The word rival is thrown around very loosely in college sports today but on Monday our Louisville Cardinals(24-5, 12-4 Big East) will play a legitimate long time rival when they host the Cincinnati Bearcats(20-9, 8-8 Big East) for the very first time at the KFC Yum center on Monday night. Coach Pitino will be going for his 300th win and the Cards will be looking for their sixth win in a row. Louisville leads the all-time series with UC 54 to 43 and the series is tied in Big East play 4 to 4. The last time these teams met was in the 2012 Big East championship game where the Cards came out victorious in a 50-44 battle.

Mick Cronin has really done a solid job at Cincinnati and they had a terrific run last year in March when they went on a 9-3 run, advanced to the Big East title game and the NCAA Sweet 16. They started out of the gate fast this year winning their first 12 games but have lost six out of ten down the stretch. The Bearcats are about pressuring opponents, turning them over and creating opportunities in the open court or spreading the floor in the half-court, using penetration and 3-point shooting. The problems for this team are a result of shooting and scoring woes, especially from its big guys. And that inability to score efficiently puts a tremendous amount of pressure on their defense to get stop after stop. They are averaging 0.98 points per possession. Their season average is 1.03. In Big East play, Cincinnati is shooting 37.1% from the field ranked 14th and 28.7% from 3-point range ranked 13th. The Bearcats’ defense is outstanding, but it has to be to make up for the team’s inability to score. Their field goal defense is ranked 9th in the Big East holding opponents to 41.6% per game, and their 3 point field goal defense is ranked 3rd holding their opponents to 29.2% per game on average. This team is very athletic and they really go after it on the boards. They are in the top five of every rebounding category in the Big East and are #1 in defensive rebounding.
The Bearcats rank nationally 149th with 68.4 points per game, 6th with 40.6 rebounds per game, 185th with 12.6 assist per game and 298th shooting 40.4% per game average. They are currently in 9th place in the Big East and have an RPI of 50. Kenpom has their adj efficiency on offense at 104.6 ranked 111 and their adj efficiency on defense at 87.5 ranked 12th. He has them ranked 34th overall.

Coach Mick Cronin: “Defense is engrained in our DNA,” “For us, we’re trying to create turnovers and extend our defense more consistently.”
“We’re such a defensive-minded team. For us, playing fast means taking the ball off of opponents with more steals, turnovers, deflections and bad passes. When we went through the process of building a program up and learning how to win, defense was the constant.”

The Bearcat Players:

Titus Rubles JR (6.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.0 apg) 6-7 F Cincy is his fourth stop in as many seasons. He is tough, athletic and can defend a variety of positions. He hasn’t been good at all from the field, which hurts his overall numbers. The big key for Rubles has been getting to the line. He shoots 33.1% from the field, 10.3% from the 3 point line and 65.6% from the free-throw line.

Cheikh Mbodj SR (5.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.2 apg) 6-10 C has proven this season that he can clear the boards and block a bunch of shots. He ranks 3rd in the Big East in blocked shots averaging 2.4 per game. He’s not really an offensive threat and gets most of his points off of offensive rebound put backs. He shoots 46.8% from the field and 65.7% from the free-throw line.

Cashmere Wright SR (12.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.3 apg) 6-0 G He hasn’t been the same player since he sprained his right knee at DePaul on Jan. 15 and his shooting percentages have gone south. He has played through the pain and is one of two primary scoring threats for this team. And he is also a very good defensive player. He is the all-time steals leader for UC. He is shooting 38.5% from the field, 34.3% from the 3 point line and 81.9% from the free-throw line which ranks 4th in the Big East.

Sean Kilpatrick JR (17.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.9 apg) 6-4 G has emerged as one of the Big East’s top scoring guards and is the leader of this Bearcat squad. He has become very consistent player and can score from long range or drive to the basket. He along with Wright is the second primary scoring threat for this team. He ranks 6th in the Big East in scoring, and 3rd in 3 point shots made at 2.6 per game. He shoots 40.9% from the field, 32.5% from the 3 point line and 73.1% from the free-throw line.

JaQuon Parker SR (11.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.6 apg) 6-3 G is a driven wing who can do just about anything necessary in a winning cause. Parker rebounds extremely well for his size, can shoot from the outside and according to Cronin doesn’t care what is asked of him; he’ll do it. He ranks 15th in the Big East in offensive rebounds with 1.9 per game. He shoots 41.4% from the field, 40.5% from the 3 point line and 52.3% from the free-throw line.

