Our Cardinals are AAC Champions after beating the Huskies 71-61 in the AAC Tournament. This is the fifth straight win over the Huskies and we end the series with them for the foreseeable future as Louisville is now ACC bound. The win tonight gives the Cardinals their 40th NCAA Tourney birth, three straight league tournament titles, and they have won 19 of their past 20 post-season games. All of this to go with their share of the regular-season title with Cincinnati. This season has been another remarkable one, and now it’s time to go win six more in the next couple of weeks.

As expected UCONN played a pretty solid game, but just couldn’t overcome the 14 point lead the Cards built in the first half. It’s a tall task to do that against the Cardinals defense. The Cardinals forced 13 turnovers and scored 13 off of those turnovers. They had 8 steals and held the Huskies to 25% three point shooting and 44% Field goal shooting. The Cardinals kept constant pressure on their back-court and made it hard for them to get anything consistent going. Another very positive stat was that the Cardinals out-rebounded the Huskies 38-33 after being beat up on the boards last night.

Montrezl Harrell finished off his AAC tourney with a monster outing getting his tenth double-double of the year and earning a spot on the all-tourney team. He had 22 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. You can’t say enough about the progression of this kid over the last 3 or 4 months, and the writing was pretty much on the wall after he had such a great off season winning his gold medal. Folks that saw him in the summer predicted the kind of year he has had and they were right on the money. He has flourished in Rick’s system and now it’s time for him to help the Cards get #4.

Russ Smith had another great showing as well scoring 19 points with 3 assist and 5 steals. He was the tournaments most outstanding player. After the performance tonight he is 10th overall in assist for a season, top 5 in scoring and ties Peyton Siva for the all-time steals lead. We are some lucky folks to be witness to the Russ phenomenon. Players like him only happen once a lifetime and we now have our Tyra, Unseld, Griffith, Ellison. We will see that #2 hoisted to the rafters someday. Can’t wait to see what he pulls off in the NCAA Tourney.

Luke Hancock had 4 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist and while that performance doesn’t jump off the page at you it’s his leadership that stood out in this one. A reporter at the game overheard Luke telling Terry to “calm down and be serious” when the young fella was being a little goofy before the game. When ask about the nets after the game Luke responded: “I walked right by them. We didn’t do it last year until the end and we’re not doing it this year.” Cool hand Luke!

Chris Jones who earned a spot on the all tourney team had a good night in his home town scoring 11 points and 4 rebounds. He is playing well and has adapted very nicely in his role on this team heading into the NCAA Tourney.
I’ve gotta give mention to Mr Hustle Stephan Van Treese for his 8 rebounds, 3 assist and 2 steals. At one point we were up 20 and he was diving on the floor for a loose ball. He brings so much to the table that goes unnoticed. Having a kid like this on your team come Tourney time is huge.
And last but certainly not least is our fab freshman Terry Rozier who showed some moxie tonight with some great plays. He had 7 points. I have a feeling that he will replace Russ as a fan favorite next season. He’s got a huge upside and he’s itching to get his moment.

Now we celebrate and enjoy another great Cardinal Basketball achievement. It’s been an awesome run and we’ll find out tomorrow evening what the road will look like for this team to go after #4. There’s a lot of talk about seeding, but I don’t think that matters much when a team is focused and tuned in. To be the best you have to beat the best. Last season we had a 1 seed, but played probably 5 of the best teams to win a title. So I say bring it on! Ready for the Madness to begin. Go Cards!

Cardinals celebrate another Title:

Luke after the game:

Chris Jones after the game:

Stephan Van Treese after the game:

Montrezl Harrell after the game:

Welp that was exciting unless you were a Rutgers fan or the Rutgers AD who said after the 61 point beat down of his school: “After losing 92-31, we very clearly do not belong on a basketball court.” I don’t know about that but I do know that our Cards were on a mission today as they got their 3rd win of the season over the Scarlet knights. This was the last game between these teams as Louisville heads to the ACC and Rutgers the Big10. The series ends with Louisville having the 14-1 advantage. This was the most lopsided game between league opponents in Division I basketball this season, and Louisville is 1st team to win a conference tourney game by 60+ pts since 1993. Louisville has now won 10 straight postseason games, and 18 of its past 19.

