What to make of the UConn collapse

We all thought that UConn was on the verge of turning their season around.

After a disastrous performance against Georgetown in DC on Wednesday and the loss of their head coach to spinal stenosis of Friday, UConn came out and looked motivated against Seton Hall on Saturday. Some of their underlying issues were still evident -- Jeremy Lamb and Shabazz Napier were still struggling to shoot the ball and UConn still didn't run any semblance of an offense -- but there was some effort and some fight that showed through. Between that performance and the way that they handled the press conference after the games, saying all the right things about team unity, and there was reason to be hopeful about the rest of the season.

So much for that.
Continue reading...

Georgetown's win over Louisville showcases Big East's balance up top

Prior to Wednesday night's game against Georgetown at the KFC Yum! Center, there were plenty of people that believed Louisville was ranked too high at fourth in the country.

Those folks are unlikely to change their opinion on the matter after the Hoyas left the Commonwealth with a 71-68 win, handing the Cardinals their first loss of the season.

And frankly, they wouldn't be wrong. Louisville isn't one of the top four teams in the country. They may not even belong in the top ten. Their was ranking was more the result of high preseason expectations, a myriad of close wins against solid teams and the fact that the a handful of teams that should be ranked above them have lost already this season. Is Louisville a better team than North Carolina? Probably not, but since the Tar Heels fell against Kentucky and UNLV already this season, pollsters slid the Cardinals all the way up to fourth.
Continue reading...

The Emery Board: Chane Behanan Edition

Dear Louisville freshman Chane Behanan,

Thank You.

Sincerely,

Locker room bulletin boards everywhere


For now, this weekly post will remain as "The Emery Board", but a new title could be coming soon, and it's all thanks to the first-year forward.

You see, Louisville just beat Memphis this weekend in a tough non-conference affair to remain undefeated at 10-0, good enough to land them at No.4 in the AP/Coaches Poll. But according to Behanan, the Cardinals are better than that. His team is the best team in the country:
Continue reading...

Russ Smith introduces himself to the country

No. 4 Louisville entered their matchup with Memphis on Saturday as one of the best defensive teams in the country.

Kenpom had them ranked second nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing just 83.6 points per 100 possessions. Translated to raw numbers, only one team had managed to score more than 60 points against the Cardinals this season, and that was the 66 points and fast-breaking Long Beach State managed to post. Hell, Louisville managed to hold Arkansas State to a measly 27 points. Seriously. 27 points. In an entire game.

Its easy to put up defensive numbers like that when you are one of the best in the country at forcing turnovers and forcing opponents to miss shots.

The question mark surrounding this Louisville program early in the season is on the offensive end of the floor. The Cardinals are 63rd in adjusted offensive efficiency, and those numbers are bolstered by the blowout wins Louisville notched against IUPUI and Fairleigh Dickinson in the past two weeks. Two Louisville starters (Peyton Siva and Chane Behanan) as well as their high-usage gunner off the bench (Russ Smith), the three players that attempt the highest-volume of shots per-minute, all notched efficiency numbers below 100 prior to Saturday.

Against Memphis, however, Louisville was a different team, nearly breaking the century mark in their 95-87 win over the Tigers.

And Russ Smith was the spark.

The sophomore got the start over Chris Smith because of the way that Louisville matched up with Memphis, and it paid off for Pitino immediately. The sophomore scored 13 of the first 17 points for Louisville, sparking a first half surge that allowed the Cardinals to open up a 10 point halftime lead. He finished with 24 points, easily a career-high, and seven steals on 6-16 shooting.

Smith brings a different dynamic to this Louisville team. Where starting point guard Peyton Siva has become something of a controlled point guard -- the guy that Rick Pitino trusts to get the Cardinals into their offense and the guy that has the ball in his hands at the end of a clock -- Smith is all attack, all the time. Given the way that Louisville likes to play, pressing and pushing in transition, Smith's ability makes him a terrific fit on this team.

The issue is that there is some bad that comes with the good.

For every great move that Smith makes in transition, he throws up a challenged floater while going 1-on-3. For every three he hits, he misses two. Every foul he draws is nullified by a turnover he commits.

And while I'm sure there are a few hairs on Rick Pitino's head that will turn grey before the season is over thanks to Smith's shot selection, the veteran coach also must understand that by trying to rein in his young point guard, he eliminates the opportunity for a performance like tonight. Smith was a difference maker. He was the guy that got Louisville going and provided counter-attack after counter-attack against a team in Memphis that runs the floor as hard as anyone in the country.

The Cardinals are going to have to come to terms with the fact that it is in their best interest to deal with a couple "What in the hell is he DOING?!?" moments with Smith.

Because he's capable of making a lot of things happen on both ends of the floor.


What We Learned

Louisville:

- I'll go ahead and say it -- Louisville is the most selfless team in the country. They can go ten or eleven deep right now, and that's with injuries to Wayne Blackshear and Stephen VanTreese. They had three players -- and two starters -- give up their scholarships without a fuss to bring more players into the program. They had seven players score in double figures. They were led by a players that got a spot start because of the matcup. The guy he started over finished with 11 points.

- I think we can now officially say that Gorgui Dieng is a game-changer inside. He finished this one with 14 points, 14 boards and six blocks. Seven of those rebounds came on the offensive end. More impressive to me, at least, is that he began the game missing his first five shots. Its not offensive that you see a player that limited offensively able to work through a slow start.

- Louisville doesn't need Peyton Siva to be a big time scorer. 13 points, nine assists, 4-8 shooting, just three turnovers? I'll take that line out of him every night.


Memphis:

- Will Barton is a different player from last season. He notched yet another overpowering double-double on Saturday, finishing with 28 points and 16 boards. He loves to get out in transition and is fearless attacking the basket. If Memphis can turn this thing around, he deserves legitimate all-american consideration.

