Location: Louisville, Ky. | Founded: 1798 | Enrollment: 21,000 | Colors: Red and Black
Coach: Rick Pitino | Home Court: Freedom Hall | Capacity: 18,865 Record:
(27-9, 14-4
Big East)
Sometimes it comes down to luck. Enough good luck and you are a national champion. Toss in some bad luck and you fall one game short of reaching the Final Four.
So it was with a Louisville team that came into the season set to make a run at a national title, only to wind up being eliminated in the Elite Eight by the nation's No. 1 team, North Carolina.
Had not injuries to senior leaders David Padgett and Juan Palacios cost the Cardinals early victories, they might have been a No. 1 seed come tournament time, thereby eliminating a chance to face North Carolina until the Final Four.
But injuries came and with them a need for time to find exactly what made the team tick. As it was, it came on in February playing like the best team in the country and wound up being the Big East's final team standing in a disappointing NCAA for the conference.
Louisville became one of the nation's top defensive teams as coach Rick Pitino used his pressing zone defense to hold 18 teams to shooting less than 40 percent and scoring less than 60 points while pushing a fast-paced offense that was deeper than any team in the country and never let opponents catch a breath.
Forward Earl Clark became one of the nation's premier players as he began to learn how to score and Terrence Williams became one of the most versatile players in the college game.
When the 2008-09 season begins, Pitino has enough talent back that his team again will probably have a ranking among the top 10 and be considered a real contender for the national championship.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
We know T-Will and McGee are gone. With Kuric getting Holloways scholly I'm assuming DC is coming back. I here he is in summer school and will remain eligable if he passes his summer class and he is also swimming an hour a day to be in top shape in the fall. That being said, I also think DC and E5 will go. That makes 4 available in 09 if it goes as I think it will. E
This was reported Friday. By my math, it means DC will be paying his own way to play for UL next year, although Pitino is a master at finding last minute scholarships when he needs one. Here is the link for those that want to read the whole article.