Pitino begins his opening statement at the press conference: “I’m not really sure what to say. It went really well for us and not for them.” I’d say a lot of that had to do with the Cardinals suffocating defense. It is relentless..! They forced more turnovers (26) than allowed field goals (12) for 9th time this season and this is the 3rd-straight game forcing 20+ turnovers. They scored 44 points off of those turnovers and had 19 steals.

Luke, Montrezl, Russ, Chris and Terry all had double figure scoring with Jones leading the way with 18 points, 4-7 from the three. He is playing inspired basketball and playing to honor the passing of his brother a few weeks ago. Chris said in post game that he visited the grave today before the game.
Stephan Van Treese has been a beast on the boards with back-to-back double digit efforts. He had 13 rebounds vs UConn and had 10 today.

Not much else to say about this one folks. It was total domination from start to finish. Our Cardinals are playing great basketball and now there is only 8 games to go before they are National Champs again. First things first though and that’s to win this AAC title. Next game is against Houston tomorrow night at 7. Go Cards!

Chris Jones after the game:

Stephan Van Treese after the game:

Luke Hancock after the game:

Montrezl Harrell after the game:

Terry Rozier after the game:

There was some romp, some pomp and a championship today at the KFC Yum Center in front of 22,782 screaming Cardinal fans. It was one of the loudest crowds ever as the #11 ranked Cardinals beat the #19 ranked Huskies 81-48 on senior day. With the win the Cardinals won a share of the AAC regular season title with Cincinnati. The Cards have now won the last 13 out of 15 games and have put themselves in a position to possibly get a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in a couple of weeks. Depending of course on what they do in the AAC tournament. The Cardinals now lead the all-time series with UCONN 10 to 6. The Cardinals have beat the Huskies four straight and this will be the last time these teams play each other as AAC members.

The Cardinals looked great today and appear to be in post season form as the regular season has come to a end. These Cards look very much like the team that ended up in the Final Four last year in terms of defense, but this years team is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was a year ago on the offensive end of the floor. Four players ended the day in double figure scoring today and ten Cards total got into the scoring column. Today they finished 26 of 58 from the field for 44.8%, 10 of 22 from the 3 point line for 45.5% and 19 for 31 from the free-throw line. The Cards finish up the AAC regular season #1 in scoring offense averaging 79.7% points a game and #1 in scoring margin averaging +17.4 margin of victory per game. These guys have been a little better from the free-throw line in these last few games and finish the regular season #9 in the AAC averaging 75.3% per game. Free-throws become a very important part of the game in the post season and our guys still need some work in this aspect of their game.

Now how about that defense? UCONN is a very good team in terms of offense and taking care of the ball. Connecticut was 5-for-25 shooting in the first half, including 0-for-8 from 3-point range. The Huskies’ field goal percentage of 20 in the first half is a season-low for UConn in a first half this season. Today the Cards held the Huskies to 29.4% from the field and 13.6% from the 3 point line. They also forced them into 22 turnovers and had 12 steals. The Cards finish the regular season ranked #1 in the AAC in steals averaging 10.3 per game and #1 in turnover margin +5.67 per game. At the time I’m writing this article Kenpom has Louisville’s adj efficiency on defense at 90.7 and ranked #5 in the country. If you could have asked me before the season where I would want this team to be at the end of the regular season I couldn’t have scripted it any better than the Cardinals have. They had their struggles but these guys are now starting to function like a well oiled machine.

Montrezl Harrell was a beast again today with 20 points and 11 rebounds. I have said it many times in the last couple of weeks, but it bears repeating that this kid is the type of player that a team could ride all the way into the Final Four. They way he’s played in the last month he takes over the game and has been the most aggressive player on the court. He takes over games and if we hit a rough patch that could be huge down the stretch.

