To appease your appetite while waiting for the hoops season, a few morsels and scraps from Rick Pitino on Louisville basketball and other topics (in a disturbingly random order):

  • Really hopes that Villanova picks up football, and is glad to be in the Big East because “football drives the bus” in all the rest of the major conferences.
  • We have heard almost every year that he’s going to have the Cards running a fast tempo, then come conference play, a big helping of 2-3 zone, with some press sprinkled here and there.  He is more adamant than usual because he’s trying to give this team an identity and he doesn’t have much of a choice, anyway.  Says its going to take depth and courage.
  • He kept using the term, the whole is greater than the sum.”  Says this team needs a gimmick, like his Providence Final Four team did, and the fast pressing tempo will be it.
  • The coaches have installed a hypothetical 20 second shot clock for the team, and they have 3-4 seconds to get the ball over the mid-court line.
  • Still on good terms with Terry Meiners, even after the rumored falling out between the radio jock and the UofL AD’s office. “Terry’s one of my very best friends.”
  • Confirmed that he is not doing a TV show this year; feels they’re worn out and didn’t like how the variety show ended up turning out.
  • Mike Marra hasn’t had a good Italian meal since leaving Rhode Island.
  • Leaving Freedom Hall is like what it would be to Leave Wrigley Field or Fenway Park.
  • Thinks Cincinnati is picked too low (12th in the Big East coaches poll).
  • Kevin Willard will get it done at Seton Hall because he is a tireless worker and “cut from the same cloth as Billy Donovan.”
  • Kyle Kuric and Mike Marra are the “Billy Ray Cyrus of Louisville Basketball.”
  • LeBron James leaving Cleveland is what set the table for Samardo Samuels to get a roster spot on the Cavs.
  • The KFC Yum Center is the “finest basketball arena ever built” and takes elements from Staples, Conseco, etc.  The atrium is probably his favorite part because it is so overwhelmingly spectacular.

Miscellaneous:

  • No word yet on the Gorgui Dieng appeal.  The NCAA is doing what they do best, dragging UofL along and aging Kenny Klein.
  • Peyton Siva excited and ready to go, looking forward to being the Cardinal floor general this season, discounts media pessimism.
  • Preston Knowles says that he has hit the weights hard this summer and wants to leave on a good note, with a Big East Championship.
  • Plug:  Sure could have used a naughty Volvo S60 getting to downtown Manhattan.
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By Steve Springer

Steve Springer is a lifelong University of Louisville fan and was Volvo's "Biggest Fan of the Big East" in 2011. He's a sportswriter for the Murray Ledger & Times, in addition to teaching physical education. He graduated from Eastern High School, earned a Master's degree from the University of Louisville and his BS degree at Murray State University. His Twitter handle is @racercard.

5 thoughts on “U of L scraps from Big East Media Day feast”
  1. Pitino sure knows how to promote. Now if only he could tie more of those top recruits down, we might live up to the hype. Could be a long season, but entertaining all the while.

  2. I sure hope U of L has the depth for breakneck speed basketball. Seems like Denny has pretty good success when he was only using about eight players.

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