L’ville 82, Miami (Fla) 59

Terrence Williams and Juan Palacios secure the front line for the Cardinals. They’re tall, athletic, fast, lanky–everything you’re looking for in post players. They consistently rebound, score, play major minutes (~30 per game), and tend to be unselfish with the ball. Center David Padgett, though slowed by years of injury, is a tremendously talented big man whose good footwork and excellent court savvy translates into quality minutes.

So, why was Louisville 5-4 and looking like a big disappointment after their performance against Kentucky?

Their backcourt.

Coming into the season, most thought that senior guard Brandon Jenkins, and sophomores Andre McGee and Will Scott would carry the Cardinals to an NCAA Tournament berth. However, game after game, observers would see inconsistent play, the inability to get to the basket, and worst of all, woeful outside shooting from the guards. Though it pains the Louisville faithful to admit it, such performances might have been expected. Jenkins broke his leg and sprained an ankle back in August, and McGee is coming back from knee surgury of his own. Injuries of this magnitude and severity are not easily overcome. As a likely result, both players have been below average this year, and both are perhaps pressuring themselves too much, laden with unrealistic expectations of their physical capacity to play basketball at a high level–especially the senior leader, Jenkins.
Consider Louisville’s loss to Kentucky. The Cardinals, despite their awful shooting, were still able to keep the game close due to their frontcourt’s athleticism. It was one of those games that could have been a win…an easy win…had Louisville’s backcourt been able to make a few shots or draw a few more fouls. Instead, starters Jenkins and McGee were a combined 2-13 from the floor, and a combined 1-2 from the foul line. The former stat suggests that they’re not able to keep defenders honest by making the outside shot; the latter stat suggests that they’re not driving the lane and drawing double-teams and/or fouls. Guards have to be able to do both–Louisville could not to either…until this past weekend.

Rick Pitino, apparently, had seen enough. Against Miami, Pitino started his two freshmen guards, Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith. Sosa, a slasher with a confident air about him, went just 1-6. However, due to his fearlessness in the lane, he was able to get to the foul line for 7 attempts. At times he’s a ball-hog, but no one is questioning his ability to get into the lane. Smith is more of a spot-up shooter, and he showed his ability going 8-11 from the floor (including 6-8 from three-land). When you get this kind of performance from a young backcourt, it makes the already solid frontcourt that much better…and then good things happen, like a 23-point drubbing of an ACC team.

So watch out for Louisville’s all-freshman backcourt. One can penetrate and disrupt the defense, one can shoot the lights out and keep defenders honest. If Pitino sticks with them and uses the upper-classmen off the bench, Louisville could improve their team balance, do some serious damage in Big East conference play, and easily make a run at the NCAAs.

Categories: Commentary, Louisville, Mister D