The four seniors all had very solid performances today in their final game at the a Yum Center. Russ made just one of two shots scoring 3 points, but topped his previous assist high with 13 today. How fitting was his final performance in the Yum Center; showing not only Louisville fans but the nation how he has evolved as a player.
Luke added 16 points and was 4 of 7 from the three-point line. If you watched the game closely today you saw a Luke Hancock that was being a leader on the court. Several times today he was yelling out direction and rallying his team-mates. This guys is an important part of a post season run and his game is in post season mode.
Tim added an early basket on feeds from Smith for his two points on the day. Coach Pitino talked about how the team doesn’t lose anything when he puts Tim in. He might just have some more Wichita magic in him this post season.
And the work horse Stephan Van Treese doing what he has his whole Louisville career sacrificing his body and hustling to grab 13 rebounds. He also had 6 points. With his production picking up at the 5 spot it makes this team even more complete.

Two other guys that had good games today and both also being a very positive sign for this Louisville team was Chris Jones with 10 points and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. And Wayne Blackshear with 11 points and 3-7 from the three point line.
Chris is playing with a heavy heart due to the passing of his brother last weekend. He is playing inspired basketball and that is the best kind to play.
Wayne still hasn’t really been the type of player that we expected this season, but he quietly had a decent game today and is another player I see really having a good post season.

It was a very emotionally charged day and I was really impressed with how our guys came out and responded to it. They never once seemed like they were playing tight and were in attack mode for the whole game. These guys have turned the page and are now playing on a different level. They will play their next game on Thursday at 3pm. They are the 2 seed in the AAC tournament and will play the winner of the USF vs Rutgers game. Really looking forward to the post season and ready to watch our Cards go on another remarkable run.

Home » A ROMP, SOME POMP, AND A CHAMPIONSHIP » Louisville Men's Basketball Senior Day » Louisville Men's Basketball Senior Day

   

 

Post Game Senior Day Celebration: Pitino and Players Thank Yum a Center Crowd:

Coach Pitino Senior Day Post Game:

Louisville Senior Day Ceremonies:

Montrezl Harrell Senior Day Post Game:

Russ Smith Senior Day Post Game:

Stephan VanTreese Senior Day Post Game:

Luke Hancock Senior Day Post Game:

Tim Henderson Senior Day Post Game:

Big Russ a Smith Talks after game:
http://youtu.be/gJPQrEpHPE

Some major college basketball teams claim to be everyone’s Superbowl when they go on the road. With President Bush, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, NFL Stars, and NBA stars in a packed house at Moody Stadium tonight and it being the hottest ticket in town I think this game would classify. The announcers while naming the list of celebrities in the building said this game was like the Oscars. The Cardinals overcame one of wildest crowds and raucous environments you’ll ever see in a college basketball game tonight and beat SMU 84-71. Pitino “this was a very difficult environment…obviously they serve alcohol here.” SMU had been a perfect 15-0 at home and had a +19.6 margin of victory at home until the Cardinals came to town tonight in what was considered their biggest game in school history. With this win Louisville (25-5, 14-3), is now leading the AAC conference by a half-game, and will host No.19 UConn on Saturday (3/8) at 2pm ET on CBS.

The Cardinals used some great defense, some great three point shooting and some solid free-throw shooting to overcome a hard charge and a 14 point lead by the Mustangs in the first half. The Cardinals had 17 steals tonight, scored 25 points off of 23 turnovers, hit 54% (13-24) from 3-point range and 70% (19-27) from the free-throw line.

I said in my post game article that Russ and Luke would have to step up tonight. While sick to his stomach for most of the game Russ had 26 points, 9-15 FG, 6-6 from 3-point, 6 rebounds, 5 assist, 2 steals, and 3 turnovers. Maybe one of his most courageous and gutsy performances of his career. Pitino on Russ being sick “(He said) put me in when you can..just let me throw up.” Pitino: “If you put a harness on Russ, you are not going to see greatness.” Well tonight we saw greatness from a great kid.
Cool hand Luke had 15 points, 3-10 FGs, 3-8 from 3-point, 3 rebounds, 4 assist, 1 steal, and 3 turnovers. Pitino: “I told Luke to go over to (George W. Bush) and just say, ‘It’s an honor that you’re here tonight. We’re so happy to see you.'” I still don’t think his game is where it was a year ago around this time, but he is showing signs that it is going in that direction. If his game is on it puts this team at a different level.

