By Andrew Krumme
Head coach Rick Pitino and the Louisville men’s basketball team seems to be finally showing signs of life. After an impressive win last Monday against the University of Connecticut, the Cards followed things up with a gusty performance versus Syracuse. Despite shooting under 30 percent from beyond the arc, being down virtually the entire game and still no Derrick Caracter, this team found a way to win. As they sit at 5-2 in the Big East they come to a very critical point in the year. Outside of Pittsburgh, no team in conference has yet to flex their muscles and with two tough but very winnable road games ahead, Louisville needs to continue on grinding out wins to position themselves for a possible tournament berth.
It is obvious, considering how well Pitino’s bunch plays in spurts, that they are one of the most talented teams among the Big East. But they still have yet to find the consistency they need to play at a high level night in and night out. It is clear that this team is not capable to out-shoot teams from deep water. Yet they continue to launce three after three when they ignore their biggest strength – the athleticism and skill level of their front court.
Juan Palacios, despite always being nicked up, has proven he can thrive in the paint, yet it seems he is relegated to hanging out on the perimeter in Pitino’s system. Terrance Farley is another player that is not utilized enough despite his defensive presence. Earl Clark continues to improve and had a great game on Saturday against a formidable front line for the Orange, totaling ten points and six rebounds in 18 minutes of play. And of course there is the on going problem of Derrick Caracter who possesses the skill set to vault this team to the upper echelon of the Big East, but cannot seem to get his act together off the court to even warrant the opportunity to suit up.
Then there is David Padgett, the 6-foot-11 junior who, at times, looks dominating on the block and has the moves down low to warrant a touch every possession. While he is not the most physical player, he has the finesse and awareness to get a good look every time he touches the ball no matter who is guarding him. A prime example was last Monday’s game against UConn where he shredded a big and talented Huskie front line for 19 points and 11 rebounds. But what happened in the Cards first possession against Syracuse on Saturday? Padgett received a pass on the block in good scoring position but instead of going up strong to the basket he kicked it out immediately to the wing for the first of the Cards 24 missed three-pointers on the evening.
While I may seem to be writing this column as if the Cards lost to Syracuse, I am merely addressing a weaknesses may come to back to bite them in the near future. Pitino has made it no secret that, despite his team’s struggles from deep. Terrence Williams is a prime example; he has attempted almost fifty more threes than anyone else on the team, despite shooting just 25 percent, and is still given the green light to launch. If adjustments are not made, a once promising season could turn into a repeat of last year’s underachieving Cardinal team.
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