Chris Jones has been in and out of Rick Pitino’s good graces this season, never quite making up his mind about whether he’s buying in or opting out of the coach’s system, all too often resorting to his own devices.
For now, he’s out, having been temporarily suspended for a violation of team rules. Jones will not make the trip to Syracuse for Wednesday’s game.
Jones’ suspension comes at a crucial juncture for the team, with the University of Louisville basketball team tied for fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference and only six games in the regular season. His 13.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and team-leading 3.7 assists per game will be missed.
Louisville doesn’t need the drama this late in the season but it has been obvious at various points in the season that Pitino and Jones weren’t in synch. The latest evidence was Jones’ benching for more than 12 minutes during the Pittsburgh win. A couple of weeks ago Jones said he was all in, wanting to compete for a national championship. The new attitude lasted for a couple of weeks.
Quenton Snider will get the call and, based on his performance in the Pitt game, he’s all in with Pitino’s offensive and defensive philosophies. Not as quick as Jones, but he’s a not a freelancer, either. He will pay attention to what Pitino wants.
May be too much to believe that UofL can finish at a high level, with the dissension that is becoming increasingly obvious. Too much one-on-one, too few assists, a lack of focus on defense, too few steals, too few fast breaks. Pitino’s system thwarted, nowhere to be found in the NC State loss.
The Syracuse game, however, will be played by Pitino’s rules, which have worked well against Syracuse in the recent past. Louisville has won nine of the last 13 games in the series.
I can’t see this team falling apart without Chris Jones. Probably removes an obstacle to team cohesion.
I’m hoping some of this sticks with Terry Rozier. He could share the ball a bit more, especially when he’s throwing up clunkers.
This could be the best thing to happen. UofL really came alive after he left the game in the second half against Pittsburgh. He doesn’t share the ball like it needs to be shared for Pitino’s system to work. Too much individualism at a time when he should be more team focused.