Pitino likes chances with this Louisville team

Rick Pitino wants a win as badly as he’s ever wanted one, and he probably deserves this one as much as any he’s ever earned.

Taking a University of Louisville basketball team without any returning starters, guiding it to an 11-1 pre-conference record. A team without any stars, few consistent scorers, and a lack of rebounders. Giving the impression that such a team even has a chance against a team loaded with future NBA players.

U of L also enters the game without three players — Rakeem Buckles, Mike Marra and Elisha Justice — who have played major roles this season. But if you listen to newcomer Chris Smith, the transfer from Manhattan College, Pitino’s team is confident of competing and even coming out with a win.

“We have a pretty tough team,” Smith said Thursday. “Nobody’s going to back down from anybody. We just want to keep our focus and stick with the game plan. As long as we do that, we have a good chance of winning.”

Pitino says he feels good about this team.

“It’s really not about the opponent.” he said. “It’s about the team you’re coaching. If you’re coaching a good group of guys and you’re happy with the way they prepare, you just feel good about playing the game … I know our guys are going to play really hard and they’re going to give it 100 percent … This is a fun team to coach.”

The pre-conference schedule has been much easier than expected, maybe even a little soft. But there’s a reason UofL has lost only one game thus far. The players enjoy playing together, they expect to win and they listen to the coach.

It’s the kind of team with which Pitino has been known to work wonders.