I also said in my post game that Montrezl would have to continue doing his thing and that it was time for Chris Jones to step up and have a big game. Montrezl had 19 points 7-9 FGs, 8 rebounds, 3 assist, 3 steals, and 2 turnovers in another beastly performance. After his abuse of the rims at Moody Stadium tonight he now has 80 dunks on the season. He is playing with the type of domination that a team could ride to a Final Four.
And Chris Jones did step up tonight and then some. He had 21 points, 6-14 FG, 4-7 from 3-point, 2 rebounds, 6 steals, and 2 turnovers. We found out after the game that he’s dedicating the rest of the season to his brother, Demetrius Ray, 24, who was shot and killed in Memphis Saturday. Jones on death of his brother: “I’m doing what he wanted me to do. He wanted us to win the whole thing, so I’m dedicating the season to him.” It’s unreal what some of these kids have to overcome on a daily basis. CardNation is behind you Chris.

This was a fun one tonight Cardinal fans. The great Paul Rodgers called it the “greatest road win ever” and he’s seen a lot of em. If our guys can build on this one and keep it going it won’t be our last trip to Dallas this season. I think you will start to see the same sentiment from a lot of the college basketball talking heads after this one. I know that I couldn’t be more excited. Only thing bad about tonight was knowing that in the next game we have to say good-bye to some of the most awesome kids to ever lace em up in the Cardinal Red. Saturday will be bittersweet…

The Women came out swinging last night but #1 UCONN proved to be the better team this time around beating the Cardinals 68-48. A Louisville program-record crowd of 22,163 had the KFC Yum center rocking as the Cardinals exploded out to a 7-0 lead which was the largest deficit this season for the Huskies. It looked like that there might be some magic on senior night, but trailing 22-21 with 11:57 left in the first half, the Huskies scored 11 straight points as part of a 22-7 run. Louisville went scoreless for 5:05. The score would be 43-31 UCONN leading at the half.

Louisville would have another scoreless stretch of 9:33 in the second half. The ladies just couldn’t get anything going their way missing 31 of their last 44 shots of the game and the Huskies weren’t giving anything up on their end and were playing great basketball. They out-rebounded the Cardinals 47-30 and had a season high 19 offense rebounds that lead to 15 second chance points. Tia Gibbs had 16 points (6-of-10 FG) to lead Louisville (28-3, 16-2) in the loss.

Even though it was a losing effort the night still had its special moments as the Louisville fans honored seniors Tia Gibbs, Shoni Schimmel, Antonita Slaughter and Asia Taylor. It was also Native American Appreciation Night, to honor some of Louisville’s most dedicated fans. Native Americans, with 40 states including Alaska were represented in the Yum Center last night. Many were there to support Shoni Schimmel, and sister Jude, a Cardinals guard, both of whom are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla in Oregon. It was hard to grasp the magnitude of the evening for college sports and the Native community. Glad I got to be a part of it.

Native American Halftime:

This group of seniors and women’s basketball team have provided many great moments over the last four years. They became America’s Sweethearts last year after pulling off the biggest upset in the history of the women’s tournament beating Baylor and making that magical run to the Final Four. During the post game last night Shoni Schimmel vowed that before the season was over that they would beat this UCONN team. I don’t think any of us doubt that could happen and I think these ladies still got some magic moments left.

After the game thousands of fans stood in line for hours to get player autographs. Just another testament of how much love and passion Cardinal Nation has for it’s women’s basketball program. It is really special. And the ladies stayed until the last person was through.

Home » Cards Fall Short On Memorable Night » Women's Basketball Senior Night » Women's Basketball Senior Night

   

 

Senior Night Ceromnies:
http://youtu.be/wJ3fDur14kg

UofL coach Jeff Walz after loss to No. 1 Connecticut;

UofL seniors after the UCONN game:

Tough loss today Cardinal fans and this one has a lot of us singing the blues. It’s ok to feel frustrated and ok to vent those frustrations. Only a true fan lets a loss ruin their whole day and just maybe the whole weekend. With the 77-62 win Memphis sweeps our beloved Cards this season, but we still got the overall lead 53-36. If that helps you any. Louisville could have taken the lead in the AAC today with the win, but they are now tied with Cincy for 1st with a 13-3 conference record and are now 24-5 overall.

