Edited. 2/16 @ 10:45 p.m.
One thing we do know for absolute sure about this ’13-’14 edition of the Louisville Cardinals.
They can and will throttle the schleppers. Of which there have been many on the schedule, including the lower half of the top heavy AAC.
Louisville 102, Rutgers 54.
And, cliched as it might be, it must be said. The game wasn’t that close.
What we we still don’t know about U of L is whether it can consistently beat any good teams. They stand ofer the four foes who were Top 25 when they bested U of L. The one “signature” W came at UConn.
But, we’ll find out soon enough. Louisville’s schedule is seriously backloaded. They should be 22-4 when they visit Cincy on Saturday.1
Following the Bearcats, there’s another chippy at home when Temple visits. Then comes a daunting trio of tilts to finish the regular season. At Memphis State. At SMU. UConn in the Yum! for Russ & Luke’s Farewell Party.
Which is to say, we will have a full sense of the Cards come dinner time on March 8.
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As for Sunday evening, well, by halftime, the visitors were already toast, down by 19, 24-43.
The Cards opened the second half with a 26-3 run, to lead by 41 with 13:06 left to play. The crowd started thinning out way early.
It is to U of L’s credit that it didn’t get ugly sloppy. Of the nine turnovers the Cards committed, only three came after the break.
So overmatched was Rutgers, I’m just not sure there’s anything really to be learned from the W.
Louisville can shoot the ball. 55% from the field, including 16/ 30 from beyond the arc. (9/16 in the second half.) Most were too open, but it’s still nice to know a team can get hot from long range.
Louisville can rebound — especially when the other team sucks — and won the “battle” of the boards by 15.2
Louisville can hit FTs, draining 10/12 after the break, after breaking even (7/14) in the first. That aspect of the Cardinals’ game remains a ??? mark.
U of L scorched the Scarlet Knights in all the categories we look at, points in the paint, second chance points, etc, etc. I just refuse to put much store in all that against a lame opponent.
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Terry Rozier and Luke Hancock had career scoring nights.
TR tallied 16. And added 4 assists and 3 steals.
LH scored 25, aided by 6/8 shooting from Treyville. 6 boards. He and runnin’ podner SVT also had a couple of nifty plays, ending with Van Treese slams. One a back door. One a give and go. Nice chemistry there.
I also want to compliment Russ Smith who played, especially in the first half, his most mature game of the year. Before the break, playing within the system, he only took 2 shots, while stealing the ball twice and dishing out five assists. He totaled 7 points and four rebounds for the steady effort.
Other than that, everybody contributed. As I’m so sure they will on Tuesday against a foe even worse than Rutgers.
The season starts Saturday.
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Because I know you care, here’s the Sosa Play Report.
Chris Jones tom tommed the ball for about thirty seconds on U of L’s last possession of the half. Then drove, dished out to Terry Rozier who missed a long three.
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While I hate those timeout interviews, it was nice to hear from Greg Minor. And great to hear he’s been a success in life. Love that he mentioned he’s the only guy to play for Crum and Pitino.3
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The Northern Kentucky Brotherhood annually does my favorite version of the National Anthem. Doo Wop elegance. But, given their unconventional arrangement, there were some grumbles from traditionalists near me.
One naysayer a couple of seat over groused, “Why can’t they just sing it anymore?”
— Seedy K
Luke Whitehead also played for Crum and The Rick
True. As did any of the players Pitino inherited when he took the helm at U of L. I’m sure Minor meant of those who didn’t play for Pitino as a Cardinal. And I didn’t point that out.
I thought Russ was “auditioning” a bit, by passing up trying to force some assists in lieu of shot attempts. He certainly played well at both ends but one of his turnovers was on trying to pass through a bevy of defenders to Luke in the corner, when Russ was at the rim for him. As for “auditioning” it seemed the Trez was to intent on trying to show he was an offensive threat, when it seemed Rutgers plan was designed to not let him get off on them as he had recently done.
As for the anthem, I am still stuck with the early season sax rendition !
Ken, I think there was only one scout in the house last night, George Felton. Who, I’m sure you recall, was coaching South Carolina, during that famous fight game with U of L in the late 80s. About which tilt, Dan Dakich in the media room before the game, wouldn’t stop gigging Felton.
Now this is a blog entry that I can live with; (….you must have had bad pasta at Joe’s, huh?)
Is it possible that this UofL team was so under challenged by its early season diet of palookas that playing anyone with a pulse created heart-burn?
….That the games against mediocre +/- N.C. and an obviously pedestrian WildCal squad were aberrations and not true indications of the abilities of 2013-2014 edition of Sportsby’s Cautnall basketball squad?
….That the home loses to Memphis State and UC were also flukes in certain respects, esp’ly coming at home?
….That the defending champs are just now getting their sea legs after the drama and departure of Chane and the red-shirting of 2013 darling KWare…who should have been red-shirted from the get-go imho…
…That the next 3 weeks should tell us a lot, but there is no monster in the NCAA this year that should scare this version of Cards…assuming they make at least its fair share of FT’s under pressure…..
Happy motoring to you and yours….