By Benjamin Lampkin
Expectations are a funny thing when it comes to sports. They can be raised to a level so far out of reach that every season which passes without some kind of championship is a monumental disappointment (see the basketball fans in Lexington), or they can dwindle to a state of being in which dispatching the dregs of the league is cause for celebration (see the football fans in the aforementioned city).
This season, the University of Louisville men”s basketball team finds itself shelved in an unusual situation. A year after reeling off a 17-game winning streak, a climb to the No.2 spot in the national polls, a Conference USA Tournament Championship, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years, the 2003-04 season is rife with sublime expectations. Though no member of the team or coaching staff is willing to vault the Cardinals into those prospects, those throughout C-USA have anointed them the preseason favorite to win the conference, and the initial ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll has U of L sitting in the No.16 spot.
Theoretically, those are all good things. Being given legitimate respect by your peers and those in the media is an honor. But for a team losing a superstar and nearly all of its interior muscle, are the preseason accolades warranted?
Initially, I expect the Cardinals to have a few bumps in the road. Last season”s squad dropped its season opener to Purdue in the John Wooden Tradition, and then didn”t post a loss until February. I fail to see this team producing a similar run, and early losses should not come as a surprise to fans. The senior turnover the Cards had (plus the loss of Ellis Myles to a medical redshirt) is quite significant.
A brand new point guard (sophomore Taquan Dean) and no significant post presence (only seniors Kendall Dartez and Luke Whitehead are proven rebounders and defenders down low) are major factors, as well as having only one consistent scorer (sophomore Francisco Garcia) and possibly the thinnest front line in college basketball. Outside of Dartez and Whitehead, only Nouha Diakite (6-9), Otis George (6-8), and Nate Daniels (6-7) stand over 6-6.
But don”t think I”m not expecting good things out of this group. Luke Whitehead”s resurgence at the end of last season, exhibited by his tenacity on the glass, and the double-threat of Garcia and Dean will bode well for the team. Also, Larry O”Bannon is the kind of intelligent, athletic player coaches dream of, and he could have a breakout season. And everyone knows good guard play is the key to a run in the tournament. If there”s anything this team has, it”s depth in the backcourt.
Cardinal fans should definitely be wary of heightened preseason expectations. But Rick Pitino still patrols the sidelines, and good things will come from this team. I just ask you all to please be patient.