- Joe Jackson has deserved some of the criticism he has gotten this year, but certainly not all of it. Jackson is a terrific talent, and while he has his ups and downs (as any young point guard would) and works through his understanding of good passes and shot selection, he has the ability to keep Memphis in games like this because of how well he can push the ball in transition. Right now, he's not very good at operating in the half court, and hopefully that comes with time. But there is no denying his natural ability.

- It frustrates me to watch Memphis play. I don't think Wesley Witherspoon could possibly care less about the outcome of any game, maybe even this season. Tarik Black still hasn't become the player we expected him to be this year. Adonis Thomas looks like he could use a solid kick on the rear-end every now and then. With the Tigers, its all about effort, intensity and desire. Jackson, Barton and Chris Crawford played with it tonight. The rest of the team didn't.

- Stan Simpson is not good to be on the Tiger's roster.
Continue reading...

Memphis and Louisville rekindle their rivalry

There certainly is a lot going on in Louisville on Saturday as Memphis pays the No. 4 Cardinals a visit.

Charles Carmouche will rejoin the Tiger team after he was suspended for four games by the NCAA following a charge of $100 that he put on his hotel room in Maui. Seton Hall transfer Ferrakhon Hall will be eligible as well after sitting out the first six games of the season. Hall will provide some size inside that Memphis desperately needs. They are 281st in the country in OR%, a number that won't be helped by a potentially season-ending injury to DJ Stephens. Louisville will also have Kevin Ware available, even though the freshman was in a boot after rolling his ankle in his first practice.

But all of that?

That's nothing compared to the tradition that will renewed.

Its quite obvious who Louisville's biggest rival is -- yes, Kentucky -- but the same cannot be said for Memphis. Tennessee seems to be the biggest rival these days, but their head coach doesn't even want to play the game anymore. That doesn't exactly scream "rivalry", considering that Xavier and Cincinnati don't want to cancel their series even after a bench-clearing brawl.

Memphians undoubtedly hate Kentucky, but that has more to do with who the head coach is than with any game the two programs have ever played. UAB and Southern Miss may be their, ahem, "rivals" in Conference USA, but rivalries cannot be manufactured by league affiliation.

They can, however, be ruined.

That's what happened with Louisville and Memphis, whose rivalry -- which will be 86 games strong once the final buzzer sounds on Saturday -- has taken two hiatuses. After sharing membership in the Metro Conference and playing each other every season from 1967-68 through 1990-91, the two clubs took a three-year break before they both became members of C-USA. That set up an 11-year stretch -- 1994-95 through 2004-2005 -- where Louisville and Memphis were the cream of a very good crop, staging battles that piqued when Rick Pitino took over Louisville while John Calipari was coaching the Tigers.

Getting these two programs back on the court together is something that should have happened a long time ago.

This is a rivalry in every sense of the word, one that can only have gotten stronger in the past six years. Have you forgotten what happened the last time these two teams were on the court together?

I'll set the stage for you: a brazen freshman point guard named Darius Washington led the Tigers up against Louisville in the C-USA Tournament title game. At the time, Louisville was ranked No. 6 in the country, but Memphis hung with the Cardinals. With just 5.3 seconds left on the clock and down two points, Washington grabbed a missed free throw and went the length of the court, getting fouled while shooting a three. After he hit the first free throw, Washington said to his bench "I got this". He proceeded to miss the next two, crumpling to the ground in tears as the Tigers lost by a single point:



You don't think Memphis fans have wanted to run that back for the better part of the last decade?

They'll get the chance on Saturday.
Continue reading...

The Emery Board

This weekly column is in honor of BYU's Jackson Emery, who, for two straight seasons, claimed his squad would go undefeated and win the National Championship.

College basketball has not seen a team go undefeated since Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers went 32-0 in 1975-1976. The closest we have seen since then was a Jameer Nelson-led St. Joseph's team that went 27-0 in the 2003-2004 season before losing to Xavier in the Atlantic-10 tournament. Every season a team flirts with the notion of an undefeated season, but every season that notion slowly fades as January turns to February and February turns to March.

The Emery Board: 3rd Edition
After a roller-coaster weekend, we are left with just nine undefeated teams. Indiana remains undefeated thanks to a game-winning three point buzzer-beater by Christian Watford. Murray State stayed in the mix with a strong road victory at Memphis. Plus, there was the Crosstown Brawl. How does that effect Xavier's unbeaten record?


No.1 Syracuse (10-0)
Next game: 12/17 at North Carolina State (6-3)
First realistic loss: 12/17 at North Carolina State (6-3)

The Orange have looked down-right impressive this season. Fab Melo has improved by leaps and bounds, and the Orange sport one of the deepest benches in the country. Plus, all the distractions with the Bernie Fine investigation have yet to rattle this bunch. But they've also yet to play a true road game, and will receive a stern test from North Carolina State this Saturday.


No.4 Louisville (9-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. Memphis (5-3)
First realistic loss: 12/17 vs. Memphis (5-3)

The Cardinals rolled through IUPUI and FDU this past week, and have a tough non-conference game against Memphis on the horizon. Gorgui Deing has been very impressive this year, and Kyle Kuric continues to improve as one of the leaders of this team. And remember, this team continues to fight the injury bug. With games against Georgetown and Kentucky down the road, it's unlikely they will stay undefeated for long, but this team should be considered a real threat to contend for a Final-Four bid.


No.7 Baylor (7-0)
Next game: 12/14 vs. Bethune-Cookman (3-4)
First realistic loss: 12/23 vs. West Virginia (6-2)

The Bears didn't play last week, and don't face any real competition until 12/22 when they play Saint Mary's. But that starts a tough stretch against quality teams, with West Virginia, Mississippi State and Texas A&M to follow. Guard-play and coaching will continue to be the team's question-marks. Can Pierre Jackson and A.J Walton get it done? And can Scott Drew actually coach this team up during late game situations? We should have some answers once 2012 rolls around.