The Cards were scrappy today and did hold their own against a very good team in a hostile environment. They played a decent defensive game, out rebounded them but they just didn’t execute down the stretch. The problem for our Cardinals in this game today wasn’t what happened between the lines as much as it was what happened between the ears. This group has got to learn how to be more mentally tough at the end of big games. Coach Pitino was really disappointed in the way his Team acted down the stretch saying: “I knew we were in trouble when we went up seven and our guys acted like a junior high kids (celebrating),” “We weren’t focused to put the team away.”

Montrezl Harrell scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. He was unstoppable yet never touched the ball in the final four minutes. Russ Smith scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half and fouled out in the final minute. He was a one man show in the first half and without his effort Louisville wouldn’t have come close to Memphis. Luke Hancock had 11. Luke has got to get that shot going in. Gonna be hard to make a run if he doesn’t. Both Russ and Luke have to step up at the end of games and be leaders.

It’s on to the next.., and our guys are going to have to shake this loss off fast and not let it snowball. Another big game and another hostile crowd awaits on Wednesday at #23 SMU. It’s bye-bye to the beards, but hopefully we can still make a run at Dallas. The Cards just have to get tougher at the end of tough games and on the free-throw line. The talent and effort are there.

U of L coach Rick Pitino after loss to Memphis:

Terry Rozier reacts to Louisville loss at Memphis:

U of L senior Like Hancock after a loss to Memphis:

Russ Smith talks to media following Louisville’s loss to Memphis:

Montrezl Harrell after Louisville’s 72-66 loss to Memphis:

(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

The Cardinals keep rolling right along tonight completing their 7th undefeated February in the last 100 years as they easily take care of business against Temple beating the owls 88-66. The Cardinals (24-4, 13-2) have now won seven straight and will be heading to #21 Memphis on Saturday.

This team is starting to look like a typical Rick Pitino team this time of year. Louisville fans have always enjoyed the month of February and March knowing they are going to see their team play the best basketball of the season. Our guys are playing with a purpose right now and are having fun in the process. Pitino on his team: “I think they like each other. I think they have a good time. We’ve been blessed with great chemistry for 3 years.” They are exciting from a fundamental standpoint as well. They had 9 turnovers tonight and this is the seventh game straight that they’ve had single digit turnovers. They have 14 single digit turnover games this season. Pitino: “This is not a selfish team in any characteristic. It’s what we believe in.” Tonight the Cards had 17 assist on 32 made baskets. Pitino: “It seems like we’re a better offensive team this year than last, and I’m not sure why that is.” The Cards shot 53% from the field and 40% from three tonight. They had great ball movement and it gave them some good looks.

The Cards had three guys in double figures tonight. And these guys were 25 of 34 from the field and nearly outscored Temple all by themselves. Russ lead the way with 24 points, 3 assist and 4 steals. He moved to eighth on Louisville’s all-time scoring list tonight, and also passed Darrell Griffith in career steals tonight for 2nd place all-time. He is stepping up and leading this team at the right time.
Montrezl continues his great play and had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. He has provided a big lift to this team with his aggressive play, but will need to improve on his performance at the free-throw line. He was just 3-7 tonight.
Terry Rozier has been getting better and better and continues to look like one of the best freshman in the country. Tonight he was 8-10 from the field and scored a career high 19 points. This was his fourth straight game scoring in double-digits, averaging 14.8 points per game the past four games. He has a 5:1 assist to turnover ratio, and has played over 530 minutes this season and only committed 15 turnovers.
Chris Jones is another player that deserves a mention. It’s great to see him finally settling into his role in this team. It had to be a hard transition from being the star of the show at the Juco level to just another good player on a team full of them. He had 9 points and 8 assist tonight. Pitino on Rozier and Jones: “They both have tremendous upsides and they were both outstanding tonight.”

It’s all coming together Cardinal fans. Momentum is building and it’s looking more, and more like this team is going to make a decent run at this thing again. The team has taken a huge step forward in the last few weeks, but it’s what they do in the next 3 games that will say a lot about just how far they can go. I know it’s been a lot of fun and I’m excited for the post season. My beard is itchy but it’s all worth it. No Shave Till Dallas! Go Cards!