-Bench

Ge’Lawn Guyn SOPH (2.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.5 apg) 6-2 G is not really a big threat scoring wise and is usually called on to hound the opposing teams point guard. He is a very solid on the ball defender. He shoots 34.3% from the field, 25.7% from the 3 point line and 83.3% from the free-throw line.

Jermaine Sanders SOPH (3.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.8 apg) 6-5 F has been described as a player with a lot of potential. He can play inside or outside, mainly outside. He is a lefty and has a pretty good jump shot. He does struggle a bit from the charity stripe and is not a very good rebounder. He shoots 40.2% from the field, 30% from the 3 point line and 53.3% from the free-throw line.

Shaquille Thomas FR (2.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.5 apg) 6-7 F can beat his man off the dribble and score at the basket. He’s not all that fundamentally sound, but he’s a high flier who plays above the rim and can be an effective passer. He has good versatility. He is also a good defensive player. He shoots 39.2% from the field, 37.5% from the 3 point line and 57.1% from the free-throw line.

David Nyarsuk JR (2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.2 apg) 7-1 C is the tallest player to ever play for the Bearcats. He gives them size and scoring inside. He does struggle to stay on the floor do to his foul trouble. He shoots 59.4% from the field and 53.3% from the free-throw line.

The Bearcats are a very similar team to the Cards the way they play on the defensive end of the floor. This is to be expected as Cronin is a Rick Pitino disciple. But they do struggle on the offensive end of the floor. I look for the Cards to focus their defense keying on Wright and Kilpatrick because the Bearcats have no other serious scoring threats. Their passing is also not very good and their bigs can’t finish around the rim so there’s no need to help off the guards. They are also very poor shooters as a team from the free-throw line.

The Beak Prediction:
Louisville 70 Cincinnati 59

Our #10 ranked Louisville Cardinals (23-5, 11-4 Big East) have won seven of their last eight games and four in a row as they head into the final Big East battle with #12 ranked Syracuse (22-6, 10-5 Big East) on Saturday afternoon. This will be the last time these teams play each other as Big East members. Louisville leads the all-time series 13 to 7 and 6 to 4 in the Big East. Syracuse has won three in a row over the Cards including the 70-68 victory on January 19th at the KFC Yum center.

Syracuse is in the midst of its winningest era ever. The Orange’s recruiting is at an all-time high, with four McDonald’s All-Americans committing in the last three years. And Coach Jim Boeheim is making his climb to one of the most winning coaches in college basketball at 912 wins. As always, Boeheim has plenty of guys between 6-8 and 6-10 to hold down the back line of the zone, while on the top he has 6-4 Triche and the 6-6 Carter-Williams. And with this much size and agility, the 2-3 is once again a real pain for opposing teams. That zone has them ranked 3rd in the Big East in field goal percentage defense holding teams to 39.2%, and 9th in 3 point percentage defense holding teams to 31.2%. They are also ranked 3rd in the Big East in blocked shots with 5.5 a game and 2nd in steals behind our Cards with 8.1 per game. Since beating the #1 Cards on January 19th Cuse has struggled and went 5-5 in their last 10 games. And although their defense has stayed consistent their offense has struggled. Even with James Southerland returning to the line-up it hasn’t helped as Brandon Triche and Michael Carter-Williams, who looked like arguably the best back court in the country back in January, have struggled mightily. Triche has averaged just 12.6 points while shooting 34.0% from the floor and 15.9% from three over the last eight games. Michael Carter-Williams hasn’t been much better during that stretch and he’s accounted for 17 assists and 19 turnovers. Despite his struggles Cuse still ranks 2nd in the Big East in assist/turnover ratio at +3.47. They have dropped to 7th in the Big East in field goal percentage to 42.6% per game and 9th in 3 point percentage at 31.2% per game.
The Orange rank nationally 39th with 74 points per game, 16th with 39.5 rebounds per game, 41st with 15.1 assist per game and 96th shooting 44.7% per game. They are currently in 4th place in the Big East with a 12 RPI. Kenpom has their adj efficiency on offense at 114.4 ranked 14th and their adj efficiency on defense at 87.5 ranked 13th. He has them ranked 9th overall.

