By Sam Draut

Terry Rozier came to Louisville looking for a fresh start.

 “I’m starting over. Everything I did before this point means nothing,” Rozier said. “I want a clean slate.”

While on the floor, the freshman has kept his slate clean, directing the offense with an efficient 3.4 assist-to-
turnover ratio. Through 27 games, Rozier has just 15 turnovers while averaging 7.4 points per game.

“I can’t explain it because it is a remarkable thing. Even if you are not a freshman, it is a remarkable thing,” Rick

Pitino said. “I just think he keeps his head up. He doesn’t put himself into situations where he could get trapped and

foul. So it is a remarkable stat. I have not seen it too many times.”

Rozier has averaged 22.4 minutes per game in 14 conference contests, but has turned the ball over just 11 times.

“I just want to make a good play every possession,” Rozier said.

Rozier averages a minuscule 1.12 turnovers per 40 minutes of game play.

“I don’t want to do too much, I don’t want to do too little. I want to come off screens and look for open players,”

Rozier said. “I don’t want to throw any crazy passes, never too much, never too little.”

Rozier does more than protecting the basketball. He is shooting 39.5 percent from the three which is second

best on the team and averaging nine points per game in conference play.

“He plays mature, he is aggressive, he finds people shots and he can score himself. He does a little bit of

everything, plays great defense,” Luke Hancock said.

In the past three games against Rutgers, USF and Cincinnati, Rozier has scored 16, 13, and 11 respectively. As

his playing time has increased, Rozier has produced results.

“He doesn’t play 40 minutes a game, he is a role player, sometimes a starter, but I think he has awesome talent as

well, and continues to get better, and better,” Pitino said. “We have Russ Smith, and Chris Jones upperclassmen,

that’s who he is playing behind, but I think he is having as good a year as any guard in the country.”

Along with Smith and Jones, Rozier has helped to form one of the most formidable backcourts in the country,

but has also been able to look towards the upperclassmen for guidance.

“Russ Smith has helped me with a lot of things, I feel like at the beginning of the season I wasn’t being aggressive

enough because I was trying to limit my turnovers,” Rozier said.

“He has been very consistent and his development is important for this team,” Smith said. “If you tell him one

thing once, he will get it done.”

Rozier was the second-leading scorer for the Cardinals with 11 points in their 58-57 victory over seventh ranked

Cincinnati on Saturday. He also added six rebounds and dished off to Smith for the game-winning jumper.

As Louisville heads into March, Rozier will continue to work towards improvement.

 “I’m never satisfied until I can reach my highest point,” Rozier said.