Saying Goodbye: Preston Knowles

In this world of NBA Draft early entry and one-and-done freshman, it is difficult to become attached to a college star. They simply don't hang around long enough. But when they do, that player becomes the fan favorite. There is nothing like watching a kid develop from a overwhelmed freshman into star as a senior. Those are the players that the fans connect with.

We reached out to some of the blogosphere's best, and over the next couple of weeks we will be running a series of posts saying goodbye to some of the country's best seniors.

Today, Card Chronicle says goodbye to Preston Knowles.

In a day and age where everyone with an above average ability to put a ball inside a hoop is reminded of how special they are at least a hundred thousand times before they graduate high school, Rick Pitino is a harsh dose of reality.

As hard as it may be to believe, the man who redefined modern fullcourt pressure and who took advantage of the three-point shot like no one before him has become old school.


Previous accolades and potential future earnings have zero bearing on this matter; if you come to the University of Louisville to play basketball, Rick Pitino is going to break you down. You're going to work harder than you're used to, you're going to be criticized more than you're used to, and, perhaps most shockingly to the 18-year-old in Adidas garb, you're not going to play or score nearly as much as you're used to.

It's not a coincidence that the attrition rate during the Pitino era at U of L isn't exactly sparkling. Though he came to Louisville as a 2-star recruit with zero other major scholarship offers, Preston Knowles is not an exception to this rule.

While there have been notable instances of praise - "I wish I could coach 12 Preston Knowles'" - Pitino wasn't nearly as quick to applaud the Winchester native's effort or progress during his first three years at Louisville as the Cardinal fans were.

On multiple occasions, Knowles has been described as being in Pitino's "doghouse," the most recent occurrence coming last spring. At various times, Pitino has criticized Knowles' decision-making, effort on the defensive end, and shot selection. Though Knowles has been widely-regarded as a lock-down defender since the moment he set foot on campus, a year ago Pitino referred to then-senior Reginald Delk as "the only above-average defensive player on the team."

But as with any particularly vexing test or trial, those who persevere and survive are eventually richly rewarded.

No one plays up his seniors like Rick Pitino. Once practice started last October, Louisville fans were bombarded with quotes like "Preston is the unquestioned leader of this team, everyone looks up to him," and "Preston Knowles will never have senioritis, he truly plays for Louisville, he's not concerned about his future." It's not that these words of praise aren't genuine, it's that their less-flattering predecessors were likely a tad overblown.

It’s not a stretch to say that Knowles’ departure marks the end of an era for the Louisville program.

Rick Pitino will welcome one of the nation's top recruiting classes next fall, and there's another one prepared to enter the fold 12 months after that. U of L will also bring in controversial, but highly talented, Wake Forest transfer Tony Woods, who will be eligible to see the floor once the fall semester of 2011 ends.

There is nothing wrong with going after the best high school talent in the country and certainly nothing wrong with landing a handful of those guys, but let's be honest, there's a dramatic change in climate coming.

With assistant coach Tim Fuller and Pitino doing what they're doing in the recruiting world, I'm not sure it's going to be possible for a story like Knowles’ - a two-star in-state recruit with one other scholarship offer (VCU) who becomes a senior captain and leading scorer for a Louisville team that nearly won the Big East Tournament - to happen again anytime soon.

And that's why what he did, especially in his final season, is so important. Look at this quote from Knowles on the day before his Senior Night game against Providence:

"As long as we win, I couldn't care less; my average can go down to four points and zero rebounds. As long as we win, I don't care."

The man has established himself as a teaching tool for years to come.

Pitino will always be able to talk about the two-star recruit who encouraged teammates to put egos aside for the betterment of the team (one which featured zero NBA-ready talent), and the remarkable results that followed. Perhaps more importantly, the current underclassmen have a model by which to self-govern the blue chip talent and egos about to hit the program.

Preston Knowles made his mark on the Louisville basketball program. He will be missed.