No.8 Missouri (9-0)
Next game: 12/15 vs. Kennesaw State (2-5)
First realistic loss: 12/22 vs. No.19 Illinois (10-0)

This team continues to impress. The Tigers have yet to score less than 80 points in a game, and while rebounding will continue to be a question, the team's chemistry and efficiency will get them by. Phil Pressey is emerging as one of the best guards in the country, and if Kim English can continue to shoot well from outside, teams will have serious match-up problems. This team has rallied behind Frank Haith, and the results thus far have been tremendous. Illinois' seven-footer Meyers Leonard will provide Missouri with a tough match-up, but if the Tigers can defeat the Illini, it's likely they remain undefeated heading into the new year.


No.9 Xavier (8-0)
Next game: 12/18 vs. Oral Roberts (6-3)
First realistic loss: 12/18 vs. Oral Roberts (6-3)

If you spent your weekend under a rock, you might be confused as to why Oral Roberts has a chance to beat an undefeated, top-10 team. But due to the Crosstown Brawl, Xavier will be without their three best players for this game. While the length of suspensions are down-right embarrassing, this team is scary-good when they have all their horses on the court. After Oral Roberts, they play Long Beach State and Gonzaga. I have to imagine Xavier will lose one of the next three games. If not, then we have to start considering this team as a legitimate Final-Four contender.


No.11 Marquette (9-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. Northern Colorado (3-5)
First realistic loss: 12/29 vs. No.25 Vanderbilt (6-3)

The Golden Eagles may be the most entertaining team in the country. They have a variety of weapons and role players, and one of the most talented coaches in the country. But injuries have started to pile up in the past week. Center Chris Otule will miss significant time with an ACL injury. Plus, freshman Juan Anderson injured his shoulder during practice and sophomore Jamil Wilson sprained his ankle late in the week. Marquette has a tough stretch of games towards the end of the month, and probably will suffer a defeat before January first. Nonetheless, this team is really talented and should be considered a legitimate Final-Four contender.


No.19 Illinois (10-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. UNLV (9-2)
First realistic loss: 12/17 vs. UNLV (9-2)

Did any of us expect Illinois to be undefeated at this point in the season? If your answer is no, you're clearly lying. Center Meyers Leonard has been playing inspired basketball as of late, and transfer Sam Maniscalco has stepped up as well. This is a much different team than last year. The departures of Demetri McCamey and Jereme Richmond have made this team more cohesive and while they aren't uber-talented, they are a rough, tough team that will be a difficult out.


No.20 Indiana (9-0)
Next game: 12/17 vs. Notre Dame (7-4)
First realistic loss: 12/28 at Michigan State (8-2)

Christian Watford's buzzer-beating, game-winning three pointer against Kentucky has been the signature moment of the season. Indiana came into the contest undefeated but untested, and with the victory, Tom Crean got a career-defining win. This team has a superstar center in Cody Zeller, some big-time athletes in Will Sheehey and Victor Oladipo, and a bunch of veteran leadership. A let down will come at some point, but for now, this team should be given all the praise in the world.


Murray State (9-0)
Next game: 12/15 vs. Lipscomb (6-5)
First realistic loss: 12/30 at Eastern Illinois (6-3)

The Racers passed their first real test of the season, a road victory over Memphis. With all their tough non-conference games out of the way, the Racers have set themselves up to make a run at finishing the season undefeated. That might sound ridiculous, but no team in the Ohio Valley Conference is as talented as them, and if they can avoid a significant letdown, going undefeated isn't out of the realm of possibility.



Bottom of the Barrel

Binghamton (0-7)
Next game: 12/17 at Hofstra (3-7)
First real chance to win: 1/5 vs. Stony Brook (3-5)

Chicago State (0-9)
Next game: 12/14 at Wichita State (7-2)
First real chance to win: 12/17 at Loyola (IL) (2-7)

Grambling State (0-6)
Next game: 12/18 at Texas Tech (4-4)
First real chance to win: 1/3 vs. Alabama State (2-6)

Hartford (0-10)
Next game: 1221 at Marist (4/5)
First real chance to win: 1/15 at Binghamton (0-7)

Morgan State (0-7)
Next game: 12/14 at UMBC (1-7)
First real chance to win: 12/14 at UMBC (1-7)

Northern Illinois (0-8)
Next game: 12/14 vs. DePaul (6-3)
First real chance to win: 12/17 vs. Southern Illinois (1-5)

Towson (0-9)
Next game: 12/14 at Coppin State (3-5)
First real chance to win: 12/14 at Coppin State (3-5)



Continue reading...

Vanderbilt is just painful to watch

I don't like The Office. Never have, never will.

That awkward brand of comedy just doesn't resonate with me. I want something to make me laugh, not squirm in my seat and say to myself "Aww man, c'mon. Why would you? No, just don't. What the hell is wrong with you?"

I'm almost to that point with Vanderbilt basketball.

They just keep inventing ways to blow a game.

On Friday night against at Louisville, the Commodores blew two late leads to the Cardinals in their 62-60 overtime losses. With eight minutes left in the game, Vandy held a 43-34 lead on Louisville. That lead seemed much bigger than nine points, as Louisville could not find any kind of rhythm offensively. The Cardinals had managed just nine points in the first 12 minutes of the second half and hadn't scored a point in over five minutes as they turned the ball over and forced up tough, contested threes.


But Chane Behanan hit back-to-back jumpers and Gorgui Dieng followed that up with a dunk, and while Vandy answered with a three from Brad Tinsley and a free throw from Lance Goulbourne, Russ Smith and Kyle Kuric hit jumpers while Behanan followed that up with a dunk to cap a 13-4 run that tied the game at 47 with two minutes left.

