Our Cardinals will continue their conference grind on Wednesday night and travel to the Lone star State to face Houston. We have reached that point in the season where the conference return games are starting to be played. This is the second time the Cardinals have faced Houston this season. The Cardinals won the first game 91-52 last month, and have won two straight in the series they lead 14-5. The Cougars have dropped their last four overall by 22.5 per game. They do have a few things working in their favor as in they have won their last two home games against ranked teams and they haven’t lost five games in a row since the 2010-11 season. The Cards have won 29 in a row over unranked teams.

Coach James Dickey’s team was expected to be a sleeper in the AAC race this season but really haven’t lived up to those expectations. They have one decent win against UCONN under their belt and have been a competitive team in spurts. Due to some injury issues they have struggled with finding their team chemistry and maintaining any kind of consistency. Since playing the Cardinals last month they have got LJ Rose (8.5ppg, 1.9rpg, 4.9apg), Danuel House (12.8ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.7 apg) and JJ Richardson (4.4ppg, 2.0rpg, 0.5apg) back in their line-up.

Houston uses an athletic, versatile, high-octane offensive attack that finished tenth in the nation in scoring a year ago. And they are led by TaShawn Thomas (15.9ppg, 8.8rpg, 1.7apg) , the above mentioned House and Rose, Jherrod Stiggers (9.4ppg 2.8rpg, 1.1apg), Danrad Knowles (8.0ppg, 5.1rpg, 0.7apg), Brandon Morris (6.5ppg, 2.2rpg, 1.1apg), and Tione Womack (4.1ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.2apg).
Thomas is the only player to rank among the league’s top-4 leaders in both scoring and rebounding. Stiggers is the team’s top three-point threat. Knowles has already earned conference freshman of the week honors this season. He has a unique skillset for a 6-9 player in that he can shoot the ball from the outside, handle the rock, and his length makes him a factor on the defensive end. Morris and Womack are sold players and have the experience edge.

Houston comes into Wednesdays game averaging 69.1 points-per-game, while shooting 44% from the floor and 33.7% from 3-point range. The Cougars are converting 65.6% of its attempts from the free-throw line. Defensively, Houston is allowing 70.7 points-per-game as the opposition is shooting 43% from the floor. The Cougars are getting out-rebounded by their opponents 808-791 with a rebounding margin of -0.8 averaging 36 boards-per-contest. The Cougars are 13th nationally in blocked shots, swatting 6 per game.

Houston
2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS
-POINTS PER GAME
69.1
240th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
36.0
143rd
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
14.0
99th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.440
193rd
OVERALL

Kenpom Ranks
Overall – #163
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
– 103.7 ranks 156th
Offensive Adjustment Efficiency
– 103.5 ranks 189th

This team doesn’t jump off the page at you when breaking them down and they haven’t looked very good as of late. But when our Cardinals roll into town teams are going to have their game face on and are going give our guys their best shot. Houston is hungry for a win and are looking to get things back on track. They are calling the night Guy Lewis night and will be honoring their former “Hall of Fame” coach in a ceremony. This will also add a little extra fire to the team and the home crowd.

We found out on Wednesday that Blackshear is not traveling with the team to Houston due to a concussion he got in practice. That’s about 10 points we will have to make up for and we’ll need someone to step up on offense. Wayne was the leading scorer the last game against Houston and had a career high 23 points. Chris Jones will return to the starting line-up and he and Russ will have to do a good job at setting the pace early and keeping the offense settled if Houston does start hot riding the emotions of the night. Montrezl and Luke have had some great two man game working in the last couple of outings. They will need to keep that going against a very athletic and long Houston front-court. Houston is giving up over 80 points a game and our Cards are averaging a little over 80 while winning all four road games as AAC members by an average of 20.8 points. The Cardinals shouldn’t have trouble getting the win, but this Houston team is capable of pulling off the upset and on the road nothing comes easy. I look for a competitive game with Cards pulling away late. Go Cards!