Coach Pitino after the game:

Chris Jones after the game:

Russ Smith after the game:

Luke Hancock after the game:

Terry Rozier after the game:

Montrezl Harrell after the game:

(AP Photo/Al Behrman)

It was the end of the regular season rivalry between Louisville and Cincinnati. And the 99th meeting between these teams would not disappoint. Joining the football team the Cardinals basketball team took the final game on Cincys home turf beating the Bearcats in an instant classic 58-57. The regular season series ends with the Cardinals leading 56-43 spanning the Metro Conference, Missouri Valley , Conference USA, Big East and AAC. Cards now move into first place in the AAC at 12-2 and 23-4 on the season.

When we look back on this season it is that 9 day lay-off that was the turning point. Before that break the Cardinals were struggling to find their defensive identity, players weren’t certain of their roles and they were struggling to find any consistency. Since that break they are 4-0, players have settled into their roles on the team, they have moved back into the top 10 of offensive and defensive efficiency ratings, and have been playing with a sense of purpose. A team that we were wondering if they could win a few games in March now looks like a group that could defend their title.

I said from day one when Terry Rozier committed to play for the Cardinals that he was going to be something special. I’ve followed this kid on his journey to Louisville and he has lived up to every expectation I had. He was the difference maker today and without him on the court Louisville wouldn’t have won this game. This kid is one of; if not the premiere freshman in college basketball. He leads the Louisville offense like he’s played for four years. After today it is very clear that he is our best option for point guard going forward. He played 22 minutes today shot over 60%, had 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, two assist(including game winning) and didn’t have any turnovers. In 536 minutes played this season he only has 15 turnovers. Unreal for a freshman. I get giddy when I think about this kid as a sophomore.

Last but certainly not least is the player that I’ve had more enjoyment following and watching than any other in my lifetime Russ Smith. I am a firm believer in Karma and today our Hero got some good as he was able to hit the game winning shot. This guy has given his heart and his soul to the University of Louisville and in a era of the one and done has proven that it can still happen the old fashion way. He epitomizes the Louisville First brand and he deserved that moment today more than anyone. I am really gonna hurt when we have to tell him good-bye in a few weeks but it’s been a helluva ride. He finished today with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assist, and 3 steals.

Man what a game! A fitting end to what has been an incredible series. Our grandfathers, fathers and now we have got to watch the Cardinals and Bearcats do battle. I hope that this rivalry can continue in the future so my son can also watch these teams go at it. College sports are all about rivalries and this is one of the best.

The beards keep growing and it’s on to the next as the Cardinals look to run the table and possibly still claim that number one seed. This was a great win today folks. Enjoy the rest of this day and wear that Cardinal gear with pride. No Shave Till Dallas!

The Cardinals didn’t miss a beat tonight and had their 5th blowout win in a row beating USF 80-54. Losing to the Cardinals in this fashion is something that the Bulls have gotten used to over the years. Louisville closes out this series with a 29-4 series advantage, and winning 15 of the last 16 match ups. The Cards who have won 11 of their last 13 games will take their hot streak on the road to play rival Cincinnati.

Home » Cards Take The Bull By The Horns » UofL vs USF 2/18/14 » UofL vs USF 2/18/14

   

 

It was another very good outing for the Cardinals who seemed poised and ready for their stretch run coming up. 4 guys were in double figures tonight with Russ Smith leading the way with 19 points. Pitino on Russ: “I’m hoping some people/scouts take note of what a dynamic player he is.” He really has transformed himself into an all around player and reemphasized tonight that he wanted to do whatever it takes for his team to win. With his 19 points tonight he passed Wes Unseld for 10th all-time in scoring with 1697 points.
Another guy who continues to look better every time he plays is Luke Hancock. He was second in scoring tonight with 16 points. He is the backbone of the Cardinal offense and good things happen when the offense goes through him.
Montrezl Harrell is now the single season dunk record holder with 62 after slamming home three monster dunks tonight in his 14 point effort.
And my guy Terry Rozier continues to be amazing. Coach Pitino said tonight night that he would put Rozier right with the other elite freshman in college basketball this season. “I think Tyler Ennis is having as good a year as any guard in the country, and I think Terry Rozier is in his class.” He would score 13 points tonight.
And Mango and VanTreese continue to have solid production from that 5 spot. They have now put together some very good outings. Tonight they had 11 points and 14 rebounds. That’s the kind of numbers we need from that position to truly compete with some of the bigger teams. Pitino said about Mango tonight “He played very well tonight. He bailed us out of some tough spots. Very happy w him.”

