The University of Louisville hadn’t lost a basketball game to Memphis since 2005 and they’ve only played four games since. Taking some of intensity out of the rivalry, at least for UofL fans.
Not that it would have mattered much Thursday, Rick Pitino’s troops looking all the world like a team on a rebuilding project, having lost three players from the national championship team (Peyton Siva, Gorgui Dieng and Chane Behanan).
Memphis motivated, prevailing 73-67 before 21,988 at the KFC Yum! Center.
Two starters — Wayne Blackshear and Mangok Mathiang — only in the game for a combined 22 minutes, managing three points and five rebounds between them. One regressing, the other running in place as conference play begins.
Stephan Van Treese with two blocks and two steals, but the senior still lacking hand-and-eye coordination around the basket, managing to somehow mangle close-in shots with nobody around him. Not caught in the headlights but he often has that look.
The 19 NBA scouts on hand at the KFC Yum! Center had a chance to see Russ Smith against some fairly decent competition. Not a good outing despite his 20 points and five assists, as Pitino pointed out afterwards, turning the ball over four times, shooting when he should have passing, and vice versa.
Luke Hancock, meanwhile, may be rounding into form, contributing 20 points and five assists. Nobody draws fouls better than he under the new rules, connecting on six of eight free throws.
Third loss in 16 games, all three to the ranked teams on the schedule thus far. Rick Pitino has had teams in this position before only to see wind up in the Final Four. A clash against an old rival revealing some glaring weaknesses. The great motivator has his work cut for him this season.