down the open shot. They have to be smart and not let Ndiaye control the paint defensively. If the Cards move the ball like they did against UCONN then they will have plenty of opportunities to knock down open shots. They just have to hit them.
4) Contain Mike Rosario. Don’t let this kid go off for 30+ points. If he gets into a zone then he has the capability of puting Rutgers on his back and making this a game. Pressure him into some tough shots and force him to make mistakes like he is prone to do. If you shut down Rosario, then you shut down Rutgers.
5) Bench play! Rutgers is not a deep team. They rely heavily on their starters and don’t get much production off the bench. This is where Louisville needs to dominate. The Cards are a deep team and have several guys that can come in and play well. I expect the Cards to wear down the Rutgers starters with pressure defense and force the Scarlet Knights to use their bench players. If this happens, it’s a major advantage for Louisville.
The Pinkie Previews: Louisville (13-7 4-3) @ West Virginia (16-3 5-2)
By: Biscuit | January 29th, 2010 | Category: Cards
Louisville Cardinals @ West Virginia Mountaineers
WVU Coliseum Morgantown, WV
Saturday January 30th, 2009
Time: 12:00 pm EST
T.V.: ESPN
Radio: WKRD 790 AM or 101.7 FM
The University of Louisville men’s basketball team returns to the site where they clinched the Big East Championship last season as they travel to Morgantown, WV Saturday to face the Mountaineers. The Cards are coming off a hard fought victory, 68-60 over conference rival Cincinnati last Sunday at Freedom Hall. That win snapped a three game skid that saw the Cards drop from first in the Big East to seventh. Now Louisville looks to build on that momentum as they travel into a very hostile environment in coal country.
The Mountaineers are putting together one of their best seasons in recent memory with a record of 16-3. They have won three straight and are coming off a throttling of Depaulin their last meeting, 62-46 on Tuesday night. Last weekend, West Virginia took down one of the Big Ten’s best, #21 Ohio State Buckeyes, in Morgantown 71-65.
The Cards andMountaineers have met nine times in program history, withLouisville holding a 7-2 advantage. The last meeting between the two came on the last day of the season a year ago with the Cards winning 62-59 in Morgantown. Louisville is 3-1 on their home court against WVU and 2-1 in Morgantown. The Cards are 2-0 in meetings on a neutral court.
Meet the Moutaineers
At 16-3, West Virginia is one of the top teams in the country. They are ranked ninth in both the AP and USA Today polls and seventh in RPI. West Virginia has also played the 10th most difficult schedule in America and has had tremendous success. This proves that the Mountaineers are indeed a Final Four contender.
West Virginia is a team that doesn’t put up overly impressive numbers on the offensive and defensive sides, but they don’t make mistakes. That combined with rebounding has been the key to West Virginia’s success. The Mountaineers rank 13th in the nation in assists per game (16.6 apg) and only commit 11.9 turnovers per game. This means their assist/turnover ratio of 1.4 is 12th best in the nation.
The Mountaineers also do a tremendous job on the boards. They don’t average a tremendous amount of rebounds, only 38.2 per game, but they do an exceptional job of holding their opponents off the glass. The Mountaineers are eighth in the country in rebounding margin (+8.2) and are ranked first in the Big East in defensive rebounding with 30.3 per game. WVU limits their opponents on the offensive end to only one shot which helps cut their opponents possessions. When a team only gets one shot and can’t force WVU into many turnovers, their opportunities to score are very few. This is what the Mountaineers key on and take advantage of.
Offensively, WVU is very balanced. They have four starters that average double figures in scoring led by senior guard Da’SeanButler with 15.9 ppg. Once you get outside of the starting lineup, WVU lacks depth. Bob Huggins doesn’t like to go to his bench very much and this could cost WVU against the Cards. Louisville has a very deep and experienced bench that is capable of putting up some good numbers. If two or three of the starters have off nights, the Mountaineer offense could struggle.
