By Dalton Ray–
In the middle of football season, U of L basketball is just getting started. Louisville kicked off their 2016-2017 campaign with their first Red-White scrimmage in which the red team prevailed 105-102. Quentin Snider lead all scorers with 27, his late three-pointer giving him one more point than graduate transfer Tony Hicks.
After leading the game most of the first half, the white team fell behind just before halftime and couldn’t regain the lead. Hicks and Donovan Mitchell led the charge for the red team as they erased a 18-point deficit. Over a six-minute span, the red team went from being down 18 to entering halftime with a nine-point lead.
In the second half, the red team kept their distance and continued their pressure. The biggest difference in the latter 20 minutes came at the free throw line. The red went 39-for-56 at the line while the white team went 15-for-28.
Rick Pitino has another special team
Last season, Pitino made it clear that he loved coaching his team because of their attitudes and effort. Fast forward one year later and Pitino has a very similar team.
“I’m really impressed with their conditioning and cat-like speed,” Pitino said. “I told you all before you would see a lot of turnovers, and we did, but I was really impressed with the conditioning with little subbing and their pace. Overall, I give them a high grade for less than one week of practice. We picked up the pace and pressed the entire game but we do need to cut down on turnovers.”
Louisville has their workhorses
The most successful Louisville teams over the past 10 years all have some similarities. One of those similarities is the backcourt is very tough to handle. The one-two combo of Snider and Mitchell will give teams headaches all year.
Both players are in great condition, even to Pitino’s standards, and can run the court for 40 minutes. The duo combined for 49 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists and went 10-for-14 from three tonight. Pitino said Mitchell impressed him the most in the scrimmage.
“Donovan played like a complete basketball player tonight. He never got tired, he played with pace, he changed his speeds. He just looked really good tonight,” Pitino said.
Pitino also had high regards for his point guard. “(Snider) is terrific, I never see him get tired. He amazes me with his stamina. He is an outstanding basketball player,” Pitino said.
New faces
Hicks led all players in scoring for the majority of the night and lived around the rim. Pitino compared his speed to former Cardinal Peyton Siva. That’s high praise but with the way he effortlessly got to the rim, it’s not a crazy comparison.
Although he had six turnovers, Hicks played well in his first time in the KFC YUM! Center. The transfer sparked the comeback in the first half for the red team. Watch out for Hicks to come off the bench this year and save the Cardinals’ offense when they can’t get it going.
Without a roster, one wouldn’t be able to pick out VJ King as a freshman. Both his physical ability and mental stability read upperclassmen. The McDonald’s All-American scored 19 points and hauled in nine rebounds. A very smooth player, King fit right in with all of his teammates.
Ryan McMahon didn’t play last year, so he fits in this category. McMahon started out 5-for-5 behind the three point line and ended 6-for-8. Known as a sharp-shooter, McMahon lived up to that tonight. Despite his smaller size, the undersized guard nailed open and contested shots. If he keeps it up, McMahon will see a lot of the court this year.
Photo by Nancy Hanner / The Louisville Cardinal
