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February 9, 2013
Game Day - Cards & Irish in primetime
Matt Willinger
CardinalSports.com
Louisville vs. Notre Dame
Saturday, February 9th
9:05 p.m. ET
Purcell Pavilion at Joyce Center
Notre Dame, Ind.
Television: ESPN
Radio: WKRD (790)
Game Day vs. Notre Dame
Louisville will play its second straight on the road amidst a stretch with three of four on the road as the Cardinals visit the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Notre Dame, Ind. on Saturday in the featured game for ESPN College Gameday.
Louisville gained its third straight victory in winning 68-48 at Rutgers on Wednesday as the Cardinals pulled away with a 23-4 run to start the second half. Notre Dame (18-5, 6-4 BIG EAST Conference) had won three straight before falling 47-63 at Syracuse on Feb. 4
University of Louisville (19-4, 7-3)
| No. | Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | Pts. | Rb. | | 21 | Chane Behanan | F | 6-6 | 250 | So. | 10.4 | 7.2 | | 11 | Luke Hancock | F | 6-6 | 200 | Jr. | 6.1 | 2.8 | | 10 | Gorgui Dieng | C | 6-11 | 235 | Jr. | 8.9 | 9.8 | | 2 | Russ Smith | G | 6-0 | 165 | Jr. | 18.2 | 3.4 | | 2 | Peyton Siva | G | 6-0 | 185 | Sr. | 10.6 | 2.1 |
RESERVES: Montrezl Harrell, F, 6-9, Fr.; Zach Price, C, 6-10, So.; Kevin Ware, G, 6-5, So.; Tim Henderson, G, 6-2, Jr.; Michael Baffour, G, 6-2, Fr.; Stephan Van Treese, C, 6-8, Sr.; Wayne Blackshear, G, 6-6, So.
HEAD COACH: Rick Pitino (Massachusetts '74) 293-110 in 12th season at UofL and 647-238 in 28th season as collegiate coach.
Notre Dame (18-5, 6-4) | No. | Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | Pts. | Rb. | | 24 | Pat Connaughton | F | 6-5 | 212 | So. | 8.8 | 4.3 | | 25 | Tom Knight | F | 6-10 | 258 | Sr. | 3.7 | 2.5 | | 45 | Jack Cooley | F | 6-9 | 246 | Sr. | 14.8 | 11.3 | | 0 | Eric Atkins | G | 6-2 | 182 | Jr. | 11.7 | 2.4 | | 22 | Jerian Grant | G | 6-5 | 202 | Jr. | 12.7 | 2.3 |
RESERVES: Cameron Biedscheid, F, Fr., 6-7; Zach Auguste, F, Fr., 6-10; Patrick Crowley, G, Jr., 6-3; Garrick Sherman, C, Sr., 6-10; Scott Martin, G, 6-8; Eric Katenda, F, Fr., 6-9; Austin Burgett, F, Fr., 6-9; Jerian Grant, G, Jr., 6-5; Joey Brooks, G, Sr., 6-6; Mike Broghammer, F, Sr., 6-9
HEAD COACH: Mike Brey (G. Washington '82) 278-137 in 13th yr. at ND/377-189 in 18th yr. overall
About Notre Dame
Louisville will play its second straight on the road amidst a stretch with three of four on the road as the Cardinals visit the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday. Notre Dame (18-5, 6- 4 BIG EAST Conference) had won three straight before falling 47-63 at Syracuse on Feb. 4.
Jack Cooley is the Irish's top scorer (14.8 ppg) and rebounder (11.3 rpg). Notre Dame leads the nation in assists/turnovers ratio (1.74) and is ninth nationally in field goal percentage, burying 48.7 percent of its shots.
While Louisville is adept at forcing turnovers (19.2 per game), the Irish are committing just 10.4 per game, seventh best in the nation. Notre Dame is No. 47 in the ratings percentage index and No. 30 in the Sagarin Ratings through games of Feb. 6.
Louisville has an 18-11 series advantage over the Irish, with the teams splitting two matchups last season: Notre Dame won 67-65 in double overtime in Louisville (1-7-12); and the Cardinals won 64-50 in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship in New York (3-9-12). Seven of the last 12 meetings have been decided in overtime.
19-4 Start For Cards
Louisville's 19-4 record marks the third time the Cardinals have won at least 19 of their first 23 games under UofL Coach Rick Pitino, with the best start in the 2004-05 season when U of L started 20-3. The Cardinals were 18-5 through 23 games last season.
This season, UofL began 5-0 for the third consecutive year, the first time it has had three straight 5-0 starts since the 1949-52 seasons when the Cardinals won their first five in each of those years. UofL won its first 11 games last season and its initial eight games in 2010-11.
Louisville's recent three-game skid was the first time it lost three straight since Jan. 11-21, 2010. Louisville has lost back-to-back games just 10 times over the last five seasons.