Our Cards had a tough loss on Thursday night against UC, but there’s no time to hang your head during league play especially with the crazy schedule of the AAC. UCF comes to town tonight for a rare Saturday 9:00pm tip in the KFC Yum Center. These team are meeting for just the third time on the hardwood. The Cardinals hold a 2-0 edge in the all-time series, after topping UCF 90-65 in the American Athletic Conference opener back on New Years Eve. This will be UCF’s first-ever visit to the KFC Yum! Center. The Knights’ only other trip to Louisville came back on Dec. 15, 1999. That game was played at Freedom Hall. Since winning their first-ever home American Athletic Conference game, when they defeated Temple back on Jan. 4, UCF has dropped five straight since.

This season the Cardinals have had to adjust to a more unconventional type of line-up but it still won’t be as unconventional as the group UCF puts on the floor. UCF coach Donnie Jones knows that if he wants to try and win some games this season in the AAC especially against teams like Louisville that he needs his best players on the floor regardless of position. That’s why on Saturday evening you might see a small forward running the offense and the nominal 5 man taking most of the three point shots. This is a very versatile team.

Leading the way for the Knights is Calvin Newell (11.6 points, 2.1 rebounds), Isaiah Sykes (15.6 points, 6.7 rebounds), Tristan Spurlock (10.7 points, 5.8 rebounds), Kasey Wilson (9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds), and Eugene McCrory (6.6 points, 3.8 rebounds).
Calvin is among the league leaders in the AAC in steals, Sykes is called “Mr Versatility”. He starts at the 3, but can play any position from point guard to power forward. He declared for the NBA draft, but withdrew in June. Spurlock is among The American leaders in rebounds and 3-point field goal percentage. Wilson is an excellent 3 point shooter and is a floor-stretcher who can draw an opponent’s big man away from the basket.

UCF is averaging just 62.1 points per game in American Athletic Conference play, after scoring at a clip of 80 points per contest in non-league action., while shooting 43.9% from the floor and 33.9% from 3-point range. The Knights are converting 59.5% of their attempts from the free-throw line. Defensively, UCF is allowing 70.6 points-per-game as the opposition is shooting 44.5% from the floor. The Knights are out-rebounded their opponents 715-628 with a rebounding margin of +4.8 averaging 39.7 boards-per-contest. UCF remains the top rebounding squad in the American Athletic Conference.

UCF
2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS
-POINTS PER GAME
73.1
139th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
39.7
20th
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
13.2
150th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.439
201st
OVERALL

Kenpom Ranks
Overall – #174
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
– 103.1 ranks 148th
Offensive Adjustment Efficiency
– 102.1 ranks 214th

This UCF team is not a great one by any stretch but they do have some athletes and the do get after teams on the boards. They went toe-to-toe with nationally-ranked Memphis Wednesday night in Orlando. The game was tied 39-39 at halftime and UCF was within striking distance for much of the second half. Coach Pitino talks about the E’s. Effort, Enthusiasm, and Execution. This Cardinal team has the first two but they need to learn how to execute certain game situations better, especially closing out games. This is also a team that needs to hit the glass and block out better. Tonight will be a good chance for them to work on their execution and their rebounding. I don’t think our guys will have any problems tonight, but would like to see a convincing win and not just a walk through.

It is always a battle when the Cardinals face off against the Bearcats and that won’t change this season as both teams are looking to sit atop of the AAC. This is the Cards oldest rival and this game is the 98th meeting in UofL and UC series. It dates back to Metro Conference, Missouri Valley , Conference USA, Big East and now AAC. Louisville leads this series with our old foes from the north 55 to 42 and have won the last two against the Bearcats including a 67-51 last March. Cincinnati improved to 19-2 overall and 8-0 in the AAC on Sunday with a win over Temple, and are ranked 15th by AP and 16th in the USA Today poll. Our Cardinals have won four straight heading into the game on Thursday night at 7PM on ESPN.

Coach Mick Cronin will bring one of his most physical and athletic teams into the Yum Center on Thursday. Cincinnati is among the national leaders in five key defensive statistics including scoring defense (56.9, fifth nationally), turnover margin (+4.6, 10th), scoring margin (+14.3, 15th), field goal percentage defense (.383, 15th) and blocked shots (6.3, 14th). It will be an experienced and established UC team lead by Sean Kilpatrick (19.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.4 apg), and a great supporting cast of characters including Titus Rubles (7.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.2 apg), Shaquille Thomas (7.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.2 apg), David Nyarsuk (1.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.1 apg), Jermaine Sanders (6.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.0 apg), Troy Caupain (6.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.5 apg), and Justin Jackson (11.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.8 apg). These guys can all protect the rim and rebound.