Eventually the two teams would end up going to overtime as they traded free throws. And in the extra frame, John Jenkins knocked down a three and drew a foul and hit both free throws, giving Vandy a 55-50 lead midway through the overtime period. But Behanan scored an and-one and hit two free throws surrounding a pair Goulbourne free throws, and Kuric followed that up with a three from deep in the corner to give Louisville the lead. Three Vandy free throws and a jumper from Kuric would tie the game at 60 with 12.2 seconds left, setting up this play from Peyton Siva:



Another close, agonizing loss for Vanderbilt.

After blowing a double-digit second half lead against Xavier on Monday, the Commodores missed another golden opportunity to land a big-time win, this one coming on the road against a top ten team and a Big East contender.

Frankly, none of this is surprising, but it is disappointing. This group won two close games at the Legend's Classic, and some -- me -- thought that there was a chance it could turn around Vanderbilt's fortunes. Obviously, that hasn't happened. I've written plenty about the reasons for this over the past few weeks, so I'm not going to get into it again.

But at this point, I don't even want to watch Vandy play a tough game.

Its painful.
Continue reading...

Monday's Pregame Beat: Xavier vs. Vandy, Louisville on upset watch?

Game of the night: 7:00 pm: No. 11 Xavier @ No. 19 Vanderbilt

It may be late November, but there is a surprising amount of good hoops on tonight. It starts with the Musketeers and the Commodores tonight. Vanderbilt will be playing the host, but Xavier has been more impressive this season.

It is going to be interesting to see how Xavier matches up with Vanderbilt defensively. Dez Wells is the best athletes on the team and, generally speaking, will be the best defensive weapon on the perimeter. But he is going to have to matchup with Jeff Taylor because neither Mark Lyons or Tu Holloway have the size to battle with Taylor. That is going to put the pressure on Chris Mack's two best scorers on the defensive end as they take turns trying to slow down Vandy's John Jenkins. Kevin Stallings loves to run Jenkins off of screens and defending that takes away the legs of an opponent. Jared Cunningham had just nine points when he was tasked with chasing Jenkins around for 40 minutes.

For Vanderbilt, it will be interesting to see if-- not how -- they are able to slow down Xavier's back court. Tu Holloway is one of the best point guards in the country, but his scoring load has been diminished this season as Lyons has become a more dangerous and consistent scorer. Jenkins and Brand Tinsley are not known for their defensive prowess.


Who's getting upset?: No. 6 Louisville

I'm a big fan of the Cardinals, I really am. But I think that Long Beach State -- who they tip off against at 7:00 tonight -- is a very good matchup. For those that have trouble following these things -- like me -- Louisville will have Peyton Siva tonight, but they will be without Rakeem Buckles and Stephen Van Treese, who are both dealing with knee injuries. What intrigues me about LBSU is their ability to play in the full court, the talent they have on their perimeter and the number of threats they have from three point range. The 49ers matchup very well against Louisville's press and zone. Ask Pitt what happens when this team gets rolling.

Mid-major matchup of the night: 10:30 pm: Weber State @ St. Mary's

In an event titled the "Shamrock Office Solutions Classic" -- umm, ok -- we'll get a matchup of two of the best teams out west. If you like guard play, you'll want to tune in for this. Weber State is lead by Damian Lillard -- a dynamic, 6'2" scoring guard -- and his sharp-shooting counterpart Scott Bamforth. The Gaels back court is anchored by Matthew Dellavedova, Stephen Holt and Jorden Page. This will be a big game for St. Mary's, as they just lost to Denver on the road. That's not a good look for a team that will be fighting for an at-large berth come March.

For what its worth, this game is a return for the game that Weber State scheduled against St. Mary's late last season.


Be sure to keep an eye on:

- 7:00 pm: Akron @ West Virginia: Akron is a quality team out of the MAC. West Virginia already lost to a quality team out of the MAC in Kent State. The Zips have also already notched a quality, non-conference win by beating Mississippi State. If you are into the NBA, keep an eye on Akron center Zeke Marshall.

- 9:00 pm: Oakland @ Tennessee: This will be a good gauge for Tennessee. They competed out in Maui in their first two tests of the season, but they lost to both Duke and Memphis. Oakland is not quite as good as they were last season, but this is still a quality mid-major team.

- 11:00 pm: Pepperdine @ UCLA: Can UCLA finally get their first Division I win of the season?

The rest of the top 25:

7:00 pm: Stetson @ No. 9 Florida: We'll get another look at Florida without Erik Murphy. They'll need all the work they can get without him.

8:00 pm: Jacksonville @ No. 16 Marquette: Marquette looked terrific in their first four games of the season, but they struggled against Norfolk State. Which Marquette team shows up tonight?

8:00 pm: Jackson State @ No. 21 Memphis: After struggling through Maui, the Tigers need to make a statement.

10:30 pm: McNeese State @ No. 23 Cal: We are still waiting to see the real Cal Bears. Was it the team that lost by 39 to Missouri or the one that beat a good Denver team by 21?

Other notables games:

- 7:00 pm: IUPUI @ Georgetown
- 7:00 pm: Long Island @ Iona
- 10:00 pm: Pacific @ Stanford
Continue reading...

2011-2012 Top 50 Countdown: No. 8 Louisville Cardinals

Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country. You can find a complete schedule of our 2011-2012 Season Preview coverage here. To browse through the rest of the Top 50, click here.

Last Season: 25-10, 12-6 (t-3rd Big East), lost to Morehead State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament

Head Coach: Rick Pitino

Key Losses: Preston Knowles, Terrence Jennings

Newcomers: Wayne Blackshear, Chane Behanan, Zach Price, Angel Nunez, Mark Jackson Jr.