WVU Stats and Big East Ranking
Scoring Offense (8th) …… 73.5
Scoring Defense (2nd) ….. 61.5
Scoring Margin (4th) ……. +12.1
Free Throw Percentage (8th) ….. 68.1
Field Goal Percentage (10th) …….. 44.5
Field Goal Percentage Defense (13th) …… 43.2
3-Point Field Goal Percentage (6th) …….. 35.8
3-Point Field Goal Percentage Defense (5th) …….. 31.8
3-Point Field Goals Made (6th) ……… 7.7
Rebounding (9th) ………… 38.2
Rebounding Defense (1st) ……… 30.3
Offensive Rebounds (3rd) ………. 15.7
Rebounding Margin (2nd) …….. +7.9
Blocked Shots (9th) ……… 4.22
Assists (3rd) ……… 16.6
Steals (12th) ……… 6.4
Turnover Margin (4th) …….. +2.74
Assist/Turnover Ratio (3rd) ………. 1.40
Players to Watch
1) #1 Da’Sean Butler- Butler is a 6’7, 230lb senior guard that leads the Mountaineers in scoring with just under 16 points a game. He currently ranks 6th on the school’s all-time scoring list and holds the school record for most double figure scoring games in a career with 92. Butler also leads this year’s Mountaineer squad in assists (66), assist/turnover ratio (2.0), and minutes played (33 min per game). He is the do it all player on this Mountaineer team. He is a great ball handler that can take the ball to the rim or kick it to a teammate. He is also a three-point threat as he leads WVU in three’s with 30 on the season. He shoots 35% from deep. To go along with his 15.9 ppg, Butler also averages 6.4 rebounds per game, and 3.5 assists.
2) #3 Devin Ebanks-Ebanks is a 6’9, 215lb sophomore that is a huge inside presence for WVU. Ebanks is a versatile scorer that can put the ball in the hole in many ways. He is third on the team in scoring with an average of 11.5 ppg. For his size, he is a very athletic and very quick. He plays with great confidence and will take his man off the dribble to finish at the rim, but isn’t afraid to step back and knock down the outside jumper. Ebanksis a physical player for his size that will bang around in the post and dominate the boards. He leads the team in rebounding with 8.0 boards per game which also ranks seventh in the Big East. Ebanks also leads WVU in free throw percentage (83%) and defensive rebounding (5.3 per game).
3) #5 Kevin Jones- Jones is a 6’7, 245lb senior forward that is an outstanding offensive player. He is secondon the team in scoring with 14.1 ppg and is second in rebounding with 7.8 rpg. When Jones gets the ball in his hands, he usually finds a way to score. He leads WVU in field goal percentage at 55.4% which also ranks ninth in the Big East. Jones is also a tremendous outside shooter, converting on 43% of his attempts from beyond the arc. He is not only a good rebounder, but specifically a great offensive rebounder. He ranks third in the conference in offensive rebounding, collecting 4.11 per game.
Keys To Victory
1) The Cards must play big. WVU has a very big lineup with only one starter under 6’7. Jennings and Samuels will once again get the start together for Louisville and both must be effective. The Card’s big men need to match WVU in physicality and quickness. Jennings and Samuels need to controll the boards and not let WVU have their way like they are used to. If the Cards can limit WVU on the glass and pick up some offensive boards of their own, they will have a chance to win.
2) Wear down the Mountaineers. This means press, press, and more press. WVU isn’t a very deep team. The Cards must pressure them all over the court and attempt to wear the starters down. If Louisville can get Huggins to use his bench, the Cards will have the advantage. Also, WVU doesn’t make a lot of mistakes and doesn’t turn the ball over. Louisville must apply extensive pressure to generate these turnovers and throw West Virginia out of their rhythm.
3) Hit shots. The Cards are going into a tough atmosphere and they may get flustered. They can’t let this happen. Louisville must remain poised and not make mistakes on the offensive end. They must play smart basketball and work from the inside out. This has been Louisville’s strength when executed properly. The Cards will have plenty of open opportunities against the WVU defense, so they must connect. If Louisville is flustered and can’t make shots, they will get blown out.