In-conference offense: 3pt-31.2%, 2pt-42.6%, FT-74.9%
In-conference defense: Turnovers-14.2pg, Blocks-5.5pg, Steals-8.1pg

Coach Jim Boeheim: “We are a low turnover team and that will be tested against Louisville, because they pressure and try to force turnovers. That will be a big part of the game. We attack pressure well. We think we can attack the pressure. It will be a challenge. I’m more concerned with their shot blocking ability. They’re very very good around the basket.”

The Orange Players:

-Projected Starters

C.J. Fair JR (14.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 0.8 apg) 6-8 F is a strong and physical player who is a good rebounder and is ranked 5th in the Big East with 7.7 per game. He is a dependable source of effective and low-foul coverage on the back line of the 2-3 zone. He is shooting 49.2% from the field, 42.1% from the 3 point line and 82.1% from the free-throw line.

Rakeem Christmas SOPH (5.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.3 apg) 6-9 F is a good rebounder, shot blocker and defender. He is ranked 5th in the Big East in blocked shots with 1.7 per game. He is not as effective on the offensive end of the floor. He is also a player prone to foul trouble. He is shooting 55.2% from the field, and 62.9% from the free-throw line.

Jerami Grant FR (4.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.5 apg) 6-8 F has the look of the prototypical Syracuse forward. He’s long and lean. He can drive to the basket and has a developing jump shot. He will have to overcome the pressure of playing against a more physical and mature Cards front-court. He shoots 47.6% from the field, 40% from the 3 point line and 54.2% from the free-throw line.

Michael Carter-Williams SOPH (12.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 7.9 apg) 6-6 G is the player who replaced Scoop Jardine in the Cuse starting line-up. He is a good ball handler with great court vision and is 3rd in the Big East in assist with 6 per game. 4th in assist/turnover ratio at 2.2. He has great size and length for the top of that 2-3 zone. Very effective defender and is the steals leader in the Big East with 2.7 per game. He has been struggling of late but is still a very capable and great athlete. He is shooting 38.1% from the field, 28.6% from the 3 point line and 74.4% from the free-throw line.

Brandon Triche SR (14.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.7 apg) 6-4 G was clutch in the win over the Cards back in January. If he gets hot he can be a very effective scorer. He is a veteran guard and his team will need him to step up big if they are to beat our Cards again on Saturday. He shoots 42.5% from the field, 29.1% from the 3 point line and 74.3% from the free-throw line.

-Bench

Trevor Cooney FR (4.0 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.7 apg) 6-4 G will back up Triche at the off guard spot, allowing the senior guard to rest or move to the point to spell Carter-Williams. He’s got size, strength and athleticism. Gives the Orange a 3 point threat when he’s in the game and can out the ball on the floor and make plays. He shoots 32.2% from the field, 27.9% from the 3 point line and 81.1% from the free-throw line.

Baye Keita JR (3.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.1 apg) 6-10 C provides energy, defense and rebounding off the bench. He is another big guy on this team who is not as effective on offense and is also a liability at the free throw line. He shoots 62.3% from the field and 50% from the free-throw line.

James Southerland SR (13.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.2 apg) 6-8 F He rebounds and defends better than he did as an underclassman, but he still remains something of a one-dimensional offensive player. He’s yet to add a reliable drive to the basket to his outside shooting ability. He missed the last game against Louisville with some eligibility issues. He is a very experienced player and has been know for some clutch shots in big games. He has crazy range and will shoot the ball from the parking lot. He is shooting 47.9% from the field, 39% from the free throw line, and 69.7% from the free-throw line.

The Orange get extra possessions by getting offensive rebounds (five players have 25 or more total offensive rebounds) and steals, but they give up too many second shots and have been turning the ball over too much as of late. Triche and Carter-Williams have not played well over the past month, and it’s why Syracuse is struggling. The Cards will have to capitalize on the weakness of the Orange’s offensive mistakes and capitalize on their turnovers. And we will need our more experienced front-court to get on the offensive glass and defend the lane.

It’s always fun to watch Pitino and Boeheim go at it. And it will be interesting to see how Coach P decides to attack the zone defense. We have beat Syracuse with our transition game in the past and we have beaten them in the half court. We have a team very capable of either way this year and should have beaten them the last time we played. Our depth will once again play a role in the outcome. Ware, Hancock and Harrell will have to make the most of their minutes when they are in the game. If Russ and Peyton play the games they are capable of and stay out of foul trouble it could be a big factor as I believe the winner of the back-court battle could be the winner of this game.

