Louisville made it to the Elite Eight in 2007-08, and returns much of the core of that squad for the upcoming campaign. Talent-wise, the Cardinals are more talented now that they were a year ago, which offers Rick Pitino the challenge of finding enough playing time to satisfy everyone while at the same time getting the most out of his stars.

First, the team will have to replace some key pieces of its frontcourt. David Padgett fought through injuries to make the All-Big East first team and led Louisville in scoring as a senior and will be missed. Also gone is star-crossed Derrick Caracter, whose brief but turbulent stay on the team is over, at least for the time being.

The good news is that there's a lot of bodies to choose from in the paint. Earl Clark and Terrence Williams are joined by newcomers Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings in the frontcourt. The freshmen will likely man the middle by the start of Big East play, giving the team some badly-needed size.

Most Pitino teams are guard-focused, and this one is no exception. Andre McGee, Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith return in the backcourt, and will be joined by Mississippi State transfer Regineld Delk. Shooter Will Scott is also back to provide marksmanship off the pine, and Preston Knowles is a lockdown defender.

Louisville has been plagued by injuries in recent years, but the 2008-09 squad has a lot of depth to rely on if it needs to. The big key will be in the frontcourt, where there are less bodies to work with. Pitino is comfortable going small if he has to, but matchup-wise it will create some tough matchups in Big East play if neither freshman can handle the middle -- a factor to watch with the Cardinals in the early going.

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