Projected Lineup:

- G: Peyton Siva, Jr.
- G: Chris Smith, Sr.
- G: Kyle Kuric, Sr.
- F: Chane Behanan, Fr.
- C: Gorgui Dieng, So.
- Bench: Rakeem Buckles, Jr.; Jared Swopshire, Jr.; Zach Price, Fr.; Mark Jackson, Fr.; Elisha Justice, So.; Wayne Blackshear, Fr.; Mike Marra, Jr.; Stephen Van Treese, Jr.

Outlook: Louisville doesn't have a star on their roster. They didn't have one last year, either, but that didn't prevent the Cardinals from going out and winning 25 games and finishing tied for third in the toughest conference in the country. That's the way Rick Pitino likes his team. He's taken up the motto of "Louisville first" for his team's, and it makes sense -- at this point, Pitino has become a system coach. Louisville should be mentioned in the same breath as teams like Pitt and Wisconsin and Texas A&M. They aren't successful because they have more talent than their opponents. They are successful because the whole, the product that they put on the floor, is better than the individual parts wearing the jerseys.

What Louisville does is simple, really. They run a full-court press that is partially designed to try and force a turnover and partially an attempt to force their opponents to chew up the shot clock. They force a lot of turnovers and make their opponents take tough shots. Once the Cardinals get possession of the ball, they attack in transition, looking to get an layup or an open three. If nothing is there immediately, they'll pull the ball back out, spread the floor and allow their playmakers to create. They run a lot of high pick-and-rolls and they take a lot of threes, and when those threes are going down, the Cardinals are very tough to beat.

The engine that makes the Louisville machine run is Peyton Siva. While standing just 5'11", the junior point guard is one of the most explosive athletes in the country. He's tremendously quick with the dribble (when he's playing well, he's as difficult to stay in front of as Kemba Walker was) and can finish around -- and above -- the rim, but he's also excellent at finding open shooters and dumping the ball off to his big men when he finds himself in a crowd. His end-to-end speed is perfect for leading the Louisville break, and while his size is a bit of a hindrance, he's an excellent on ball defender due to his quickness.

Joining Siva in the back court will be Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith. Kuric is one of the best shooters in the conference and the leading returning scorer for the Cardinals. He's a perfect fit for this style of play, as he is a terrific athlete and a guy that is willing to defend any position on the court, perimeter or interior, despite standing just 6'4". Smith can also knock down an open three, but he's a better creator off the dribble than Kuric. Louisville will spend the majority of their time with (at least) three guards on the floor, and Kuric and Smith are a perfect compliment to Siva.

There is plenty of perimeter depth as well. Freshman Wayne Blackshear is the first name that must be mentioned. He's a high-profile recruit and a big-time scorer on the perimeter. He's battling injuries -- and was only recently cleared to play -- but when he is healthy he's a guy that will be capable of coming off the bench and putting up 20 points. Blackshear may end up cutting into the minutes that junior Mike Marra sees. Kevin Ware was ruled ineligible, but his loss won't even be felt as Russ Smith and Elisha Justice have both already spent a year in the system. Freshman Angel Nunez is a player to keep an eye on. The 6'7" wing has drawn some comparisons to Francisco Garcia.

The front court will be anchored by Gorgui Dieng, a 6'11" sophomore from Senegal. Dieng is the best shot-blocker on the team and should be an excellent replacement for Terrence Jennings, who left for the NBA a year early. Dieng needs to become a better rebounder -- as do the Cardinals as a whole, they finished in the bottom half of the country in defensive rebounding percentage -- and it would be nice if he can provide any kind of post presence offensively, but his role is to be an eraser around the rim. He should fill role role beautifully. Junior Stephen Van Treese will be the guy that spells Dieng in the middle. Van Treese had a better-than-expected sophomore season, and he even managed to work his way into the starting lineup for a handful of games. Freshman Zach Price should see time in the middle as well.

Who joins Dieng at the four will likely vary throughout the year. Freshman Chane Behanan, if he can get healthy (like Blackshear, he is battling some nagging injuries), will likely be the best option that Pitino has at the four. He's a burly, 6'7" combo-forward that will remind some of a slimmer Big Baby Davis. He's got a solid face-up game and the mobility and footwork to score in a variety of ways. His girth should allow him to compete on the glass. Rakeem Buckles and Jared Swopshire will also see time -- and their share of starts -- for the Cardinals this season. Both have started in the past, but are coming off of serious injuries. Buckles tore his acl after coming back from a badly broken finger, while Swopshire is still recovering from what was thought to be a potentially career-ending groin injury. They are lankier and more athletic than Behanan and should be better fits in Louisville's 2-3 zone. They also both have more extended range than Behanan.

Louisville has plenty of pieces. This issue is going to be keeping attitudes and egos in check. There are only so many minutes and so many shots to go around. If Pitino can get his team to buy into the idea that they can play 15-20 minutes off the bench, playing balls-to-the-wall defense and sprinting in transition, the Cardinals are going to be a tough team to matchup with. They should compete with UConn, Syracuse and Pitt for the Big East title.
Continue reading...

Rick Pitino says something really, really, really dumb

A couple of weeks ago, Rick Pitino compared Pitt and Syracuse leaving the Big East to The Godfather.

That worked. Today's didn't.

"My problem is not them leaving," Pitino said to reporters at today's Big East media day. "My problem is you did it in 48 hours. Don't run away with a girl after one date when you've been dating someone else for three or four years. You've been dating this woman for 30 years, show a little respect."


Pitino probably couldn't have made a worse analogy. If you've forgotten, he stepped out on his wife of 27 years for a (brief) sexual encounter with a woman named Karen Sypher, who promptly attempted to extort him. I know Pitino hasn't forgotten about it; he went through a very long, very drawn out and very public trial that revealed a number of embarrassing details about his one-night tryst. It nearly cost him his family.