The Pinkie Previews: Louisville (12-6 3-2) @ Seton Hall (10-6 1-4)
By: Biscuit | January 21st, 2010 | Category: Cards
Louisville Cardinals @ Seton Hall Pirates
Prudential Center Newark, New Jersey
January 21, 20101
Time: 7:02 pm EST
T.V.: ESPN
Radio: WKRD 790 AM and 101.7 FM
The University of Louisville men’s basketball team will try and snap their two game skid when they visit conference foe Seton Hall tonight. The Cardinals are coming off back to back tough losses to teams ranked in the top 16. Last Monday the Cards blew a 17 point lead at home against #4 Villanova and this past weekend the Louisville blew a five point lead in the final minute on the road at #16 Pittsburgh. The Cards ended up losing the Pitt game in overtime in what Rick Pitino called his “most disappointing loss since the Laettner game.” The Cards were in control virtually the whole way against Pitt before falling short in the end because of poor free throw shooting.
The Cards look to bounce back on the road against a very good Seton Hall team. Do not be fooled by the conference record of the Pirates. Their four conference losses have all come against teams ranked in the top 13 in the nation, and their largest margin of defeat was just 12 at Georgetown in their last game. The Pirates took then #6 West Virginia to overtime and lost to #5 Syracuse by just seven points. Their lone conference win came against a very talented Cincinnati squad. Seton Hall is not a team to be taken lightly and will give the Cardinals all they can handle.
The Cards and Pirates have battled 12 times in program history with Louisville holding an 8-4 series advantage. The Cards are 5-1 on their home court, but just 3-3 on the road. Louisville has won five of the last six overall in the series.
Meet the Pirates
Seton Hall is a team that is built on offense and do an excellent job of taking care of the ball. The Pirates rank fourth in the nation in scoring with an average of 84.7 points per game. They also rank 13th in the country in turnover margin (+4.5) and assist/turnover ratio (1.41).
Seton Hall is a team full of scorers. The Pirates average 84.7 ppg which is fourth in the nation. They scored a school record 134 points earlier this season against VMI. The 134 point outburst is the largest point total of the season for a Division 1 team this year. The Pirates are lead in scoring by Junior phenom Jeremy Hazell with 22.9 points per game. Their only other player averaging double figures is Sophomore forward Herb Pope who averages 12.4 ppg. Just like Louisville, Seton Hall is a very balanced team when it comes to scoring. Bothteams have only two players who average double figures, but both have a variety of players capable of putting up some big offensive numbers. The Pirates have seven different players who average better than seven points per game. It’s going to be a tough challenge for Louisville to contain all of these potential weapons.
One reason Seton Hall scores so many points is because they love to shoot the three. They have attempted 387 three pointer’s this season and connected on 118 of those attempts. They average 7.4 three pointers made per game and recorded a season high 20 made three’s against VMI earlier this season. Louisville will have to guard the perimeter and not give the Pirate shooters open looks.
Seton Hall is so good at taking care of the ball that they have committed 10 or fewer turnovers seven times this season. Their turnover margin is not only the 13th best in the country, but ranks number one in the Big East. Louisville is a team that prides itself on pressure defense and forcing their opponents to turn the ball over. Against Seton Hall, the Louisville defense will have a much tougher time of forcing the Pirates into mistakes.
Besides being an outstanding scoring team, the Pirates also do an excellent job on the glass. Seton Hall currently ranks second in the Big East with 41.8 rebounds per game. They also have the conference’s leading rebounderon their side in Pope who averages 11.4 boards per game. Louisville is also a very good rebounding team with 40.4 rpg and lead the conference in rebounding margin at +6.2. It’s going to be a battle on the glass that Louisville must win. They can’t give this Seton Hall offense extra opportunities.
Defensively, the Pirates are an average team. They give up a pretty high 74 points per game. They also allow their opponents to shoot 41.7% from the field including 35% from beyond the arc. As a team, they do a decent job of forcing turnovers causing their opponents to give it up about 15.7 times per game. The Pirates also record 8.8 steals per game which is pretty average.
