Here we go again.
The University of Louisville basketball season arrives for real. And, yes, some lofty expectations accompany the season opener against Arkansas. Fans have quickly become accustomed to Elite Eights. Never mind that the analysts aren’t as optimistic.
Don’t doubt that it will take a while for this group to find its legs. A team doesn’t lose the likes of Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Andre McGee and pick up where it left off. These departures, remember, included the top two scorers and a defensive legend.
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- Throw in the entire Rick Pitino playbook from game one along with all of the Ralph Willard wrinkles, and there’s a huge learning curve ahead. Some heads are spinning, and ears are ringing.
- The really big questions about this team are the big guys. Samardo Samuels needs to have developed threefold during the off season to become an offensive force. Unless he has changed, Terrence Jennings is physical, but lacks coordination, predictability, consistency.
- Jared Swopshire has the fluidity and the body but not the confidence or shooting ability, at least not last season. Kyle Kuric plays like a big man trapped in a 6-foot-4 body. He would control the boards otherwise.
- Jerry Smith may be in the best shape of his career if reports of all the extra effort over the summer are accurate. If Smith returns in freshman form, he could erase the memory of those ball fakes.
- If it’s true that Edgar Sosa is a different person with a different mindset, it would be the third straight season.
- The only thing certain is that Preston Knowles and Peyton Siva will be instrumental in any success Louisville enjoys this season. Everything else is speculation.
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A check of the roster indicates that former equipment manager Tim Sypher is now director of the Yum Center, and Vincent (Vinny) Tatum, former president of basketball operations, is now managing the equipment. All in the family, the growth process.
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The Lady Cards take on Hartford University on the road tonight after their narrow weekend win over Dayton. See Sonja’s take here.
It has been shown over the years that strong guard play is a key essential to get a team to the latter rounds of the NCAA tournament. This would seem to be a Louisville strength this year with Sosa, Siva, Smith and Knowles.
I would also grudingly give a nod to our neighbors to the east. Wall, Bledsoe and Dodson could be very scary good by tournament time.
Nice work Glenn! You got it right!
These guys will get off to a slow start in typical Pitino style, taking just long enough to get the fans nervous and wondering whether Pitino still has it. Then something will snap and they will go about their winning ways Let’s just hope it happens before January.
Wow! Charlie – that picture of Coach looks like Diablo.
Perhaps, they can only photograph his dark profile… hehe.
I understand the team will start in the middle of the pack and hopefully work up.
I am a little surprised the ex- Ms. Sypher isn’t in charge of promotional gimmicks…