The unfortunate part is that his message -- which actually makes sense -- is going to get lost in his delivery. Pitt and Syracuse did sneak out the back door of the Big East in the middle of the night. Their defection, while understandable and probably the smart move, stings those still in the league because there was no warning. The league Pitt and Syracuse shared for over 30 years found out because Brett McMurphy and Pete Thamel are good at their job.

Pick your words more carefully next time, Rick.

As an aside, for people that enjoy trolls reveling in their douchebaggery, check out the comment section here and here. My favorite: "I think he is suffering dementia from late stage syperhillis."
Continue reading...

Rick Pitino compares Pitt and Syracuse to The Godfather

More college coaches need to do what Rick Pitino has done and start a blog.

It gives them a chance to speak their mind without having to deal with the cliches and the generalities that come through during press conferences and phone interviews. Its just Pitino being Pitino, and the analogy he used regarding the defection of Syracuse and Pitt to the Big East is about as Pitino as you can get:

The words of the Pitt chancellor ring out at the Newport, RI league meetings: we must stick together. There is a scene from the godfather where one of the capo’s of the Corleone family approached Michael at his dad’s funeral. He told Michael he could arrange a meeting to stop the bloodshed. The Godfather told Michael that the one who comes to set up the meeting will be the one who betrays the family. Robert Duval, as Tom Hagen the consigliere, thought it would be Clemenza who would be the one. Instead, it was good old Abe Pagoda as Salvatore Tessio. Michael Corleone’s response to Tom was the answer to why Pittsburgh and Syracuse would make the move. His response: it was the smart move.

Well, there you have it. The smart play was made by two schools that helped the BIG EAST explode in basketball popularity. Now, in a mere 72 hours, they are BIG EAST history.

The chess match now begins.

Will UConn and Rutgers be the next to join the ACC as many predict?

The BIG EAST will have a conference call and the football members will all say they will stick together – that is, until an offer they can’t refuse comes along. I love these movie analogies.

It doesn't get much better than an Italian coach that looks and speaks like he's straight out of an episode of The Sopranos using a godfather analogy. (Would you all judge me if I told you I've never actually seen The Godfather?)

It also gives us a good jumping off to discuss the future of Louisville and, for that matter, the Big East. Where do they go from here? Right now, there are six football playing members left: Louisville, South Florida, Cincinnati, West Virginia, UConn and Rutgers. That number becomes seven when TCU joins next fall.

Theoretically speaking, the Big East could still hang on and hope for survival as a power conference by adding the likes of Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Baylor, and Memphis or Central Florida. The name "the Big East" will probably need some tweaking, seeing as the majority of the conference will be in the Central and Southern part of the country, but as an entity it would still exist.

The problem? That just isn't feasible. For starters, there is no guarantee that UConn, Rutgers or West Virginia are going to remain committed. The Huskies and the Scarlet Knights appear destined for the ACC as well, while the Mountaineers have been rumored to be one of the few teams in the mix for the SEC's 14th (and 15th or 16th?) spot. Replacing two football playing members is possible. Replacing five is not.

The most shocking part of all of this is that, like Kansas and Kansas State, Louisville appears to be a college sports power house without a home. The logical fit would be the SEC, but does the SEC want them? The ACC probably doesn't. Ditto with the Big Ten. It looks like the Pac-12 is going after Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. Could Louisville partner up with the Big 12 castoffs, the Big East cast offs and the likes of Memphis and Central Florida to create a league that keeps a BCS bid? To me, that is the most likely scenario.
Continue reading...

Edgar Sosa suffers a gruesome broken leg

Former Louisville point guard Edgar Sosa, who is playing for the Dominican Republic's national team, broke his leg in horrifying fashion. I promise you, if you are squeamish, don't watch this video. Legs do dangle:



You have to feel for Sosa here. The injury occurred with less than 40 seconds left of a game his team was winning by 24 points. He's going to be out for at least a year. How bad was it? It took until the 10th comment on KSR for a Kentucky fan to make a joke. This isn't this first time we've seen an injury like this. Derrick Roland of Texas A&M suffered a similar injury back in 2009.

The good news? At least Sosa is smiling:


Continue reading...

Rick Pitino scouts his team on his blog

While his last blog post sparked the ire of media member and Big East fans, Rick Pitino's newest post will likely be received with much less criticism.

With Louisville prepping to head on a team trip to the Bahamas, the Cardinals have been allowed to practice over the summer. To keep fans posted on how the work is going, Pitino posted a scouting report of every player. Jared Swopshire, Raheem Buckles, Luke Hancock, Kevin Ware, and Wayne Blackshear have yet to practice, but everyone else received a refreshing dose of honesty from Pitino.

I'm not going to go through every player, but here are some of my favorite lines:

• On Kyle Kuric and Peyton Siva: "The only thing absent for him in the three days was competition. Peyton and Kyle did not get anyone who could make it difficult for them to score. That will change in September."


• On Gorgui Dieng: "His incredible length will get him six or seven offensive rebounds in our segments, but he will go through an hour with just a few defensive boards."


• On Angel Nunez: "When we offered him a scholarship, it came with much trepidation. Was highly regarded in New York City as a sophomore, but then spiraled down the next two years. Why did I gamble on him? He reminds me so much of Francisco Garcia (Angel’s idol) and not because he is a fellow Dominican. Same body type, long and thin, outstanding shooter with excellent form, and same defensive type as Francisco -- which means he can’t defend Vinny Tatum, our esteemed equipment manager."


• On Russ Smith: "Ralph Willard has had long meetings with him. Stevie Mass also. Add me to the mix multiple times. Russ just does not want to be a point guard. There was a point in our scrimmage where he took six shots in 42 seconds."


• On Chane Behanan: "Ray Ganong , our strength coach who has performed his duties in football as well, states Chane measures the widest calf and thighs of any athlete he’s ever measured -- linemen included (calf is 19 3/8”, thigh is 27 ¾”)."

Louisville fans, you'll surely enjoy that post.
Continue reading...