Seton Hall Statistics
Points per game- 84.7 (4th nationally)
Opponents points per game- 74.0
Scoring Margin- +10.7
Field Goal %- 44.5%
Opponents Field Goal %- 41.7%
3-Point Field Goal %- 33.1%
Opponent 3-Point %- 35%
Avg 3-Pointers Made- 7.4 per game
Free Throw %- 65.4%
Rebounds per game- 41.8
Avg Rebound Margin- +2.6 per game
Assists per game- 15.8
Turnovers per game- 11.2
Opponent Turnovers per game- 15.7
Turnover Margin- +4.5 (13th nationally)
Assist/Turnover Ratio- 1.4 (13th nationally)
Steals- 8.8 per game
Blocks- 5.4 per game
Players To Watch
#21 Jeremy Hazell- The 6’5 188lb Junior shooting guard is Seton Hall’s go to scorer. He leads the team and is second in the Big East witha 22.9 points per game average. This kid can flat out shoot the ball and loves the three point arc. He is second among Big East active players in three pointers made in conference games with 127. Scottie Reynolds of Villanovaleads the way with 134. In a loss to West Virginia earlier this season, Hazellbroke the school record in three pointers attempted with 19. In his career, Hazell has attempted 14 three’s in a game 11 different times. He ranks fourthin school history with 238 three’s made and is on pace to break that record if he stays for his senior season next year. Hazellalso ranks first in the league in three pointers made per game with 3.4. Louisville fans should remember Hazell from the Cards last trip to New Jersey. In 2008, Hazell nailed eight three’s against Louisville and scored 29 points en route to a Seton Hall victory.
In the West Virginia loss, Hazell recorded a career high 41 points. He has recorded double figures in scoring for 15 straight games. Outside of his Big East’s second best scoring average of 22.9 ppg, Hazell also averages 3.7 rebounds per game and a Big East best 2.1 steals per game. He was named to the preseason All-Big East Second Team and has been on the Big East Honor Roll three times this season.
#15 Herb Pope- Pope is a 6’8, 236lb Sophomore forward and is Seton Hall’s biggest inside threat. Pope is an absolute beast on the boards and can also put the ball in the hole. Pope averages a double-double with 12.4 ppg, 11.4 rpg, and 2.0 blocks per game. His 12.4 ppg is second best on the team behind Hazelland his 11.4 rebounds per game ranks #1 in the Big East. He recorded a career high 20 rebounds earlier this season against VMI. He currently leads the Big East with 10 double-doubles this season and has produced 12 different double digit rebounding games. Samardo Samuels, Rakeem Buckles, and Jared Swopshire are going to have a tough time containing this kid on the boards. Pope has been named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll on two separate occasions this year.
Keys To Victory
1) Contain Jeremy Hazell. This kid loves to shoot the three and he can hit ‘em. Louisville must follow him all over the court and not allow him to breathe on the offensive end. Hazell is not shy about pulling from anywhere once he passes half court. If Louisville allows him to get shots off from deep, Hazell will get into a grove. If Hazell is in a grove from deep, it’s lights out for the Cards.
2) Turn up the pressure extra hard. As I mentioned, Seton Hall does an excellent job of taking care of the ball. Louisville must work even harder on the defensive end if they are to force the Pirates into mistakes. Louisville’s defense is what leads to their offense, so the Cards better dial up the pressure if they want to out score the Pirates.
3) Keep Pope off the glass. Louisville is a great rebounding team, but so is Seton Hall. The big boys down low for the Cards (Samuels, Buckles, Swopshire, Jennings) need to control the glass and not let Pope dominate. If Seton Hall is able to dominate the boards, it will create more opportunities for them on the offensive end. The Cards can’t afford to let a powerful offensive team like Seton Hall get second and third chance looks or it will come back to bite them. The Cards MUST win the rebounding battle.
