By Paul Sykes
Ugly, embarrassing loss to an inspired Marquette team, driven by extra heavy dose of adrenaline and determined not to make this a typical Louisville-Marquette cliffhanger.
- Samardo Samuels allowing himself to be shut down by the smaller, quicker Marquette front line. Stubborn at times, refusing to kick the ball out from the double team, getting stripped or simply losing control of the ball.
- Marquette getting 24 attempts from the free throw line while Louisville was getting just two. Rakeem Buckles going 1 for 2 for the Cards.
- Rick Pitino trying every motivation technique and player combination possible, getting nothing in return but a flat, dull effort, the players denying themselves an unchallenged NCAA bid and a slippery slope on the bubble
- Future opponents looking for success just need to play a small, quick lineup and double team Samuels or Terrence Jennings.
If U of L wants to make the NCAA tournament, it may have to do it the hard way: beating a revenge-minded, thoroughly-prepared No. 1-ranked team in the country a second time this Saturday.
The poor officiating extends to women’s basketball in the Big East as well. Gaining questionable familiarity with the Louisville players, the Big East women’s referees now cheerfully blow the whistle anytime Keisha Hines gets the ball in the paint, Asia Taylor heads to the hoop or when Monique Reid steps onthe court.
All we need is Bill Murray and a groundhog out there to complete the parody.
The Sporting News Today had a blistering commentary on BE officiating. DeCoursey really took them to task. How can it be that such a good league has so many terrible officials?
I would understand if the players wanted to forfit a game if they really don’t want to play. Rather see that then 11 guys joggin up and down the court pretending to play ball! How embarassing!
Is this team really that bad? I don’t think so. At times during the season they have shown signs of greatness. Where is the switch so we can turn them on for the rest of the season?
How do you call a foul (flying elbow) and then during a timeout change it to a turnover? Are the officals smoking crack before the game? Thats a new one for me!
Not sure this team deserves to be in the NCAA or the NIT!
Cards have laid eggs after such great wins at Syracuse and UCONN. Each time, I’ve searched for excuses. Back-to-back road games over a 72-hour span could be used to excuse tired legs. But not 20 points to Marquette.
Louisville’s guards were no match for the quicker Marquette guards and had to resort to fouls to contain them. 10 of Louisville’s 17 fouls came from Siva, Smith, Sosa and Knowles.
The three Marquette guards (Johnson-Odom, Acker and Cubillan) had 0 for the game.
Why was it that Louisville only got 2 free-throw attempts and Marquette got 22? I didn’t see the game – was the officiating decent?
Let’s hope the Cards close out Freedom Hall with a win against the #1 team.
My husband actually felt sorry for Coach P. He looked at me and said, ” He is trying to be a teacher – a parent and a coach and they are not giving anything back!”
It was ugly and it was if they couldn’t show up as a team at all.
This team and season is so extreme when they win and when they lose – it drives me nuts.
Count on it, Syd.
Good analysis. This was a disappointing game to be sure. Makes me wonder why Louisville is so inconsistent — to beat Syracuse but be blown out by Marquette and St. Johns. Oh well…
I’m really enjoying your blog, a following you on Twitter. Keep up the good work. Will you be following Cards baseball as closely?