Kilpatrick leads the American in scoring, ranks second in three-pointers made and fifth in free-throw shooting. He has scored 20 or more points in 10 games this season, and has been the Bearcats’ top scorer in 18 of 21 games.
Rubles is averaging career highs in minutes played, points and rebounds. He ranks eighth in the American in rebounding since the start of league action.
Jackson ranks second in the nation in total blocks and seventh in blocks per game. He ranks among the American’s leaders in blocks, offensive rebounds, rebounds and field-goal shooting. He is considered day-to-day as of Sunday, though head coach Mick Cronin remains hopeful that he’ll play on Thursday. He’s the key to a Cincinnati defense that hadn’t allowed opponents to eclipse 67 points against them prior to Sunday.
These guys could very much be the top contender for the AAC this year and will be the toughest competition for our Cards during this regular season.

UC comes into Thursday’s game averaging 71.2 points-per-game, while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.9% from 3-point range. The Bearcats are converting 70.5% of their attempts from the free-throw line. Defensively, UC is allowing 56.9 points-per-game as the opposition is shooting 38.3% from the floor. The Bearcats are out-rebounded their opponents 777-679 with a rebounding margin of +4.7 averaging 37 boards-per-contest.

UC
2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS
-POINTS PER GAME
71.2
195th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
37.0
94th
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
13.2
147th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.431
243rd
OVERALL

Kenpom Ranks
Overall – #23
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
– 89.4 ranks 5th
Offensive Adjustment Efficiency
– 107.1 ranks 119th

UC is off to their best start in coach Cronin’s eight-year tenure. He is a guy that embodies the leadership, courage and determination of all of his mentors. And he has passed that down to his team. They are relentless on the defensive end of the floor and they dig in to grind on teams for the full 40. Russ Smith is averaging 20.1 points on 46.0 percent shooting with 4.6 assists per game in AAC play. He poured in a game-high 18 points in last year’s meeting with the Bearcats and we will need him to be big on Thursday. Rozier and Blackshear have been a big reason for the Cards four game win streak and they will also need to keep it going. This will be the most physical contest that our front-court will face this season. Montrezl, Mango and VanTreese have to be willing to get in the paint and bang with these guys. I like our match-up on the wings and hope (old man) Luke comes to play. Chris Jones is expected to be back but he will probably see limited minutes as this will be a tough comeback game. You can never count out the sixth man and the Yum Center will be a big part of this game Thursday. Cardinal fans are hungry and it’s been too long since the last home game. Home court will be the difference in this one and our Cards will grind out a tough one for the win. This will be the last time we play UC at the Yum Center for the foreseeable future. Can’t wait for this one folks. Go Cards!

The Cardinals were able to get that elusive quality victory against UCONN on Saturday night and they look like a team that is starting to gel. They will play their second straight game on the road before an eight-day break when they face USF in Tampa, Fla. on Wednesday. Louisville has a 27-4 series advantage over USF, winning 13 of the last 14 matchups. Louisville won both meetings last season: 64-38 in Louisville and 59-41 in Tampa. The Bulls come into this game 1-4 in the AAC and are No. 175 in the Sagarin Ratings and No. 172 in the ratings percentage index (RPI) this week. The last time the Bulls beat a ranked team was Louisville back in 2012 at the Yum Center.

USF isn’t a great team but Stan Heath is a good coach who knows that the strength of his team is the defense and blocking shots on the interior. Heath comes from the forty minutes of hell philosophy learned during his time at Arkansas and defense has been the identity of his teams while at USF. They had a solid defense last year but didn’t have the size down low to finish strong and gave up way too many offensive rebounds. Heath hit the recruiting trail this past summer and got some guys he hopes will help.

Two of those young guys are leading his front-court this season. Chris Perry (9.3ppg, 5.7rpg, 0.4apg) and John Egbunu (8.1ppg, 6.9rpg, 0.4apg). They are joined in the front-court by the best player on the team Victor Rudd (15.3ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.9apg).
Perry has a 7-5 wingspan and is a traditional low-post player who likes to play around the basket. He ranks 16th in the conference in rebounding.
Egbunu has speed, leaping ability and a willingness to attack the rim. He ranks 7th in the conference in rebounding, averages the most of any freshman, 8th in blocked shots (1.4), 7th in offensive rebounding.
Rudd is a do it all athlete and a great all around player. He’s one of three players in the American Conference to rank in the top 10 in scoring and rebounding. 10th in scoring, 6th in rebounding.