4) Hit Shots! This game has some similarities to the Villanova game. Villanova was an outstanding offense team that put up a ton of points, but they also gave up a lot of points. The same goes for this Seton Hall team. They are a great offensive team, but they will give up good looks on defense and allow their opponents to score a lot of points. Louisville must capitalize on this and knock down the open looks when the Pirates give it to them. I expect a shootout just like the Villanova game was, so the Cards just have to outscore the Pirates. This is something they didn’t do against Villanova when they shot 21% from deep and only 31% for the game. It must be different this time around.
5) Get the ball to Samardo Samuels. Samuels has looked like a beast in his last two games against very good teams in Villanova and Pitt. Samuels is coming off a 25 point performance at Pitt in which he was a man amongst boys. Give the ball to Samuels early and let him establish himself in the paint. Once this happens, he will draw some double teams and the outside shot will open up even more. The Cards need to work the offense from the inside out.
Buckles Gets the Start
Rick Pitino will tweak his starting lineup a little bit for the Seton Hall game. Pitino has decided to replace the struggling Jared Swopshire with Rakeem Buckles. It will be Buckles first career start. The starting five for Louisville will be Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith, Samardo Samuels, Reginald Delk, and Rakeem Buckles. I am a huge fan of this move because it’s no secret that I am not high on Jared Swopshire. I think this kid has been overrated since he arrived on campus and has had a major role in Louisville losing their last two games down the stretch. Hopefully Buckles will step up, perform well, and replace Swop permanently in the starting five.
Louisville and Duke to Start Basketball Series?
By: Biscuit | January 21st, 2010 | Category: Cards
There was an article published the other day in the Louisville Courier Journal that mentioned a possible three game basketball series between the University of Louisville men’s basketball team and Duke.
The article said that Duke had contacted UofL about the possibility of setting up the series that could start next season. The talk is the three game series will be split between both teams home court and one game will be played at a neutral site such as Madison Square Garden. It was even mentioned that Duke would be Louisville’s first home opponent next season. This means that the Blue Devils will be the first opponent for the Cards at the new arena. Let that sink in. There will be 23,000 fans at the new arena going nuts as the Cards and Blue Devils battle it out. This could be huge!
The article also mentioned that the talks are not a priority right now as both teams are in the middle of a tough conference schedule, but look for things to pick up once the season is over. I, for one, am excited about this possibility. What a way to open the new downtown arena with the Lady Cards taking on the powerhouse Lady Vols of Tennessee and the men’s squad battling the powerhouse Duke Blue Devils. Remember, Duke was the team that Louisville beat to win their second NCAA National Championship in 1986.
Cards Gift Wrap a Win For Pitt 82-77 in OT
By: Biscuit | January 16th, 2010 | Category: Cards
The University of Louisville men’s basketball team flat out blew it today against the Pittsburgh Panthers. The Cards had a six point lead with just over two minutes left, and were up by four with under 20 seconds and could not hold on. The Cardinals missed four crucial free throws down the stretch that would of put the game away, instead they are looking at another loss. Two of the free throws came on the front end of a one and one opportunity. In the end, the Cards just didn’t want it bad enough and handed the game to the Panthers 82-77 in OT.
Louisville had controlled most of the game and never fell behind by more than two points at anytime. The teams battled in the first half with Louisville leading most of the way. Louisville did a solid job on the offensive end by going inside to Samardo Samuels who discovered his post game again. Samuels dominated the Panthers inside with strength and great footwork. He found himself in double figures at the break and led Louisville to a 30-27 halftime lead.
The second half was just like the first. Both teams were battling back and forth with Louisville maintaining a slight advantage. Pitt took a brief one point lead at 49-48, but the Cards rallied for a five point advantage and retook control of the game. Louisville’s largest lead of the game was six which happened with just over two minutes left in regulation. Down the stretch, Louisville just made to many mistakes and could not capitalize on their opportunities.
Up by five with under two minutes left, Edgar Sosa had a one and one opportunity and a chance to put the game out of reach with a seven point lead. Instead, Edgar missed the free throw badly. I’m talking his shot hit the backboard before it hit the rim bad.
