Another Madison Square Nightmare For Louisville

One More Homecoming Wreck For Edgar Sosa

One could see it coming early.

Edgar Sosa pumping his chest, waving his arms, winking at the camera, the kind of stuff players usually do when a game is in the bag.

Doing it in the first half, acting as if a 10-point lead was 25, and it was only a matter of time before Rick Pitino would clear the bench.

The Louisville basketball team was playing well in the first half, probably one of the better halves this season, sticky quick on defense, challenging every pass, every shot, every defensive rebound.

Feeling good about themselves. Real good. Especially Edgar Sosa.

Danger time. That’s when bad things begin happening for this team.

Second half, different Sosa, over-confident, making circus passes, NBA-distance three-point attempts. Throwing the ball to wrong people — Terrence Jennings and Jared Swopshire — at the worst possible times, neither of them known for hitting shots at clutch time.

Sorry, Sosa, no Kyle Kuric around for much of the second half to bail anybody out this time around. His hot shooting hands relegated to the bench. Pitino’s most predictable decision this day.

Sosa with 20 points in the first half, lucky to get eight in the second.

Still, just another bad night for Sosa in Madison Square Garden. This is the one that will hurt the most.

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Peyton Siva May Run Louisville Offense

Peyton Siva gets the call at point guard against Cincinnati.

That’s what Rick Pitino was saying Tuesday anyway. Rick’s been known to change his mind as often as not or do the opposite of what he says he’s going to do.

Something to look forward to, having an actual point guard run the offense for a change. Who was the last natural point guard to run the offense for the University of Louisville basketball team? The only one that comes to mind is DeJuan Wheat but that was during the Denny Crum era. Wheat’s talents were such that could and would carry the team on his shoulders, even with severe ankle problems.

Edgar Sosa has never gotten the hang of the job, and may be more of a contributor at the second guard spot. Wouldn’t that be something.

Siva has shown flashes of filling the void, with some brilliant passing at times. But he’s also made his quota of freshman mistakes and had some surprising mental lapses in a reserve role.

Now that he’s a starter, U of L fans may see a different Siva, one ready to assume responsibility a little earlier than anyone expected.  If so, Edgar Sosa may be able to focus primarily his own game, overcoming the dismal performances in Madison Square Garden thus far in his career.

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Confident Edgar Sosa What Louisville Needs

One never knows what to make of some of Rick Pitino’s comments, like the one he made Sunday about Edgar Sosa after No. 10 made that layup giving Louisville the unlikely win at Connecticut.

Words to the effect that Sosa has improved by leaps and bounds this season, becoming one of the better point guards in the country.

More than likely inspired by the winning basket than his actual performance in the game. But Pitino has a reason for every thing he says, taking advantage of an opportunity to bolster the confidence of his senior guard during one of his most challenging performances.

No one doubts Sosa is capable. His confidence does seem to ebb and flow, however, having an obvious effect on his game at times. The latest heroics could be just the boost he needs as his senior season winds to a conclusion.

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Sosa later posted the following tweet to his followers on the flight to Milwaukee, the site of Tuesday’s game against Marquette: “Thank you for all the support. Love you guys. Thanks to the haters as well, w/o yah I’m nothing.”

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Louisville Deals Setback To U-Calhoun

Any time less than five points separate two Big East teams with four minutes to go, anything can happen, positive or negative, anything but passive.

Fans lose all sense of control, forced to accept whatever fate chooses to throw in their collective lap that day. The frantic finishes are so wild, so unpredictable and so commonplace no one is shocked or surprised by any outcome.

UConn playing its best basketball of the season since the return of Jim Calhoun, looking good winning its last three games, ready to exact revenge, senior night, pumped, having its way, drumming Louisville 39-26 late in the first half.

But wait. One knows what happens more often than not in Louisville games. The team with the lead eases up a bit, the team behind turns on the defensive pressure. A couple of unexpected three-pointers from a surprising source, a turnover or two, and a bank shot at the halftime buzzer and Rick Pitino’s team trails by only five points.

Game on again, despite having thrown in the proverbial tower at the big screen just a few minutes earlier, having perceived no chance, no prayer of surviving the UConn onslaught.

Fast forward to midway in the second half, Louisville leading by six points at some point, knowing all the while the game will be decided at the horn.

Edgar Sosa, with all his ups and downs, indicating the game will be in his hands. At 29 seconds, it is obvious: He will make the move, and he does with 11 seconds to go. Running the gauntlet with all the swiping hands beneath the basket. Throwing up a shot between all the bodies and outstretched hands. Swish.

Too early, eight seconds left. Kemba Walker, with 28 points from all kinds of shots, with the ball, making the mad dash. Hello, Kemba, I’m Samardo Samuels, get that thing out of here. Hey ball, I’m Preston Knowles, boom, get out of here.

Louisville wins 78-76. Back in the NCAA tournament chase for a couple of days.

The one thing certain is the Louisville-Marquette game Tuesday will be decided on a buzzer beater.

Box Score

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Cautious Approach Leaves Louisville Flat

Rick Pitino made a big point about taking care of the basketball in his pre-game remarks, pointing out how teams with fewer than 10 turnovers had done well against Georgetown.

May have been a little too emphatic. University of Louisville players perhaps concluding, “Take fewer chances, make less mistakes, our team wins.”

So they go overboard taking care to protect the ball. No crazy stuff, no reckless abandon, and no emotion but a lot of missed hook shots, layups and other close-in shots.

Reminded the observer of a mid-season NBA game, players expending a minimum of effort on both ends of the court. A plodding, mechanical, methodical affair with a minimum of risk and emotion.

Louisville makes only nine turnovers. Mission accomplished in that area.

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The crowd also being careful, guarded, tired of being jerked around, displaying a minimum of emotion in the next to last scheduled game at Freedom Hall. Little, if any, spontaneity, cheering only when expected, sitting on hands, young and old. Against Georgetown, the nation’s 11th-ranked team.

Perhaps U of L having been spoiled by late February runs in recent seasons, waiting for it to happen again on schedule. Poke us when it’s time to get excited, okay?

By the time many Freedom Hallers returned to their seats after the intermission, Georgetown was in the midst of a 21-3 run.

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With apologies to Edgar Sosa and his 24 points, eight assists and two rebounds, Terrence Jennings seemed to be the only Louisville player not on automatic pilot. His backboard rattling dunk was one of the few genuinely exciting moments all night. He was also intimidating Georgetown shooters, daring them to shoot over him.

Alas for Jennings and anything to get the crowd stirred, Jennings would become a rare commodity in the second half, wasting away, getting still more on-the-job training riding the bench.

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