They are led in the back-court by three veteran players. Corey Allen Jr. (11.1ppg, 4.4rpg, 3.4apg), Martino Brock (8.3ppg, 3.1rpg, 1,5apg) and Anthony Collins (6.9ppg, 1.6rpg, 5.9apg).
Allen is a very active guard who knows how to use his hands and plays at a high level on both sides of the ball. He ranks 12th in steals and 13th in assist.
Brock is a lengthy guard who also has a knack for taking away the basketball. Allen and Brock combine for about 4 steals per game.
Collins is a very good defensive player in his own right and is great at getting his team-mates invoked. He looks to drive a dish.

USF comes into Wednesday’s game averaging 58.8 points-per-game, while shooting 38.9% from the floor and 31.3% from 3-point range. The Bulls are converting 68.4% of their attempts from the free-throw line. Defensively, USF is allowing 62.2 points-per-game as the opposition is shooting 42.2% from the floor. The Bulls are getting out-rebounded by their opponents 1011-1019 with a rebounding margin of -3.5 averaging 32.6 boards-per-contest.

USF
2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS
-POINTS PER GAME
58.8
271st
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
32.6
120th
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
12.8
184th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.38.9
198th
OVERALL

Kenpom Ranks
Overall – #181
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
– 102.5 ranks 140th
Offensive Adjustment Efficiency
– 101.2 ranks 224th

Like I mentioned above this South Florida team isn’t a great one, but they do have some size and some decent talent in their front-court. They are a team that can create turnovers through steals and blocked shots. On the road, you don’t want to give the underdog team extra opportunities. And the Cards must take care of the basketball which they have been doing well. They are third in the nation in turnover margin (+6.5) and 37th in fewest turnovers per game (10.6). The Cards have committed 10 or fewer turnovers in 12 of its last 22 games dating back to last year. Montrezl and Mango have been trending upward and they will get a good test by USF’s bigs. If our experienced post players can impose their will down low, they could really get in the young USF guys’ heads. I give them a slight advantage on the wing and Blackshear and Luke will have to play solid defense. Our back-court is far superior to theirs and that will be the biggest difference in this one. If Russ and Terry play solid basketball and get the other guys involved the Cards will be coming home with another road victory. Go Cards!

There’s a lot of buzz in the air this week about quality wins and our Cardinals will have a chance to get one on Saturday night as they visit UCONN for the Saturday night College GameDay main event. Louisville leads this series 8 to 6 and have won two in a row over the Huskies including a 73-58 victory in the last meeting. UCONN is coming off a big road win at Memphis on Thursday and our Cards are coming into this game after their best performance of the season on Thursday night against Houston.

After a year of sitting out of post season play UCONN is one of the hungriest teams in college basketball this season. Coach Kevin Ollie did an excellent job keeping his team playing hard last year and this season the backcourt is experienced on both sides of the ball. Shabazz Napier (16.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 6.2 apg), Ryan Boatright (12.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.6 apg) and Omar Calhoun (6.7 ppg, 2 rpg, 0.4 apg) all can pressure the ball, are competitive, play with confidence and have the ability to score. They are also getting quality minutes from DeAndre Daniels (13.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.5 apg), Niels Giffey (7.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.6 blkpg) and Lasan Kromah (6.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.3 blkpg).
Taken together, the Huskies’ big three of Napier, Boatright and DeAndre Daniels are shooting 44 percent inside the arc and 45 percent outside it this season.
Napier leads The American in assists (6.2, 13th nationally), is second in steals (2.1) and his 16.1 scoring average ranks ninth in the league. UConn is among the national leaders in blocked shots (7.0, third nationally), three-point field goal percentage (.414, eighth) and free throw percentage (.767, seventh). Connecticut is No. 30 in the Sagarin Ratings, No. 17 in the ratings percentage index (RPI) through Jan. 16.

