Date: Monday, February 2nd
Time: 7:04 p.m. EST
Site: Freedom Hall (18,865) in Louisville, KY
Series History: UofL trails 2-4(1-1 in L’ville, 1-1 @Hartford, 0-1 @Storrs, 0-1 neutral)
Last Meeting: UofL 67, UConn 69 (Jan. 28, 2008 at the XL Center)
National Rankings: UL No. 5 AP, 7 ESPN/USA Today; UConn No. 1 AP and ESPN/USA Today (Feb. 2)
Officials: John Cahill, Ed Corbett, Michael Stephens

The four letter network calls it Big Monday. February 2nd should be called Colossal Monday. The polls have been released, and Louisville is prepared to welcome its second top ranked team into the hallowed Hall of Freedom in the University of Connecticut Huskies. I don’t think you would find too many people who would take issue with the statement that the number one team in the country right now has been playing in Freedom Hall all along. The University of Louisville Cardinals, now winners of nine strait, are 17-3 and a perfect 8-0 in the Big East.

Twill has been nothing short of unstoppable during the Cardinals current run averaging 14.2 points, 10 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals while shooting 50.5 percent from the field (51-of-101) and 38.7 percent from threepoint range (12-of-31). A scary moment for Cardinals fans came with 9:49 to play in the West Virginia game. Following a sweet dish to Terrence Jennings, Williams rolled his left ankle and spent some time on the floor between some of the Ladybirds (likely an intentional move), but returned to action a minute and fifteen seconds later at the 8:34 mark.  He’d best be healthy come monday.

The Huskies of Connecticut come into Freedom Hall sporting a 20-1 (9-1) record on the season and are also owners of a nine game winning streak. Led by Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun (789-338), this Connecticut team may be one of his best ever in his 23 years at the University.  UConn is coming off a crushing performance, a 94-61 mauling of much improved Providence.

Jeff Adrien leads the Huskies averaging 14.1 points and 10.0 rebounds, one of six UConn players averaging over eight points a game. UConn ranks among the national leaders in blocked shots (2nd, 7.4), rebound margin (third, +9.2), scoring margin (5th, +17.3) and field goal percentage(9th, .489). Along with Adrien UConn’s main contributors are guards Jerome Dyson (13.5), A.J. Price (12.3), Kemba Walker (9.3), and Craig Austrie (8.1), and the 7′ 3″ Junior center/Tanzanian monster Hasheem Thabeet (13.0 points and 4.0 blocks).

Conneticut hasn’t been outrebounded all season, and it makes a living on the defensive end. The Huskies have led the nation in blocked shots for seven strait seasons and are currently second, behind Mississippi State and just ahead of Kentucky.  Offensive firepower is not lacking however; Jerome Dyson reached the 1,000-point club by making a free throw with 2:35 to play against DePaul last Wednesday and A.J. Price reached the milestone on Saturday against Providence.

Jeff Adrien finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds against Providence. That ended his consecutive double-double streak at six, but he still has 43 in his college career.  Adrien now has 1,409 points in his career with the Huskies, No. 17 all-time at UConn. Stanley Robinson broke out of his scoring struggles with 18 points on 7-11 shooting.  That was only his second time in double figures since joining the team for the Dec. 15 game against Stony Brook and is 0-for-8 from beyond the arc on the season.  And Hasheem Thabeet? Oh, he is just coming off a 15 point, 11 rebound, 10 block triple-double performance!! He is No. 2 all-time at UConn in blocked shots behind Emeka Okafor with 346 blocks in his career at Connecticut.

Coach Rick Pitino is 11-6 all time against Jim Calhoun. Nine of those seventeen meetings came when Pitino was at Boston U. and Calhoun at Northeastern (Pitino went 6-3). Calhoun is second in all-time wins among active coaches (Mike Krzyzewski-821) and seventh all-time period, ten behind Eddie Sutton (804). Pitino has 538 wins against 194 losses all time. UConn’s Kemba Walker and Louisville’s Edgar Sosa played together at New York’s Rice High School.

Bobby E’s Gamebreaker: GUARD PLAY!!!

Edgar Sosa is going to have to show up and continue to play the way he has over the last couple of weeks. Edgar has exactly ONE turnover in his last four contests. Andre McGee and Preston Knowles will need to be at the top of their already strong defensive games as Louisville will be facing a quartet of guards unlike any they have seen this year.

The game will be televised on ESPN with Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and Dick Vitale (color) calling the action. Oh and EA will be in the house, uh, YUMP!!! You can also hear the game broadcast on WKRD (790 AM, 101.7 FM)(joined in progress on WHAS/840 AM) by Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (color) or on SIRIUS satellite ch. 126.