Cards vs. Notre Dame
Louisville has an 18-11 all-time record against Notre Dame. The Cardinals have won 13 of the last 17 against the Irish. Seven of the last 12 have been decided in overtime.
The teams split two meetings last season. At the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Eric Atkins scored 15 points, including six in the second overtime as Notre Dame prevailed 67-65 over Louisville.
Jack Cooley led the Irish with 18 points and 10 rebounds, Jerian Grant scored 17 points, and Scott Martin added a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Kyle Kuric and Chane Behanan each scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Louisville.
In the BIG EAST semifinals in New York, Peyton Siva produced a nearly triple-double performance with 13 points, nine assists and eight rebounds to lead Louisville to a 64-50 victory over No. 23 Notre Dame (3/9/12).
Gorgui Dieng scored 16 points to lead the Cardinals, who shot a season-best 56 percent from the field while limiting the Irish to 35.8 percent. Jerian Grant scored 12 to pace Notre Dame while Jack Cooley added 11 points and 11 rebounds.
UofL went on to win the 2012 BIG EAST Championship with a 50-44 victory over Cincinnati in the title game. The teams also met in the 2011 semifinals as Louisville recovered from a 16-point first-half deficit vs. No. 4 Notre Dame to claim an 83-77 overtime victory (3/11/11).
The teams have met once in the NIT, with Notre Dame prevailing 79-71 in the quarterfinals on March 20, 1973. The Irish lost to Virginia Tech in the NIT championship game that year.
Notre Dame was the Cardinals' first-ever opponent in Freedom Hall -- its home for 54 years -- on Dec. 22, 1956 when U of L won 85-75.
UofL Coach Rick Pitino has a 10-6 record against Notre Dame (0-1 at Boston U., 0-1 at Providence, 4-0 at Kentucky, 6-4 at Louisville).
Fab February, Etc.
UofL has a 32-8 record (.800) during the month of February over the last six years, dating back to the 2007-08 season (5-2 each of the last two years).
Louisville held a 38-26 rebounding advantage over Marquette, the Cards' sixth double-digit margin on the boards this season.
Cooley and UofL's Peyton Siva, Gorgui Dieng and Wayne Blackshear were counselors at the 2012 adidas Nations competition last summer.
Blackshear scored a career-high 19 points off the bench at Rutgers, his eighth game in double figures.
Career Milestones
Peyton Siva moved up to second in career assists at UofL with four at Connecticut (590 total now) and is 123 behind all-time leader LaBradford Smith (1987-91, 713 assists).
Siva is just the fourth player in Uof L history with 500 career assists and needs 10 for 600 in his career. Siva's 211 assists in 2011-12 were the second most ever in a UofL single season, 15 behind LaBradford Smith's 226 record assists total in 1989-90.
With two steals against Marquette, Siva moved up to fifth in career steals (213 now). Siva's 17 points vs. USF made him the 64th 1,000 point scorer for UofL (1,058 now, No. 57 at UofL). Siva grabbed his 300th career rebound at Villanova.
Russ Smith has 149 steals for his career (50 in 23 games this year, 2.2 average). His 87 steals last season set a new UofL record. Smith scored his 900th career point at Rutgers in his last game.
Gorgui Dieng passed 600 career rebounds with eight against Syracuse. He needs 30 points for 700 in his career. Dieng blocked his 200th career shot against Providence when he had four rejections.
Chane Behanan scored his 600th career point against Marquette.
Blackshear, Ware Return
Two Cardinals who missed the Jan. 28 game against Pittsburgh returned to action against Marquette.
Wayne Blackshear, who suffered a sprained right shoulder in practice on Jan. 27, totaled nine points, four rebounds and two steals against Marquette in 18 minutes off the bench, then scored a career-high 19 at Rutgers. A starter in 19 of the Cards' 22 games, Blackshear is averaging 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds.
Kevin Ware, who had been suspended for an unspecified reason, played 14 minutes against Marquette and had seven points and three rebounds at Rutgers.
Three-Point Production
Louisville has made seven or more three-point goals in a game on 10 occasions this season, including burying 7-of-15 at Rutgers in its last game. Four Cardinals have made at least 27 three-pointers this year, led by Russ Smith's 39 treys (39-of-117, .333). Peyton Siva has hit a career-best 27 threes.
Cards 18th in All-Time Victories
Louisville has an all-time 1681-868 record in in its 99th season of intercollegiate basketball. The Cardinals are 18th among all NCAA schools in victories. U of L started playing intercollegiate basketball in 1911-12, but did not field teams in 1916-17, 1922-23 or 1942-43. The Cardinals have produced winning seasons in 65 of the last 68 years, including winning 20 or more games in the last 10 straight seasons.
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