UCONN comes into Saturdays game averaging 75.4 points-per-game, while shooting 46.8% from the floor and 41.4% from 3-point range. The Huskies are converting 76.7% of its attempts from the free-throw line. Defensively, UCONN is allowing 65.1 points-per-game as the opposition is shooting 38.8% from the floor. The Huskies are out-rebounding their opponents 608-590 with a rebounding margin of +1.1 averaging 35.8 boards-per-contest.

UCONN
2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS
-POINTS PER GAME
75.4
99th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
35.8
167th
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
13.6
130th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.468
69th
OVERALL

Kenpom Ranks
Overall – #31
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
– 96.7 ranks 51st
Offensive Adjustment Efficiency
– 113.5 ranks 34th

The Cards were impressive at both ends of the floor in their 91-52 victory over Houston on Thursday, shooting 51.5 percent from the field and limiting Houston to 30.8 percent. They played what was probably their most complete game of the season. Rozier has taken his game to the next level and the other young guys are coming around. Luke seems to be hitting his mid season stride and even Wayne is showing signs of life. It is going to take another team effort and all these guys stepping up again to get the win on Saturday night. The Huskies and their home crowd will be amped up. I think the Cards have it in them to get the win, but it won’t be a cake walk.

American conference play rolls on and on Thursday night the Houston Cougars come to town. This will be the 19th meeting between the Cardinals and Cougars with Louisville holding the advantage 13-5 in the series. This is the first time the Cardinals have faced Houston since a 70-67 loss in Hofheinz Pavilion on Jan. 5, 2005. And it’s the first time the two teams have played in Louisville since a 64-48 Cards win on Jan. 28, 2004. Houston has won three of its last four games and the Cougars currently stand in fourth place, a half game behind Louisville.

Coach James Dickey’s team could be a sleeper in the AAC race before the season is over. They have a big win against UCONN under their belt and had a very competitive game losing to Cincy in their last game by one point. They are a very interesting team at this point in the season and due to some injury issues have struggled with their team chemistry. They are still missing some big time scoring in LJ Rose, Danuel House and JJ Richardson. Houston uses an athletic, versatile, high-octane offensive attack that finished tenth in the nation in scoring a year ago.
Leading the way for the Cougars is TaShawn Thomas (17 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.6 apg), Jherrod Stiggers (10.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.9 apg), Danrad Knowles (8.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.6 apg), Brandon Morris (5.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.2 apg), and Tione Womack (5.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.8 apg).
Thomas is the only player to rank among the league’s top-4 leaders in both scoring and rebounding. Stiggers is the team’s top three-point threat. Knowles has already earned conference freshman of the week honors this season. He has a unique skillset for a 6-9 player in that he can shoot the ball from the outside, handle the rock, and his length makes him a factor on the defensive end. Morris and Womack are sold players and have the experience edge.

Houston comes into Thursdays game averaging 72 points-per-game, while shooting 45.7% from the floor and 36.5% from 3-point range. The Cougars are converting 67.6% of its attempts from the free-throw line. Defensively, Houston is allowing 67.4 points-per-game as the opposition is shooting 41.6% from the floor. The Cougars are out-rebounding their opponents 580-566 with a rebounding margin of +0.9 averaging 36.2 boards-per-contest. The Cougars are 15th nationally in blocked shots, swatting 6.4 per game.

Houston
2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS
-POINTS PER GAME
72.0
184th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
36.3
151st
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
14.1
108th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.457
119th
OVERALL

Kenpom Ranks
Overall – #140
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
– 103.5 ranks 159th
Offensive Adjustment Efficiency
– 105.8 ranks 140th

After coach Pitino’s talk with his team about forming their own identity and stepping out from the shadow of the national title team they looked like they played with a sense of purpose in the win against SMU. While this Houston team has struggled at times with team chemistry due to injury they are playing well as of late and their athleticism and versatility will be another good challenge for the Cardinals. Our guys will match up well against this Houston team because both are a little undersized in the front-court. I think they do have a slight advantage on the wings but our back-court is much better. I like our Cards in this game to win comfortably. Houston you will have a problem on Thursday night. Go Cards!