About a minute later, Jared Swopshire had a chance to put the game out of reach with a one and one opportunity and Louisville leading by four. Swopshire choked, just like Sosa, and missed the first attempt. Pitt took the ball and on their ensuing possession, Brad Wanamaker nailed a three pointer off an inbounds pass that cut Louisville’s lead to one at 68-67. On the play, Jared Swopshire was completely oblivious to Wanamaker running right behind him to the corner. Swopshire had his head in the clouds and by the time he realized what was going on, Wanamaker was wide open and drilled the shot.
Louisville once again had a third opportunity to put the game away at the free throw line. Pitt was forced to foul with 11 seconds left and Sosa was the guy at the line once again for two shots. Sosa made the first to put Louisville up two, but missed the second which opened the door for Pitt.
On their ensuing possession, Pitt had a three pointer blocked out of bounds with about six seconds left. After the inbounds pass, Wanamaker drove at the free throw line and was fouled by Jerry Smith with 1.8 seconds to play. That’s right, Louisville committed a foul up by two with 1.8 seconds left. It’s inexcusable. Wanamaker drilled both free throws and sent the game to overtime.
In overtime, Pitt controlled the entire way. It started with an Ashton Gibbs three pointer and Jermaine Dixon poured in three field goals and Pitt took a five point lead. Preston Knowles tried to keep Louisville in it with a three pointer at the 25 second mark to cut the deficit to one. Louisville had to foul and fouled Gibbs who made both free throws with 16.4 seconds remaining. That’s when Louisville completely lost their minds again. Instead of getting a good shot which could of tied the game or cut the deficit to one, Swopshire decided he would try to be the hero once again by shooting a fade away three pointer from the corner with six seconds left that hit nothing but back board. If you can recall, it was Swopshire that did this exact thing against Villanova on Monday night with the team down three with just over a minute left. This was the stupidest thing I have ever seen. There were six seconds left and I would rather have any other player on the team shoot the ball than Swopshire. Needless to say, Louisville choked and Pitt went on to win by five.
Top Performers
Samardo Samuels (Lou)- Samuels was the dominating force that Louisville fans expect him to be. He used his size and strength inside and basically had his way against Gary McGhee of Pitt. Samuels finished with 25 points on 12-20 shooting and was 1-1 from the line. He also finished with six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks. He played 40 of 45 minutes.
Preston Knowles (Lou)- Knowles discovered how to shoot the ball again. He was definitely feeling it from the outside and even made some shots that I thought had no chance of going in. Preston finished the game with 21 points on 8-12 shooting including 5-7 from beyond the arc. three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one turnover. He hit the big shots when Louisville needed them and put the Cards in a position to win. This is the type of play the Cards need from Knowles down the stretch if they want to make the big dance.
Nasir Robinson (Pitt)- This kid basically came out of nowhere. He scored a career high 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead Pitt. He shot 11-14 from the field and 4-6 from the free throw line. He only averages 6.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, but he came up big for the Panthers in this one.
Brad Wanamaker- Wanamaker had his usual good game. He averages 12 points and 6 rebounds per game and he lived up to these stats and then some. Wanamaker poured in 20 points and collected six boards while dishing out seven assists. He was 4-9 from the field and 11-12 at the line, including the two clutch free throws to send the game into overtime. Whenever the Panthers needed a big shot, Wanamaker was the one to take it and he came through. He was the one that hit the three to cut the Louisville lead to one with 16 seconds left in regulation.
Edgar Sosa was the other Cardinal who scored in double figures with 13. Ashton Gibbs was the third Panther in double digits with 15.
The Pinkie Previews: Villanova (14-1, 3-0) at Louisville (12-4, 3-0)
By: Biscuit | January 11th, 2010 | Category: CardsVillanova Wildcats @ Louisville Cardinals
Freedom Hall Louisville, KY
Monday January 11, 2010
Time: 7:03 pm EST
T.V.: ESPN
Radio: WHAS 840 AM as well as ISP/Westwood One Radio
The University of Louisville Men’s Basketball team will battle the Villanova Wildcats tonight in a match-up of conference unbeatens. The game has been declared a “White Out” with all Cardinal fans encouraged to wear white for the game. The game will be shown in prime time on ESPN at 7:00 as part of Big Monday.