Chris Smith, Kyle Kuric, and Elisha Justice to walk-on at Louisville next season

Headlines were made last week when the SEC took steps to eliminate the practice of oversigning in football.

For those unfamiliar, oversigning is when a coach accepts too many LOI's and is forced to tell either an incoming freshmen or a player that has been a member of the team for at least one season that there is no longer a scholarship available for them. But its not an issue that is solely relevant in football. In happens in hoops too.

Coaches over-recruit, often times ending up with as many as 15 or 16 players that have been promised a scholarship. The end result is usually that a player at the end of the bench is forced to pay his own way or is "run-off", essentially being forced to transfer.

While its common to see a team force these players out, its not unheard of to see a player give up their scholarship for the betterment of the team -- willingly or unwillingly. Last year, it was Oklahoma State's Nick Sidorakis that gave up his scholarship and paid his way for his senior season after Travis Ford promised scholarships to 14 players. Before that, Mississippi State's all-SEC center Jarvis Varnado took out loans to pay for his senior season to make room for a scholarship for Renardo Sidney and Washington State's all-Pac 10 point guard Taylor Rochestie giving up his scholarship to make the numbers game work.


On Tuesday, Rick Pitino announced at a Louisville press conference that Kyle Kuric, Chris Smith, and Elisha Justice would be walk-ons next season, paying for their right to set food on the floor of the KFC Yum! Center.

This isn't exactly a surprise. All three were recruited to the school as walk-ons. Justice was given a scholarship as a freshman last season because there was one available, but he likely already knew that it would not be renewed. But with incoming freshman Kevin Ware and George Mason transfer Luke Hancock opting to join the Cardinals in May, Rick Pitino's recruiting class now includes two more players, which is why Kuric and Smith have had their scholarships taken away.

What is strange about this particular situation is that Kuric and Smith aren't role players. They are starters. Kuric has a real shot at being an all-Big East player and is the Cardinal's leading returning scorer at 10.8 ppg. Smith isn't that far behind at 9.4 ppg.

Here's what Pitino had to say on the matter:

Of this particular scholarship move, Pitino said, "When Kyle first came here, he wasn’t supposed to be on scholarship and he was put on scholarship. Bullet (Elisha Justice) was coming here he wasn’t supposed to be on scholarship, he was put on scholarship. Chris Smith was not supposed to be on scholarship, he was put on scholarship. I told the Kuric family at some point in time throughout his career I might need it for a year and I’ve never had to do that until now. So we’ve been very up front with everybody. As a matter of fact, it’s just the opposite. Those guys weren’t supposed to be on scholarship but they were. And Kyle has more than not only exceeded but deserved the scholarship he’s been on.

Before I go any further, it should be noted that both Kuric and Smith will have no problem paying their way at Louisville. Kuric's father is a brain surgeon, and last I heard that was a fairly lucrative profession. And Smith is the younger brother of Denver Nugget guard JR Smith, he of the three-year, $16.5 million contract.

It also should be noted that neither Kuric nor Smith had much of a choice. Its easy to praise the commitment that Kuric and Smith have shown. They -- or their families -- are paying many thousands of dollars for these two to be members of the Louisville team next season.

But don't forget that neither player had much of a choice. Kuric is a rising senior. If he was to transfer out of Louisville, he would have had to sit out for a year before playing out his final season at a different school in a different system for a different coach. There is no guarantee he would have had as big of an impact or been granted the opportunity to play as many minutes as he will next year at Louisville.

Smith had no say in the matter. He played for two years at Manhattan and sat out a season before using his third year of eligibility last year. If he was to transfer to another D-I school, he would have to get a waiver to play immediately -- which would be granted if he completes his undergraduate work at Louisville -- or finish his career at a non-D-I university.

Smith and Kuric -- and Justice, for that matter (he turned down a scholarship offer from UK out of high school because of his loyalty to Louisville) -- should be praised for their selflessness and dedication to the team.

But don't make the mistake of assuming that that selflessness was voluntary.
Continue reading...

Kevin Ware chooses a school, finally

It finally appears as if Kevin Ware's recruitment is over.

Ware, who ranks 88th in the country in the consensus recruiting rankings, is headed to Louisville.

The 6'4" product of Rockdale County High School in Georgia had one of the stranger recruiting processes. He originally committed to Tennessee as a sophomore in high school, signing his NLI back in November. But with the shenanigans that Bruce Pearl found himself tied up in, Ware eventually got a release from the school. He then committed to Central Florida, but de-committed just 10 days later when Pete Thamel and Pat Forde exposed potential recruiting violations, including Ware's.


"It has been a long journey, with a few twists and turns, and now it’s all done,” Ware’s stepfather, Wesley Junior, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Kevin is excited about the opportunity to learn the game of basketball from Coach Pitino, who has been successful on every level. Kevin couldn’t pass on that opportunity. Kevin’s excited, we’re excited and Coach Pitino is excited."

Louisville never let up on Ware, and now it is finally paying off. Ware joins a recruiting class that includes two all-americans in Wayne Blackshear and Chane Behanan, four-star center Zach Price, and three-star wing Angel Nunez.

It is worth noting that this commitment by Ware may have some ripple effects. The Cardinals are thought to be the favorite for Juwan Staten. Staten, if you remember, started at the point for Dayton as a freshman -- leading the A-10 in assists -- before opting to transfer when Brian Gregory left. He committed to Penn State, but with Ed DeChellis taking the job at Navy, Staten is reopening his recruitment. He would be eligible in 2012-2013.

Ware's commitment may also have an effect on sophomore-to-be Russ Smith. Smith was supposed to be Peyton Siva's back-up this past season, but he lost the job to Elisha Justice.