Our Cardinals will be looking to get back on track and looking to get a quality win on Sunday afternoon when SMU comes to town for an AAC showdown. SMU and Louisville are meeting for the ninth time, the first time since the quarterfinal round of the 1987 Rainbow Classic when UL won 87-79. The Cards lead the series 6-2. Sunday’s game is the first collegiate match-up for Hall of Famers Larry Brown and Rick Pitino. The two met 17 times in the NBA (Brown 11-6). SMU is coming into this game 11-3 after their first win over a ranked opponent (UCONN) since 2003 and on the cusp of being ranked in the top 25.

Southern Methodist may not Jump out to everyone as a respectable opponent or national contender, but boy are they ever. Larry Brown is a helluva coach and he has assembled a roster that can compete with any team in the American and the country. They return four starters from last season, Nick Russell (8.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.6 apg), Ryan Manuel (5.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.3 apg), Cannen Cunningham (4.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.6 apg), and Shawn Williams (4.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.7 apg). They have three transfers giving them great production with leading scorers Nic Moore (13.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.6 apg), Markus Kennedy (10.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.2 apg), and Yanick Moreira (9.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.6 apg). Moreira is injured and will not play against the Cards. SMU also signed one of the best shooting guards in the country in McDonald’s All-American Keith Frazier (6.5pts, 2.0rpg, 1.4apg). This team has seven players averaging at least 5.4 points. Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy are averaging double figures. Individually, Nic Moore is second in the American and first nationally in 3-point percentage (.547). This is one of those teams that can come out of nowhere this year and be the surprise of the college basketball season. They are deep, talented and versatile and this may turn out to be one of Louisville’s toughest opponents of the season.

SMU is shooting 50.2 percent (1st American, 6th NCAA) and 41.5 percent from 3-point range (2nd American, 9th NCAA) while averaging 15.9 assists (2nd AAC, 26th NCAA). The team is averaging 73.5 points per game and have outscored all 14 opponents in the paint by an average of 34.9-18.9. On defense, SMU is holding opponents to 35.8 percent from the field (1st American, 2nd NCAA) and 61.6 points per game (2nd AAC, 21st NCAA). SMU has held 18 of its last 23 (12 of 14 this year) opponents under 40% shooting. SMU is also leading the league in rebound margin (+8.9, 10th NCAA), out-rebounding 13 of 14 opponents.

SMU’s
2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS
-POINTS PER GAME
73.5
155th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
38.6
62nd
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
15.9
28th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.502
6th
OVERALL

Kenpom Ranks
Overall – #37
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
– 97.6 ranks 63rd
Offensive Adjustment Efficiency
– 113.0 ranks 37th

All of SMU’s statistics and the things they are excelling at as a team is a recipe for disaster for a Louisville team that is struggling in every phase of the game. Our Cards are lost on defense and don’t have any clear direction on the offensive end of the floor. They will have to get back to fundamental basketball in a hurry if they even want to compete against an SMU group that is trending upward. Coach Pitino and the team seemed very disappointed after the loss to Memphis and hopefully it was the wake up call they needed to get things back on track. If they haven’t got the message the last couple days in practice they will get it loud and clear on Sunday afternoon. If they play like they did against Memphis they will get ran off the court by SMU. It’s gut check time!

The Cards will renew a conference rivalry that historically is considered to be one of the better hardwood feuds in NCAA basketball when they face off against Memphis for the 88th time on Thursday night at the KFC Yum Center. The Cardinals lead this series 53-34 and have won the last four. Memphis enters Thursday’s American Athletic Conference match-up having won nine of its last 11 games. Louisville is a perfect 9-0 at home this season, with all nine games won by 16 or more points. The Cardinals return home for the first time since December 17th.

The Tigers could pose the biggest threat to Louisville for the AAC title and if last season’s meeting was any indication, this year’s meetings will be fun to watch as Josh Pastner should have his best team in his five seasons as head coach. Their deep, veteran backcourt is among the best in the AAC, Memphis returns a perimeter game that can compete with any team in the country with Joe Jackson (15pts, 3.5rpg, 3.5apg), Geron Johnson (8.3pts, 4.9rpg, 3.5apg), and Chris Crawford (8.8pts, 4.2rpg, 3.0apg). Crawford and Jackson are the first teammates to have 1,000 points and 400 assists for a career. While emerging low-post force Shaq Goodwin (12.3pts, 6.6rpg, 1.8apg) and freshman sensation Austin Nichols (8.5pts, 4.2rpg, 0.2apg) are controlling both the defensive paint and the boards.

Memphis comes into Thursdays game averaging 80.5 points-per-game, while shooting 47% from the floor and 29% from 3-point range. The Tigers are converting 65% of its attempts from the free-throw line. Defensively, Memphis is allowing 69.7 points-per-game as the opposition is shooting 44% from the floor. The Tigers are out-rebounding their opponents 510-473 with a rebounding margin of +2.8 averaging 39.2 boards-per-contest.

Memphis
2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS
-POINTS PER GAME
80.5
35th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
39.1
56th
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
16.5
20th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.473
66th
OVERALL

Kenpom Ranks
Overall – #35
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
– 96.3 ranks 45th
Offensive Adjustment Efficiency
– 111.5 ranks 45th

Folks this is probably one of the most important games of the season. Not only does it hold conference implications but also will hold season implications as our Cardinals need this quality win for their post season resume. Missing the opportunity to get the RPI quality wins against UNC and UK the opportunities are going to be few and far between as the rest of the season plays out. It won’t be an easy task to get the first win over a ranked opponent as Memphis is a very talented and athletic group. They get to the basket, like to control the paint and rebound well. The Cards front-court will once again be held to the fire. Mango, Van Treese and Montrezl will have to defend and hit the boards for Louisville to win and our back-court duo of Jones and Smith will have to stop their talented guards and force them to take jump shots. They only shoot 29% from beyond the arc. Their guards love to drive and dish and stopping the ball is key here. Cincy beat this Memphis team by playing great interior defense and stopping penetration. That will be the key for the Cardinals Thursday night. Be sure to wear your “WHITE” and cheer loud Cardinal fans!

Our Cardinals are no longer part of the Big East but will be making a Big East esque trip on Saturday as they will head to Piscataway New Jersey to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at the RAC. Saturday evening’s contest marks the 13th meeting between the schools dating back to 1975, with the Cardinals holding an 11-1 advantage in victories. The Scarlet Knights are 1-4 at home versus UofL. The Scarlet Knights will be looking for their fourth straight, while the Cardinals will be looking to capture their second consecutive win and eighth in their past nine games.

The Cards earned a convincing 90-65 win at UCF on Tuesday in their AAC opener and looked very good in doing so. Russ, who leads the team with a 17.4 points-per-game average, shot 8-of-14 and 6-of-10 behind the arc to post 24 points as the team shot 55% and 52% from behind the arc. Russ added nine assists as UofL dished-out 28 on 34 field goals. The Cardinals lead the AAC in scoring offense (85.0), scoring margin (+23.6), turnover margin (+8.21), assist/turnover ratio (1.6) and three-point field goals made (8.5).

There hasn’t been a college program in the country with more trouble surrounding it during this past year. And the Rutgers basketball program was the top story. I’m sure you’ve see the video of former basketball coach Mike Rice throwing balls at his players. So now new head coach Eddie Jordan has the task of completely turning it around. There were a lot of defections from the Rice turmoil but the cupboard isn’t completely bare.
They do have some proven scorers back this season who are leading Jordan’s hybrid Princeton style offense. Myles Mack (16.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.4 assist), Kadeem Jack (14.3 points, 7 rebounds), J.J. Moore (12.6 points, 3.9 rebounds), Jerome Seagears (9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds), and Wally Judge (9.1 points, 7.3 rebounds). Mack is their leader and ranks third in the AAC in steals, fifth in assists, tied for sixth in three-point field goals made, and eighth in both scoring and free throw percentage. Jack was named Conference player of the week earlier this season. He’s a very good rebounder and versatile player. Moore is a transfer from Pitt and has give them a big lift with his scoring ability. Seagears is not as good of a scorer, but really does well on the defensive end of the floor. Judge is fifth in rebounding and sixth in field goal percentage in the AAC.

Rutgers comes into Saturdays game averaging 77.2 points-per-game, while shooting 45.3% from the floor and 36.3% from 3-point range. The Knights are converting 69.8% of its attempts from the free-throw line. Defensively, Rutgers is allowing 74.8 points-per-game as the opposition is shooting 42.1% from the floor. The Knights are out-rebounding their opponents 531-508 with a rebounding margin of +1.6 averaging 37.8 boards-per-contest.

Rutgers
2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS
-POINTS PER GAME
77.2
79th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
37.9
91st
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
14.0
115th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.453
135th
OVERALL

Kenpom Ranks
Overall – #206
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
-107.8 ranks 257th
Offensive Adjustment Efficiency
-105.5 ranks 140th

I wasn’t able to do a post game report after the opening game in the AAC on New Years Eve, but as I briefly mention above our Cardinals looked very good considering the hit they took losing to UK and one of their best players a couple days prior. I think this team has been through enough battles together that they aren’t going to miss a beat. Guys look like they are going to step up and the bad last week could actually be a spark moving forward. I don’t think Rutgers has the talent or the defensive ability to pose any type of threat Saturday. This will just be another tune-up game in preparation for the battle with #18 Memphis next Thursday night.

It’s been a rough couple of days for the Louisville basketball program, but there is no time for moping during this time of year. The Cardinals must shake off their woes in a hurry as they will open up AAC conference play on New Years Eve down in Orlando against UCF. The Cardinals and the Knights have only played one other time on the hardwood with the Cards claiming victory in that one 78-58 in 1999. UCF comes into this game riding a five game win streak and in four seasons under their current coach they are 22-1 in the month of December at home. They are 3-25 all-time vs top 25 teams. Tuesday will be the first time they’ve ever hosted a defending national champion.

With the news that Chane Behanan will no longer be on the team the Cardinals are going to have to adjust to a more unconventional type of line-up but it still won’t be as unconventional as the group UCF puts on the floor. UCF coach Donnie Jones knows that if he wants to try and win some games this season in the AAC especially against teams like Louisville that he needs his best players on the floor regardless of position. That’s why on Tuesday evening you might see a small forward running the offense and the nominal 5 man taking most of the three point shots. This is a very versatile team.

Leading the way for the Knights is Calvin Newell (14.8 points, 2.6 rebounds), Isaiah Sykes (13.9 points, 5.5 rebounds), Tristan Spurlock (13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds), Kasey Wilson (11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds), and Dylan Karell (0.7 points, 1.7 rebounds).
Calvin leads the AAC in steals, Sykes is called “Mr Versatility”. He starts at the 3, but can play any position from point guard to power forward. He declared for the NBA draft, but withdrew in June. Spurlock is among The American leaders in rebounds (6.8) and 3-point field goal percentage (42.3). Wilson is an excellent 3 point shooter and is a floor-stretcher who can draw an opponent’s big man away from the basket. Karell has 7 blocked shots since becoming a starter.

UCF comes into Tuesdays game averaging 80.1 points-per-game, while shooting 47.9% from the floor and 40.1% from 3-point range. The Knights are converting 57.4% of its attempts from the free-throw line. Defensively, UCF is allowing 67.2 points-per-game as the opposition is shooting 42.2% from the floor. The Knights are out-rebounding their opponents 452-379 with a rebounding margin of +6.6 averaging 41.1 boards-per-contest.
This UCF group enters the game against Louisville playing its best basketball of the season and the team’s shooting from deep is a big reason for the success. In their last four games, the Knights connected on 51-of-102 (50.0 percent) of their 3-point field goal attempts. They also are doing a good job defending the three ball and lead the American in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 28.8.

Central Florida
2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS
-POINTS PER GAME
80.1
46th
OVERALL
-REBOUNDS PER GAME
41.1
20th
OVERALL
-ASSISTS PER GAME
15.3
57th
OVERALL
-FIELD GOAL PCT
.479
52nd
OVERALL

Kenpom Ranks
Overall – #116
Defense Adjustment Efficiency
-101.2 ranks 126th
Offensive Adjustment Efficiency
-105.3 ranks 149th

Cardinal fans to say this is going to be a dangerous game is a understatement. This is one that I didn’t really have circled on the schedule as being that much of a challenge, but that was before the recent shake-up of the team. I don’t think anyone knows how the Cardinals are going to respond after losing one of their teammates for the season and if they will have a hangover from the big loss Saturday. Our guys enter the New Years Eve AAC opener with a lot of question marks. They do match-up very well with this UCF group and should have the talent to edge them out early, but who knows. I will be cheering them on as hard as I can and hope they can exact revenge for that football loss earlier this year. Go Cards!