Again tonight from a statistical standpoint the Cardinals were great. They had shot over 50% from the field in 4 straight games and 6 out of their last 8, overall. Tonight they shot just under that at 48%. They shot 53% from the field in the first half. Rebounding has gotten much better and they win that battle again tonight 36-30 against a good rebounding team. The Cards had 14 assist tonight on 34 made baskets, had 2 blocked shots and 10 steals. Louisville came into this game generating an average of 21.9 points per game off turnovers. Tonight they forced 20 turnovers and scored 20 points off them. Bench scoring continues to be very good tonight out scoring USF bench 29-12.

Now the rubber will meet the road in the Cardinals basketball season. Four of the Cardinals final 5 games are against NCAA teams. At Cincinnati, at Memphis, at SMU, vs. UConn. It will be during this stretch that we will get some kind of idea of whether or not our guys can make another run at this thing. Coach Pitino said tonight “We’re about to go play in some tough, hostile places. That’ll get us ready for tournament time.” Let’s hope the wins keep piling up and the facial hair keeps growing on. No Shave Till Dallas! Go Cards!

Cards are introduced:

Coach Pitino after game:

Wayne Blackshear after game:

Russ Smith after game:

Luke Hancock after game:

Montrezl talks dunks after the game:

(Photo Scott Utterback)

Tonight marked the end of the Louisville and Rutgers series and the Cardinals sent them out in style by handing them a 48 point loss 102-54. The Cardinals finish this series with a 13-1 advantage. Louisville improves to 21-4, 10-2 in the AAC and have now won 32 straight over unranked teams.

Coach Pitino said after the game “We’ve kept our focus and we’re getting better as a basketball team. I like what I see.” And this game had just about everything you’d want out of a great performance and this team has now put together two great back to back victories. And some may argue that the competition level wasn’t that high, but Temple just beat #23 SMU today on the very same floor they got manhandled by Louisville on Friday night. And this Rutgers team isn’t that great but a 48 point conference win is impressive no matter who you play. Coach Pitino on the teams win “Our guys just nailed their focus…they just focus in on winning the game.” I tweeted out tonight that the mojo right now with this group of guys is really good. Coach Pitino won over this team on that nine day off stretch and he has them playing inspired basketball at the perfect time. Coach Pitino: “In the dog days of February we have to make sure we have fun, it’s a tough month.”

Just how great was this night from a statistical standpoint? The Cardinals shot 56.7% from the field, 53.3% from the three point line, and hit 16 three point shots. 12 guys got their names in the scoring column tonight and were led by Luke Hancock who had a career high 25 points. Pitino said about Luke after the game “Luke is a big catalyst for us like Francisco was for us years ago.” Also with a big night was Terry Rozier who had 16 points and was 4-7 from three. Stephan and Mango have stepped up recently and tonight they combined for 16 points with 9 rebounds from that 5 spot. Pitino said after the game “We’re getting better.” Says he puts Louisville in mix of top-tier teams and credits improvement of Mangok and Stephan. And the guy we are now calling the “Baby faced assassin” David Levtich stole the end of the show with a three point shot and a great assist. The Cards are now 13-0 when he plays. Coach Pitino after the game on Levitch “Eventually he’ll be very good. His offensive skill set really is tremendous.”

The Cards had 23 assist tonight on 34 made baskets, out rebounded them 39-24, had 5 blocked shots and 11 steals. Louisville came into this game generating an average of 21.9 points per game off turnovers. Tonight they had 23 points off turnovers. You can tell a lot about the culture of a basketball program by watching the players on the bench. Great teams have energetic reserves. Tonight the Cards bench had 49 points.

This was a fun one to watch and it really is great when you see a team start to come together. The Cards win and continue to get hairier No Shave Till Texas. Go Cards!

Rick Pitino news conference after 102-54 win over Rutgers:

Luke Hancock after blowout of Rutgers:

Terry Rozier after blowout win over Rutgers:

Russ Smith after 102-54 win over Rutgers:

David Levitch after his career high four points: