Cards Bounce Back, Down UConn 82-69

Recap

After a rough stretch of road games, the Cards returned home to the Hall of Freedom and got back in the win column. Thanks to solid shooting, Louisville was able to set up their defense and forced UConn into 17 turnovers. Edgar Sosa led the Cards with 15 points and 8 assists.

Louisville came out of the gates quick and riding some hot outside shooting, took a 27-16 lead midway through the first half. The flurry would continue as the Cards utilized the penetrate and kick offense all the way to a 48-34 halftime lead.

Going into the second half, you knew UConn would make a run at some point and how Louisville responded would be telling, particularly on the heels of the West Virginia game. Connecticut made their run three minutes into the second half and cut the Louisville lead to ten at 55-45.

The Cards immediately went on an 8-0 run and went back ahead by eighteen. UConn again cut into the deficit and was only down by nine with ten minutes to play. However, that’s as close as they would get and the Cards closed out the Huskies 82-69.

My Take

Obviously, the Cards had to have this game, if for no other reason than it was a home game. I like how Louisville responded after the disappointment at West Virginia.

I thought Rick Pitino did a great job in getting his squad ready to play. The Cards could have easily still been steaming over the WVU game and allowed it to carry over, but instead, they manned up and that was a pleasant sight.

The key to this game, in my opinion, was passing. Louisville passed the ball efficiently and set up their teammates for great shots, not good shots. The Cards also fed the post well and if Samardo had shot better than 5-16, this game would have been over earlier.

The good shooting this Louisville team is capable of has started to show up the past couple games. No coincidence they are improving their shooting after improving their passing.

The biggest area of improved passing has come from the post. Samardo Samuels has been passing well out of the post the past couple weeks and Terrence Jennings showed improvement last night. He hit Reginald Delk on a sweet bounce pass from the top of the key for a lay-up.

Rick Pitino has said for some time one of the main issues TJ has is his passing and if that element of his game can come around, then the Cards can be very good. Hopefully, that improvement will continue.

All that said, the win over UConn does not put Louisville in the Big Dance just yet. This was a good win over a RPI Top 50 opponent, but the Cards could still use a signature win over a team like Syracuse.

Louisville will have their shots because they get the ‘Cuse twice this season. The Cards are now 14-8 on the year and 5-4 in Big East play. They return to the floor Saturday as they welcome Rutgers into town. 

Individual Breakdowns

Edgar Sosa – Edgar played well. He attacked the basket, found his teammates, and played one of his smarter games. Sosa still, and always will, make you scratch your head at times, but he minimized that tonight. Sosa finished with 15 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds.

Samardo Samuels – Samardo played much better than his numbers indicate. He posted up very effectively, but just didn’t shoot a good percentage as he shot 5-16. Sam Sam fouled out with 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Jerry Smith – The one we call Crazy Jerry had maybe his best game of the year. Jerry attacked the basket, rather than settle for only jump shots. Jerry scored 14 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.

Terrence Jennings – TJ started again, but played only 14 minutes. He was hampered with foul trouble in the first half and really never got going. He’s still a step slow on defense and has no polished low post game, but he showed improved passing and looked like he understood the offensive sets better. TJ finished with 3 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 block, and a nice assist on a backdoor pass to Reginald Delk.

Reginald Delk - And speaking of Delk, he has really turned it on of late. He is shooting with more confidence and is becoming a rebounding threat, particularly on the offensive end. Delk had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Peyton Siva – Siva just has that look of a player who is going to be great before all is said and done. However, he’s a freshman and right now, he shows flashes more than consistency. He played well against UConn and for the past couple weeks, has the looks of a freshman who is starting to figure things out. Peyton finished with 5 points, 2 steals, and an assist.

Jared Swopshire – Swopshire takes a lot of grief, so when he plays well he deserves some praise. Swop had a very solid game and showed the skills that will make him a very good player in the future. He made a couple nice moves on the offensive end, one in the post and another on a drive to rim in which he finished with his left hand. Swop finished with 9 points, 9 rebounds (5 offensive), and 2 blocks.

Preston Knowles – Preston almost gets taken for granted because he plays so hard all the time, it’s almost like he’s made himself underappreciated. Preston had 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Kyle Kuric - Kyle had a typical Kyle Kuric game. He crashed the boards, played with energy and hustle, and gave the team a spark. He only had 3 points and 2 rebounds, but he was an important figure in the UConn win.

Stephan Van Treese – One of the more energetic stretches at Freedom Hall this season came when SVT was forced into action in the first half. After Samardo and TJ found themselves in foul trouble late in the first half, the seldom used true freshman entered the game to get the Cards to halftime as the low post presence.

The 6-8 kid from Naptown came in and instantly gave the Cards a shot of adrenaline. He altered a shot, recorded a steal, and scored on a lay-up off a pick and roll. He only played six minutes, but was one of the highlights of the game.

Mike Marra – Mike only played a minute and missed his only shot attempt as the first half ended.

Rakeem Buckles – The Dream only three minutes of play, but grabbed 2 rebounds.