It will be an incredibly tough challenge for the Cards as Villanova is arguably the second toughest opponent (Kentucky being first) the Cards will face this year. Louisville is playing some of its best basketball lately and is coming off a 75-68 victory against St. Johns this past Saturday. The Cards have won seven of their last eight contests.
Villanova, like Louisville, is coming off of short rest. The Wildcats barely hung on this past Saturday with a 78-76 victory at home against Marquette. It was the second time Villanova has defeated Marquette in the past week as they snuck out another two point victory in Milwaukee on January 2nd.
‘Nova is 14-1 on the season with their only loss coming at the hands of Temple on December 13th. Villanova and Louisville are two of the three unbeaten teams in Big East play. Pittsburgh is also undefeated at 3-0.
Louisville and Villanova have matched up 14 times in program history with the Cards leading the overall series 8-6. Louisville is 2-1 on their home floor and 2-4 on the road. On a netural site, the Cards hold a 4-1 advantage.
Meet the Wildcats
Villanova is flat out impressive in just about every area of the game. The strengths of their team are their offensive play and their depth. The ‘Cats have five McDonald’s All-Americans on their roster and four of their five starters average double figures with the other starter averaging 9.2 ppg.
As I mentioned, ‘Nova is outstanding on the offensive end. They rank ninth nationally in scoring offense with an average of 84.3 ppg. The Wildcats have scored 70+ points in 13 of its 15 games this season including eight games of 80+ points and five over 90. During their current five-game winning streak Villanova is shooting 53-percent from the field and 41.3-percent from behind the arc. Nova has several guys on their team that can bomb it from deep as five different players have hit 10+ three’s this season. It will be incredibly tough for Louisville to slow this team down.
Not only are the Villanova starting five nearly impossible to stop, but their bench play has been good as well. The Wildcat bench has outscored their opponents bench in 12 of 15 contests this season. In their three Big East games, they have produced 85 points for an average of 28.3 points per game. The Cats have nine different players that have started at least one game this season and on 12 times a bench player has scored in double figures.
As if extraordinary offense and bench play aren’t enough, Villanova is among the nation’s elite in rebounding. The Wildcats are out-rebounding opponents by a +7.7 margin. This is good for 12th nationally. Louisville is ranked 25th in rebounding with a +7.5 average. It’s going to be a battle on the boards that Louisville must win.
If there is a downfall to this Villanova team it is on the defensive side. In their last three games, ‘Nova is allowing opponents to score 73.3 ppg. and they have allowed their last three opponents to shoot 38-percent from downtown. On Saturday, Marquette was able to hang 57 points on the Wildcats in the second half. Villanova will score a lot of points but will also give a lot up. I expect this match-up to be a high scoring affair that comes down to who can hit the outside shot.
Nova Statistics
Points per game- 83.7 ppg (9th nationally)
Opponents points per game-69.2 ppg
Field Goal %- 46.4%
Opponent Field Goal %- 39.9%
3-pt Field Goal %- 37.6%
Opponent 3-pt %- 34.8%
3-pt’s made per game- 8.2
Free Throw %- 76.3% (11th nationally)
Rebounds per game- 40.5
Rebound Margin- +7.7 (12th nationally)
Assists per game- 15.0
Turnovers per game- 13.1
Turnover’s Forced- 15.9
Turnover Margin- +2.9
Assist/Turnover Ratio- 1.1
Steals per game- 8.1
Blocks per game- 3.5
Key Players
There are so many talented players on this Villanova team that every one of their guys can be a major factor in this game. As I mentioned earlier, four of Nova’s five starters average double figures. They are lead by senior guard Scottie Reynolds with 17.7 ppg. Others that average double figures are junior guard Corey Fisher (12.9 ppg), senior guard Reggie Redding (12.4 ppg), and junior forward Antonio Pena (12.0 ppg). The other starter, junior guard Corey Stokes, is averaging 9.2 ppg. Sophomore forward Taylor King also averages double figures with 10.7 ppg off the bench.
Reynolds, Stokes, King, and Fisher are the Wildcats biggest threats from downtown. Each one of these kids shoot better than 35-percent from distance with King being their most consistent threat, shooting shooting 46-percent.
Entering the season there was concern over who would replace ’Nova’s All Big East performer on the inside in Dante Cunningham. Antonio Pena has done more than answer the bell. He is the Wildcats’ leading rebounder, pulling down 8.1 boards per game. Both Redding and King also average better than 6 .4 rebounds per game.
Fisher is leading Villanova in assists with 67 dimes on the year compared to just 27 turnovers. That’s good for 4.5 assist per game average and an impressive 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He is excellent at getting their plethora of shooters good looks.
The heart and soul of the Villanova attack is Reynolds. He was named the 2009 NCAA East Regional MVP in the NCAA tournament last year and was named to the All Big East Honorable Mention team. This season, Reynolds was named as a preseason All Big East First Team selection, as well as one of 30 finalists for the Wooden Award. His is being mentioned as an All-American Candidate.
Reynolds is their go-to, do-it-all type of player. Not only does he lead the team in scoring, he is also second on the team in assists. On the season he is shooting 48-percent from the field and 39-percent from deep. Over his last seven games, Reynolds is averaging 21.9 ppg and connecting on 57-percent from the field, including 49-percent from deep.
He is very versatile with the ball in his hands because he can take his man on the dribble and finish and shoot it from outside. He is effective at shooting off of the bounce or coming off a screen. Reynolds also creates havoc on defense and is tied for the team lead in steals with 23. Fisher is the other player who shares the top spot in steals.
One negative thing that the Cards need to exploit about Reynolds is his turnovers. He is prone to make mistakes and give the ball away. He is by far the team leader in turnovers, giving up the ball 44 times on the season. I believe that if Louisville can generate enough pressure on this kid, he will try to force things and make mistakes. Louisville must take advantage of this.
Keys to Victory
1) Slow down the Villanova offense. I know this task might seem impossible with the way the Wildcats can score, but the Cards must do their best to try to slow down Nova’s attack. This means that the Louisville guards must be quick on the press and force the ‘Nova guards to make mistakes. The Cats start four guards that can all handle the ball and will be tough to press, but Louisville must match their quickness and not let them run up and down the court. The Cards need to do a good job in their traps and force Nova to turn the ball over.
2) Guard the perimeter. Villanova is arguably the best three-point shooting team the Cards will face all season. They have so many weapons, it’s unreal. Louisville needs to get out on the shooters quickly from their zone and not let the Cats get open looks. If Louisville allows Villanova to bomb away from deep, the Cards will lose.
3) Bench play will be key. As I said earlier, Villanova is a very deep team with big time players on their bench. Louisville’s role players such as Siva, Buckles, Kuric, Jennings, and Knowles have to play at their best. Nova relies on their bench outscoring their opponents bench, so the Card reserves need to come out and send a message. If Louisville can somehow get an advantage from bench play, they should put themselves in a position to win.
4) Rebound the basketball. Despite ‘Nova’s heavy reliance on guards, they still rebound the basketball well. The Cards need to take advantage of their size underneath and win the battle of the boards. They have to limit Nova’s second and third chance opportunities, and give themselves more chances on the offensive end. ‘Nova has too many scoring threats to allow them multiple chances. If you do, they will convert.
5) Score, score, and score some more! Louisville has to knock down their shots and put up some points. ‘Nova will give the Cards some good looks and it’s up to Sosa, Smith, Delk, Knowles, and Marra to knock them down. The Cards should also have a size advantage on the inside, so Samuels needs to convert around the rim. If Louisville hits their shots, they will be in the game at the end. If they have an off night, they will get blown out of Freedom Hall. It’s that simple. This game will be a shootout. So, the Cards need the offense to come through and outscore Jay Wright’s Wildcats.
Basically, beat Villanova at their own game.
