One aging coach with advice for another.
Denny Crum once again said on his radio show Thursday that the Louisville basketball team looked tired and sluggish, this time against South Florida. A large segment of U of L fans would concur. This team doesn’t remotely resemble the one that started the season.
The former U of L coach indicated he would give the players a break for two or three days, allowing them to get their legs back. Nothing more important than fresh legs, he added. Not the first time he has brought it up, probably not the last.
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Rick Pitino’s answer the last time this came up was that his practices aren’t that hard because of all the injuries this season. He will have an answer, he always does. Watch for it in his Friday press conference.
Crum also said U of L was taking too many challenged and off-balance shots, which Pitino indicated came from his team playing too tight against against a physical team playing a slowdown game. The “challenged and off-balance shots” has a familiar ring, something Pitino has had to address before.
The really surprising admission from Pitino after Wednesday’s game was that he needed more than two shooters on the floor, referring to Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith. Actually, he had only one shooter until Smith snapped out of his slump in the second half.
Funny thing about Chris Smith. During a Senior Night span of less than three minutes, the UofL senior had two three-pointers, a steal and an assist. Immediately after hitting his second three, he is pulled. Back to one shooter again. Can’t wait to hear the explanation for that one.
Doubtful anything will change, regardless of what Pitino says (He usually does the opposite). Angel Nunez will get a couple of minutes, Wayne Blackshear may actually get a few seconds.
Game preparation is another issue where Crum and Pitino would seem to differ. Crum always talked about working on things his team did best. Pitino spends hours looking at film of the opposition and expects his players to do the same. During the last few games, it has been obvious U of L knew what was coming, but not how to respond, especially on the offensive end.