This one is gonna be another classic in this great rivalry and it will be the last time these teams meet as Big East members. Syracuse will be moving into the ACC after this season and Louisville will follow in 2014. I think our depth and back-court will be the difference in this one and our Cards avenge the earlier loss to get a hard fought win. Not gonna be easy and will be a low scoring game as these are two great defenses.

The Beak Prediction:
Louisville 65 Syracuse 60

Winning their last six out of seven games our #10 ranked Louisville Cardinals (22-5, 10-4 Big East) will take to the road again on Wednesday night when they head to Chicago to face the DePaul Blue Demons (11-16, 2-12 Big East). They have only won 2 games in the last two months. Louisville leads the all-time series 37 to 21 and are 8-0 against DePaul in the Big East. The last time these teams played each other was back on February 18, 2012. The Cards won that game in overtime 90-82.

Since coach Oliver Purnell arrived on campus the Blue Demons depth is better, the talent is better and they have more experience. But talent, depth and improved experience are only the building blocks. Teams that thrive take them and construct something beyond just potential and promise. That’s something DePaul hasn’t been able to do, because of their defense and rebounding. They are currently ranked dead last in the Big East in field goal percentage defense allowing their opponents to shoot 50.1% on average, and dead last in 3 point field goal percentage defense allowing their opponents to shoot 41.5% on average. They are currently ranked 14th in the Big East in rebounding margin getting out rebounded by 5.9 per game. Even though they struggle on the defensive end of the floor they aren’t that bad on the offensive end and this team can score points. The are currently ranked 1st in the Big East in scoring offense averaging 71.6 points a game, 8th in field goal percentage averaging 42.2% per game, 11th in 3 point field goal percentage averaging 30.7% per game and 4th in free throw percentage averaging 72.6% per game. They also do a good job of sharing the ball and are ranked 7th in the Big East in assist averaging 13.8 per game. The Blue Demons take good care of the ball and they are ranked 5th in the Big East in turnover margin at +1.07. Purnell has accumulated the pieces necessary for progress and this team has the potential to be better, provided its players learn how to win games and can improve their rebounding and defense significantly.
The Blue Demons rank nationally 55th overall scoring 73.1 points per game, 129th overall with 35.7 rebounds per game, 102nd overall with 14 assist per game and 154th overall shooting 43.6% per game. They are currently in 13th place in the Big East and are 182 in the RPI. Kenpom has their adj efficiency on offense at 103.7 ranked 123rd and their adj efficiency on defense at 101.5 ranked 192. He has them ranked 146 overall.

In-conference offense: 3pt-30.7%, FG-42.2%, FT-72.6%
In-conference defense: Turnovers-14.4pg, Steals-7.4pg, Blocks-3.5pg

Coach Oliver Purnell: “Our defense has to be improved,” “Because of our up-tempo style, we can have games where the other team shoots well, and we can win. But we can’t do that all the time. We have to get our opponents’ shooting percentage down. A lot of that is rebounding. We’ve got to clean the glass.”

The Blue Demon Players:

Donnavan Kirk JR (7.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.5 apg) 6-9 F was ranked among the top 30 power forwards by both ESPN.com and Scout.com as a senior in high school. He transferred to DePaul from Miami in January 2011. He gives them size on the wing and has scoring ability. He ranks 5th in the Big East shooting 51.2%. He is shooting 39.3% from the 3 point line and 70.6% from the free-throw line.

Cleveland Melvin JR (16.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.8 apg) 6-8 F is the league’s top returning scorer and could be even more potent if he is more accurate from the 3-point line. He has connected on only 29.5% of his 3s. Despite that, Purnell wants him to keep firing from long range. He is ranked 10th in the Big East in scoring, and 9th in rebounding. He is shooting 47% from the field and 67.9% from the free-throw line.

Brandon Young JR (16.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.5 apg) 6-4 G a talented combo who can score off the dribble, distribute the rock and take care of it, too. Young’s biggest problem last year was his 28.1 percent success rate from behind the arc. But he has improved that this season to 31.3% and is one of the best guards in the Big East. He is ranked 5th in the Big East in scoring, 9th in assist, 8th in steals and 10th in assist/turnover ratio. He shoots 43.2% from the field and 75% from the free-throw line.

Worrel Clahar SR (7.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.4 apg) 5-11 G he is a very good athlete and is a pass first guard. He is ranked 13th in the Big East in assist, 2nd in assist/turnover ratio and 11th on free-throw percentage at 80%. He shoots 39.9% from the field and 27.3% from the 3 point line.

Charles McKinney SOPH (5.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.5 apg) 6-3 G is not going to put up big numbers on the offensive end of the floor but he is one of the best defenders for the blue demons. He has long, natural length with a big wingspan and a lot of quickness to go with it. He shoots 49.5% from the field, 41.7% from the 3 point line and 56.4% from the free-throw line.

-Bench

Jamee Crockett SOPH (9.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.3 blkpg) 6-4 G/F who can score inside and out, he can distribute a bit, and his burly frame allows him to be a good rebounder. All of that allows Purnell to use Crockett at the three and two. He shoots 39.7% from the field, 26.3% from the 3 point line, and 66.7% from the free-throw line.

Durrell McDonald FR (3.4 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.7 apg) 6-1 G is a great athlete who can play either guard spot. He’s a 6-10 high jumper and has Purnell and his staff excited about his potential. He shoots 44.2% from the field, 43.5% from the 3 point line and 50% from the free-throw line.

Moses Morgan JR (6.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.1 apg) 6-6 F has a body capable of being more of a factor inside, even if he is a strong (30.4%) 3-point shooter. Purnell has had him help out at the four position this year, and that has lead to better rebounding. He is shooting 32.3% from the field, 30.4% from the 3 point line and 75% from the free-throw line.

Derrell Robertson Jr. SOPH (2.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.0 apg) 6-10 C is a defensive presence, and has blocked 14 shots this year. He shoots 55.8% from the field and 71.4% from the free-throw line.

The Blue Demons have turned into a train wreck in recent years, winning a total of seven Big East regular season games in the last five years combined. At 11-16 overall and 2-12 in the Big East this season, the Blue Demons are enduring another miserable year. But if they get their defense together I do think they are very capable at pulling off a upset. But don’t expect one on Wednesday night as the Cards inside presence will completely overwhelm this Blue Demon group. Gorgui and Chane should have their way and get plenty of rebounds and chances to score. I look for Wayne Blackshear to have a good homecoming and his athletic ability on the wing will be tough for Depaul to guard. Peyton and Russ will control this one from beginning to end.

As I mentioned above these guys have some of the tools to compete but their defense, rebounding and toughness is really lacking. In the physical Big East that just doesn’t work. This team shouldn’t be overlooked because of their record but at the same time it’s DePaul. Cards should cruise in this one and have the highest point total of the year.

The Beak Prediction:
Louisville 86 DePaul 58

Our #10 ranked Louisville Cardinals (21-5, 9-4 Big East) have won four games out of their last five and will return to the KFC Yum center on Saturday afternoon to face the Seton Hall Pirates (13-14, 2-12 Big East). The Pirates are struggling in the grueling Big East and have lost their last 8 games. The Cards lead the all-time series with Seton Hall 12-5. The Cards beat the Pirates back on January 9th at their place 73-58.

This is coach Kevin Willard’s 3rd season at the helm at Seton Hall. Last season he led the Pirates to a 20 win season for only the third time in the last 19 years and they got their first NIT win since 1956. This season hasn’t been so kind to coach Willard and the Pirates. They had some pretty big obstacles to overcome heading into this season without a true senior on the roster and losing their best two players from last season in Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope. But add in all the injuries that have piled up and it really has turned into a tough year for the Pirates. They recently lost sophomore Brandon Mobley (9.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 0.7 apg) with a season-ending shoulder surgery, junior Patrik Auda (7.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.2 apg) is out for the season with a broken foot, and both junior Aaron Geramipoor and junior Brian Oliver have missed significant stretches due to injury as well. To top it off coach Willard just found out Thursday that sophomore guard Haralds Karlis has been playing with a groin hernia and will require surgery at the end of the season. To say that there is a lack of depth for this Pirates team is an understatement. And the one thing you can’t deal with in the rough and tumble Big East is a lack of bodies. This team ranks at or near the bottom of every statistical category in the Big East but three. They do shoot the ball well and rank 7th shooting 32.9% from the 3 and 1st in made 3’s at 7.1 per game. They also do a decent job of sharing the ball and are ranked 10th with 12.9 assist per game.
The Pirates rank nationally 211th with 66 points per game, 185th with 34.6 rebounds per game, 98th with 14.1 assist per game and 152nd shooting 43.6% from the field per game. Their current RPI is 122, and they are in 14th place in the Big East. Kenpom has their adj efficiency at 102.1 ranked 139th and their defensive adj efficiency at 96.9 ranked 111th. He has them ranked 115 overall.

In-conference offense: 3pt-32.9%, 2pt-40.6%, FT-64.4%
In-conference defense: Turnovers-10.7pg, Steals-5.9pg, Blocks-2.0pg

Coach Kevin Willard: “One of our biggest weaknesses, we don’t have the horses.” “I think it’s wearing down on us more mentally than physically. Physically, we’re getting out-matched. It’s tough to keep battling when you’re so undersized.”

The Pirate Players:

-Projected Starters

Haralds Karlis SOPH (3.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.0 apg) 6-5 G is decent long range shooter for this team, he also defends well at the shooting guard. He found out this week that he will have to play the rest of the season with groin hernia. He shoots 32.5% from the field, 20.8% from the 3 point line and 69.6% from the free-throw line.

Eugene Teague JR (11.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.5 apg) 6-9 C is a transfer from Southern Illinois with two seasons of eligibility. He gives the Pirates a good inside presence. He’s strong, got great touch around basket, runs the floor well and demands a lot of attention down low. He shoots 55.4% from the field, and 55.4% from the free-throw line.

Fuquan Edwin JR (17.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.4 blkpg) 6-6 G/F is the top returning scorer and rebounder for the Pirates and has a steal rate so good it looks like a typo. Indeed among major-conference players, only our Peyton Siva can look Edwin in the eye when the topic turns to steals. Edwin is ranked 2nd in the Big East with 2.6 pg and Siva is 3rd with 1.9 pg. Edwin shoots 45.3% from the field, 41.4% from the 3 point line and 69.8% from the free-throw line.

Aaron Cosby SOPH (11.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.9 apg) 6-2 G is a pretty good long range scorer and he ranks 12th in the Big East in 3 point percentage and 5th in 3’s made per game at 2.2. He is shooting 40.9% from the field, 36.8% from the 3 point line and 73.2% from the free-throw line.

Tom Maayan FR (2.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.4 apg) 6-1 G is a solid player and very good on the ball defender. He shoots 38.6% from the field, 30.8% from the 3 point line and 35.3% from the free-throw line.

-Bench

Kyle Smyth SR (4.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.1 apg) 6-4 G is a graduate transfer who played for Willard at Iona, and was eligible immediately this season. He fills into that depth the Pirates have at the wings. He shoots the ball well and has a great basketball IQ. He shoots 34.5% from the field, 33.7% from the 3 point line and 89.5% from the free-throw line.

Brian Oliver JR (7.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.2 blkpg) 6-6 G/F is a transfer from Georgia Tech. He started 12 games his final season at Georgia Tech in 2010-11 and was the third-leading scorer for the Yellow Jackets. He has brought scoring to the floor this season for the Pirates. He shoots 34.2% from the field, 34.8% from the 3 point line and 92.3% from the free-throw line.

Aaron Geramipoor JR (0.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.0 apg) 6-11 C has not played any significant minutes this season. He has struggled with a stress fracture in his right foot. He shoots 33.3% from the field, and 50% from the free-throw line.

Kevin Johnson FR (2.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.0 apg) 6-9 C had to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a slightly torn meniscus, and has missed time this season. He is shooting 50% from the field and 45.2% from the free-throw line.

Rick Pitino has a lot of respect for Kevin Willard and says that he is the best young X and O guy coaching the game right now. And Willard is putting together a decent program at Seton Hall. He is just having one of those tough transition seasons and luck really hasn’t gone the way of the Pirates. They will be severely outmanned Saturday and really don’t have much of a chance against a Cards team that is now poised for a major NCAA run. This will be a great game for the Cards to fine tune and work on some things. I really would like to see Peyton Siva driving the lane more and taking the ball to the basket. He is gonna have to start getting to the foul line. Will be watching to see if Wayne and Kevin continue to produce, and if Gorgui can get it going a little more on the offensive end of the floor.

I would never say that any game is a guaranteed victory but this is as close to a guarantee you will see this season.

The Beak Prediction:
Louisville 80 Seton Hall 58