Louisville's scary good, didn't you know?
Posted: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 3:35 PM
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March Madness
It’s funny about Louisville.
Early injuries knocked the Cardinals off everyone’s radar by December. Once they recovered from those, back-to-back losses entering the NCAA Tournament took the shine off winning nine straight games and a second-place finish in the Big East.
But two dominating tourney wins – including a dismantling of Oklahoma – have launched Louisville back to where they were supposed to be to start the season: Final Four worthy.
For those who only memory before the New Year was the Patriots’ run at perfection, let’s recap:
Rick Pitino’s squad opened the season ranked No. 6 in both polls. It featured more balanced and overall talent than the 33-5 team that reached the 2005 Final Four. It had big men (6-11 David Padgett, 6-9 Derrick Caracter and 6-8 Juan Palacios), versatile swingmen (6-6 Terrence Williams and 6-9 Earl Clark) and quick guards (6-1 Edgar Sosa, 6-1 Jerry Smith and 5-11 Andre McGee).
It was easy to project a Final Four-type season (we did) until injuries kept CaracterPalacios and Padgett out until Jan. 1. Issues at point guard and perimeter scoring issues only added to the Cards’ problems during losses to BYU, Dayton and Purdue. (Sure, now those don’t look that bad, but who knew those 3 teams would combine for 75 wins?)
Once Padgett and CaracterPalacios returned, the wins started piling up (17-4 since their return). A hint of that preseason promise showed in wins against Marquette and West Virginia, but it fully developed during a 59-51 win against Georgetown, where Padgett outplayed Roy Hibbert and Pitino showed off his fashion sense with a white suit.
The polls were slow to react, but others paid attention to Louisville’s stellar defense and efficiency margin (only Kansas, Wisconsin, UCLA and Tennessee were better in conference play). The Cards were dominating, but it wasn’t clear how many people realized it.
Once they lost to Georgetown and Pitt to close the season, the Cards nabbed a three seed out East, the same loaded region with North Carolina, Tennessee, Washington State and Butler.
The result? A would-be trendy Final Four pick wasn’t so trendy. Only 7 percent of the 3.5 million people in ESPN’s tourney challenge tagged Louisville to reach the final weekend, behind Wisconsin, Pitt and just ahead of UConn, Stanford and Xavier. Less than one percent had the Cards winning it all.
Then came the tourney and the stomping of the Sooners. Louisville’s made everyone take notice, and is expected to handle Tennessee (it’s favored by 2.5) and give top-seeded North Carolina all it can handle this weekend – in Charlotte, N.C. no less.
That’s what happens when you win two games by an average of 79-55 on a national stage. Everyone starts to re-think their bracket.
“Offensively and defensively, we did a beautiful job. You really can’t find a weakness in the way the guys played,” Pitino said afterward.
Simply put, the Cardinals are more than simply healthy. They’re dominant.
“I definitely think we’re playing our best ball right now,” guard Jerry Smith said. “We’re clicking right now, we’re really focusing in and we’re winning.”
That means everyone. McGee hounded Oklahoma’s guards on defense. Padgett and Palacios have been their usual consistent selves, while Williams and Sosa haven’t had to force any shots.
But maybe most crucial has been Clark. Perhaps the team’s most talented player (we thought so to start the season), he’s been on a tear the last six games, averaging 13.5 ppg and 7.8 rpg an outing, 1.29 PPWS – or closer to what Clark did to start the season when Padgett and Palacios’ absences forced him to do more.
Now he’s turned into a more vocal player in the locker room and in practice, which has translated into more confidence on the court. That’ll be key against the Vols, who even with issues at point guard and with an ailing Chris Lofton, are one of the nation’s most athletic teams and difficult to contain.
Along with Memphis-Michigan State, it should be the Sweet 16’s most entertaining game and certainly one you might’ve expected to see next weekend in San Antonio. Same goes for a likely Elite Eight game against Carolina.
Can the Cardinals win two Final Four-type games for a berth in the Final Four? Absolutely. In case you haven’t noticed, they have the talent. All that was missing was a healthy roster.