Since Ware was released from his Letter of Intent to Tennessee, he cannot sign another LOI with another school. That means that when he finally does put his pen to paper at Louisville, he will only be signing an athletic-aid agreement. Athletic-aid agreements are only binding for the school, not the athlete, which means that if Ware once again gets cold feet, he will be able to reopen his recruitment.

Again.

Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
Continue reading...

Luke Hancock to Louisville is a bigger deal that you think

You may have missed the news over the weekend -- its the end of may, and players transferring out of CAA schools are hardly the biggest priority in the sports world at this time of year -- but Luke Hancock finally settled on Louisville as his landing point after opting to leave George Mason in the wake of Jim Larrananga's departure to Miami.

Hancock is by no means a super star. He averaged a modest 10.9 ppg, 4.3 apg, and 4.2 rpg and shot 35.9% from three as a 6'5" wing for the Patriots last season. He is not a program changing transfer.

But he is a perfect fit for Rick Pitino's system at Louisville. Hancock was, by definition, George Mason's starting small forward last season, but he was also their most important playmaker. Down the stretch of the season, he was one of the guys with the ball in his hands at the end of a clock or when George Mason needed a basket. He almost played the role of the point guard.


If you don't believe the kid has talent, ask Louisville's Big East brethren Villanova, who were the recipients of 18 points and five assists -- including the game-winning three -- from Hancock in the round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament.

Hancock is a perfect fit for the Louisville system. Rick Pitino wants to spread the floor. He wants players that are able to create off of the dribble, either for themselves or to find an open teammate, and he wants his players to be able to knock down an open, catch-and-shoot three. That's Hancock to a T. Throw in the fact that he's a 6'5", athletic wing -- the kind of player that will be effective in Louisville's press and 2-3 zone -- and its not hard to see what the two were a perfect fit.

Hancock will not be eligible to play until the 2012-2013 season -- the fact that Jim Larrananga is allowed to change jobs and coach immediately and Hancock is forced to sit out a season as a transfer is ridiculous, but also a different post for a different day -- so think of him as a recruit in the class of 2012. Think of him joining sophomore Wayne Blackshear and senior Peyton Siva on the Cardinals' perimeter with Gorgui Dieng, Chane Behanan, and Zach Price patrolling the paint. Now think of that team if Rodney Purvis decides to recommit to Louisville.

Transfers like Hancock's always seem to fly under the radar.

But rest assured that in January of 2013, as Big East play gets rolling, Hancock's name will be one you will hear referenced.
Continue reading...

Rodney Purvis de-commits from Louisville

Three weeks ago, Frank Haith added former Louisville assistant Tim Fuller to his staff at Missouri.

Fuller, who is very close to Haith, was known for his ability to recruit. The North Carolina native was integral in getting Rodney Purvis, a 6'4" guard and top ten player in the class of 2012, to commit to Louisville. And today, Dave Telep broke the news that Purvis has decided to open up his recruitment.

"It was hard losing [assistant coach] Tim Fuller and then having to focus," Purvis told Telep. "I talked it over with my family and we came to the conclusion that I would open up my recruitment."

Its obviously a big loss for Louisville -- losing a kid ranked in the top ten always is -- but the Cardinals are not out of the mix just yet. Purvis said that Louisville is still on his list, but has he builds a relationship with Pitino's new staff, he wants to keep his options open.


Here's a video of what Purvis is capable of:


Continue reading...

Florida and Louisville play assistant merry-go-round

The coaching carousel was mellower than usual this spring.

Not only did the big names like Shaka Smart, Chris Mooney, and Brad Stevens avoid jumping to bigger jobs, but schools like Missouri, NC State, and now Miami have had, or are having, trouble filling their head coaching position. As of today, there are still 11 available head coaching positions, but after Miami, the best available job is ... IUPUI? Eastern Michigan? Princeton?

That said, the assistant coaching carousel, if there is such a thing, is just starting to heat up.

Yesterday, Billy Donovan hired John Pelphrey, the former Arkansas head coach and longtime Gator assistant, and Norm Roberts, who spent the year as an analyst after losing his job as the head coach at St. John's. He had too. He lost all three of his assistants this offseason. Larry Shyatt took the head coaching gig at Wyoming, while Richard Pitino (Louisville) and Rob Lanier (Texas) left for other assistant positions.

Donovan has a great track record with assistants -- Anthony Grant, Shaka Smart, and Donnie Jones immediately come to mind, along with Pelphrey -- and it will be interesting to see who the third member of his staff will be.

That isn't the most intriguing assistant coach movement, however.

It may be more interesting to see what happens at Louisville.

The Cardinals lost assistant Steve Masiello -- who was instrumental in landing guys like Edgar Sosa, Samardo Samuels, Earl Clark and Francisco Garcia and this year Wayne Blackshear -- to Manhattan where he will be replacing Barry Rohrssen as the Jaspers head coach. What's more, there are now reports that Tim Fuller is leaving Louisville to take an assistant coaching position at Missouri -- he's very close with Frank Haith. Fuller played an integral role in the Cardinals landing a commitment from Rodney Purvis, a top five player in the class of 2012.

Pitino has reportedly already hired his son (as a "coach-in-waiting"?), so it will be interesting to see if Louisville can hold on to the commitment from Purvis.
Continue reading...

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.
Continue reading...

VIDEO: Pitino succumbs to Morehead; Demonte Harper

Kenny Faried and Demonte Harper were struggling.

Down 61-59 with 20 seconds left on the clock, Faried and Harper were a combined 6-27 from the floor with just 17 points. If it wasn't for an 8-12 shooting performance from three and 36 points off the bench from Ty Proffitt and Terrance Hill, Morehead State would never have even been in this game.

And despite the cold shooting night, Morehead State head coach Donnie Tyndall put the ball in Harper's hands at the end of the game, and it paid off:



I have much more to say about this game, but it is going to have to wait until tonight's recap. Brandon Knight just hit a game winner.
Continue reading...