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| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
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2000-01 record: 19-13;
8-8 in C-USA (5th/American)
Postseason: Lost to Temple 65-62 in NIT second round.
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: Gaines 21.0
Rebs: Myles 9.3
Assists: Gaines 3.6
FG: Myles 51.9%
3pt: Mohammed 40.0%
FT: Gaines 80.0%
01-02 Stats:
Louisville | C-USA
KEY LOSSES
Carlos Hurt | 8.1 ppg
Brandon Benter | 3.7 ppg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Reece Gaines | Senior
G | Prileu Davis | Junior
F | Ellis Myles | Junior
F | Erik Brown | Soph
F | L. Whitehead | Junior
Player to Watch
Reece Gaines
Senior Guard
Just the second Louisville player in 30 years to average 20 points a game.
DATE TO REMEMBER
Kentucky comes to Freedom Hall, and not only is it Rick Pitino's old school, it's now Stone's old school, too. The Cardinals could be 7-0 when the Cats arrive. Pitino has not forgotten the rugged reception last year in Rupp Arena, and a check of his record indicates he does rather well in revenge games.
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LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
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Basketball is a numbers game to Rick Pitino. Three-pointers count more than two, so shoot the 3. And more players means more pressure and more running, which under Pitino means more victories. After a short-handed first year at Louisville, this team has bodies stacked like firewood. PitinoBall is back. In a 98-90 exhibition win over EA Sports, 11 guys played at least nine minutes -- and that's with eventual starting center Marvin Stone in street clothes, ineligible until mid-December, and starting forward Erik Brown out with an ankle sprain. "That's a championship bench," said EA Sports' Matt Garrison, who had already seen what Xavier, Kansas and Missouri had to offer. Amid all those players, one stands out. Reece Gaines averaged 21 points per game last year, highest by a Louisville player since Darrell Griffith led the Cardinals to their first NCAA title in 1980. Gaines also led the team in assists and steals, and might be the best defensive guard in C-USA. He should go nose-to-nose with Dwyane Wade for league Player of the Year honors. With plenty of proven players at the two, three and four spots, the keys are point and center. As many as four players have a shot at playing point, with junior-college transfer Prileu Davis holding a slim lead. Stone, an underachiever at Kentucky, has remade his body and is expected to step in and offer 25-30 minutes a night of low-post presence this team sorely lacked last year. It remains to be seen whether his skills match his new physique, but Pitino is optimistic.
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
This team should be able to score from every position, including inside. Lack of interior offense cost the Cards some winnable games last season, but it shouldn't be anywhere near as big a problem this year. Gaines won't have to put the team on his back as much, and the depth will wear out a lot of opponents. Also, a lousy foul-shooting team experienced addition by subtraction. Four guys who combined to make 37 of 86 free throws last year are gone.
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
Nobody has assertively taken over the point guard spot, though the four candidates did combine for 11 assists and only three turnovers in the exhibition game. Someone must step forward to keep Gaines from having to play the position, which takes away from his scoring -- and this team needs his scoring. Stone has to prove he's a new man and can succeed at Pitino's tempo. The Cards also appear to be missing one more reliable three-point shooter in the starting five.
BOTTOM LINE..............................
Seven of Louisville's 11 regular-season losses last year were to eventual NCAA Tournament teams -- no shame in that. It was the two ugly losses to Saint Louis, and one to East Carolina, that kept this team out of the Big Dance. Those losses won't happen this year. In fact, with a relatively light schedule, the Cards might not lose more than half a dozen before hitting the tournament trail. And there will be no NIT this year. Louisville will be back in the NCAAs and should earn its first win there since 1997.
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