February 22, 2013

Matt Willinger
CardinalSports.com

Seton Hall vs. Louisville Saturday, Feb. 23 12:04 p.m. ET KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court, Louisville, Ky. (22,000) (47-7, 3rd yr.) Television: Big East Network Radio: WHAS (840) Game Look Louisville plays its second straight repeat opponent as the Cardinals face the Seton Hall Pirates on Saturday at the KFC Yum! Center. Louisville won for the fifth time in six games in beating USF 59-41 in Tampa as the Cardinals limited the Bulls to just 24.5 percent shooting from the field. Seton Hall (13-13, 2-11 BIG EAST Conference) has dropped its last seven games entering a Tuesday night game against Marquette. Peyton Siva will make his 100th career start for the Cardinals on Saturday. Seton Hall (13-13, 2-11) No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Pts. Rb. 2 Brandon Mobley F 6-9 215 So. 9.0 5.5 21 Eugene Teague C 6-9 290 Jr. 11.3 7.5 0 Tom Maayan F 6-1 180 Fr. 2.2 1.8 1 Aaron Cosby G 6-2 190 So. 11.9 2.6 23 Fuquan Edwin G 6-6 205 Jr. 17.2 5.8 RESERVES: Kyle Smyth, Gr., G, 6-4; Haralds Karlis, So., G, 6-5; Freddie Wilson, So., G, 6-2; Brian Oliver, Jr., G/F, 6-6; Connor Laverty, Sr., G, 6-0; Kevin Johnson, Fr., C, 6-9; Patrik Auda, Jr., F, 6-9; Aaron Geramipoor, Jr., C, 6-11. HEAD COACH: Kevin Willard (Pittsburgh '97) 47-44 in 3rd year at SHU, 92-93 in 6th yr. overall University of Louisville (21-5, 9-4) No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Pts. Rb. 21 Chane Behanan F 6-6 250 So. 11.2 7.4 11 Luke Hancock F 6-6 200 Jr. 6.6 2.8 10 Gorgui Dieng C 6-11 235 Jr. 9.1 10.3 2 Russ Smith G 6-0 165 Jr. 18.4 3.8 2 Peyton Siva G 6-0 185 Sr. 10.0 2.2 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) 296-111 in 12th season at UofL and 650-239 in 28th season as collegiate coach. About Seton Hall Louisville plays its second straight repeat opponent as the Cardinals face Seton Hall on Saturday. Seton Hall (13-13, 2-11 BIG EAST Conference) has dropped its last seven games entering a Tuesday night game against Marquette. Guard Fuquan Edwin is fourth in the BIG EAST in three-point field goal percentage (.426), ranks second in steals (2.5) and fifth in scoring (17.2 ppg). Center Eugene Teague ranks fourth in the league in rebounding (7.5 rpg). The Pirates lead the BIG EAST in three point goals per game (7.9, 33rd in the nation) and are second in three-point field goal percentage (.360). Seton Hall is No. 119 in the ratings percentage index and No. 104 in the Sagarin Ratings through games of Feb. 17. Louisville has a 12-5 series advantage over Seton Hall, winning four straight and nine of the last 11 meetings. The Cardinals won 73-58 earlier this season in Newark as Gorgui Dieng produced his 15th career double-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots at the Prudential Center (1/9/13). Series vs. Seton Hall Louisville has a 12-5 series advantage over Seton Hall, winning four straight and nine of the last 11 meetings. Earlier this season in Newark, Gorgui Dieng produced his 15th career double-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots as Louisville prevailed 73-58 over Seton Hall at the Prudential Center (1/9/13). After Seton Hall had tied the game at 42-42, a 12-2 UofL run put the Cardinals up for good. Brandon Mobley scored 18 points to lead Seton Hall, which shot 34.7 percent in the game. The teams met in the second round of the BIG EAST Championship in Madison Square Garden last year as Peyton Siva totaled 14 points, five rebounds and six steals to lead UofL to a 61-55 victory (3/7/12). UofL went on a 20-6 run to open the second half in building a 15-point lead and never trailed. Gorgui Dieng had six points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots for UofL, which limited Seton Hall to 32.7 percent shooting from the field. Jordan Theodore scored 17 points to lead the Pirates. The two teams met in a classic matchup when No. 18 Louisville defeated top-ranked Seton Hall (No. 1 AP) 73-67 at the Armory in Louisville on March 2, 1953. Chuck Noble led the Cardinals with 16 points while 6-11 All-America Walt Dukes led the Pirates with 35 points. The U of L victory avenged a 66-77 loss at Seton Hall earlier that season (12-15-52). The Cardinals went on to reach the quarterfinals of the NIT that year before falling to Manhattan. U of L Coach Rick Pitino has a 12-2 record against Seton Hall, with four victories coming while he was the head coach at Providence (1985-87). 21-5 Start For Cards Louisville's 21-5 record marks the fifth time the Cardinals have won at least 21 of their first 26 games under UofL Coach Rick Pitino, with the best start in the 2004-05 season when U of L started 21-4. All four of Pitino's previous four UofL teams that also started with at least a 20-6 record reached the Elite Eight and two were Final Four teams. The Cardinals were 20-6 through 26 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 earlier three-game skid was the first time it lost three straight since Jan. 11-21, 2010. Louisville has lost back-toback games just 10 times over the last five seasons. Pitino A Hall of Fame Finalist UofL coach Rick Pitino is one of 12 finalists from the North American and Women's committees to be considered for election in 2013 in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Joining Pitino among the dozen finalists are, from the North American Screening Committee, players Maurice Cheeks, Tim Hardaway, Spencer Haywood, Bernard King, Gary Payton and Mitch Richmond; and coaches Tom Heinsohn, Guy Lewis and Jerry Tarkanian. Player Dawn Staley and coach Sylvia Hatchell are finalists from the Women's Screening Committee. Five Direct Elects for the Class of 2013 have been announced. They include Roger Brown voted in from the American Basketball Association (ABA) Committee, Edwin B. Henderson from the Early African American Pioneers Committee, Oscar Schmidt from the International Committee, Richard Guerin from the Veterans Committee and Russ Granik from the Contributor Direct Election Committee. The Class of 2013 will be announced on Monday, April 8 at a press conference in Atlanta prior to the NCAA's Men's Championship game. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Class of 2013 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Mass. on Sunday, September 8. Willard A Former Cardinal Assistant Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard was an assistant at U of L for six years (2001-07). The Cardinals were a combined 142-58 during Willard's six years at UofL. Willard guided the Cardinals to a 64-48 win over Houston (1/28/04) in Freedom Hall when Pitino took a short medical leave. Seton Hall assistant coach Dan McHale was U of L's director of video operations for two years (2005-07) and was a program assistant for the Cards for another two years (2001-03). Career Milestones Peyton Siva moved up to second in career assists at UofL with four at Connecticut (607 total now) and is 106 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 became just the second with 600 when he handed out six against St. John's. 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 fourth in career steals (218 now) and is just 12 short of the career record of 230 by Darrell Griffith. Siva's 17 points vs. USF made him the 64th 1,000 point scorer for UofL (1,074 now, No. 55 at UofL) . Russ Smith has 154 steals for his career (54 in 26 games this year, 2.1 average). His 87 steals last season set a new UofL record. Smith is 34 points short of 1,000 career points. Gorgui Dieng needs 13 rebounds for 700 in his career. He passed 700 career points at USF. Dieng blocked his 200th career shot against Providence when he had four rejections. Chane Behanan needs 40 points for 700 in his career; and 17 rebounds for 500. Cards Lead in BIG EAST Wins Louisville has the most BIG EAST Conference victories over the last six years during the regular season (since 2006-07), posting an 84-35 record (Syracuse is 83-35). Since the 2005-06 season when the Cards first joined the BIG EAST, Louisville (90-45) is tied with Syracuse (90-44) in league victories during the regular season, with both schools ahead of next-in-line Pittsburgh (86-45). UofL has won or finished second in the BIG EAST on three occasions. Smith Among USBWA Top Dozen UofL guard Russ Smith is one of 12 players selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for its 2013 Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List. Members of the association's board of directors chose the players to be included on the list as contenders for the Oscar Robertson Trophy presented by Aflac. The award is to be presented to the national player of the year by its namesake at the Devon Energy College Basketball Awards on April 15 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Cards Have 10 Ranked Teams Louisville and Notre Dame are the only schools in the nation with its football and men's and women's basketball teams all currently ranked among the nation's AP Top 25 (UofL: MBB 10, WBB 12, FB 13; ND: MBB 25, WBB 2, FB 4). In addition, the Cardinals' women's volleyball team was ranked 17th in the final AVCA poll, field hockey was 25th in the AFHCA poll, men's soccer finished ninth in the NSCAA rankings and the UofL men's (14) and women's (15) swimming & diving teams are both ranked in the CSCAA poll. UofL's softball (18) and baseball (4) teams are also ranked nationally in preseason publications. UofL's football team beat No. 3/4 Florida 33-23 in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 Cardinals Hail from New Jersey/New York Area Two Louisville players have ties to the New Jersey and New York area. Russ Smith (Brooklyn, N.Y., Archbishop Malloy HS/South Kent School) and Kevin Ware (Bronx, N.Y.) hail from the New York area. New Jersey natives have been major contributors to Cardinal basketball in past years. Earl Clark scored 1,104 point and grabbed 728 rebounds in three seasons with the Cardinals (2006-09). He was the 13th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft to the Phoenix Suns and is currently a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Recent U of L graduate Taquan Dean (2002-06), from Red Bank, N.J., scored 1,649 points (12th all-time at U of L) and is the Cardinals' all-time three-point goal leader (359). Dean is currently playing professional basketball in Italy for Sidigas Avellino. Two of the Cardinals' top 11 all-time scorers and teammates on the Cardinals' 1986 NCAA Championship team -- guard Milt Wagner (1981-86, 1,836 career points) and forward Billy Thompson (1982-86, 1,685) -- both hailed from Camden, N.J. Former Camden guard Kevin Walls was also a member of that championship team. Nate Johnson (1996-2000) is another Camden product that scored 1,513 career points at U of L, 18th on the Cards' career scoring list. Horsing Around UofL Coach Rick Pitino has participated as a thoroughbred race horse owner since 1988 and recently named three of his horse in honor of current Cardinals. He named a large, lanky colt "Gorgui" after Gorgui Dieng; a small, speedy colt "Siva" after Peyton Siva and another two-year old colt "Russdiculous" after Russ Smith. Three horses -- Halory Hunter, The Groom is Red and AP Valentine -- of which Pitino was an owner have won Grade I races. To put that success in perspective, just 0.6 percent of North American thoroughbreds ever win a stakes race. Another horse of which Pitino is a partial owner -- Goldencents, which won the Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes and the Sham Stakes -- is currently second in the Kentucky Derby point standings, the new method for determining the 20-horse field Pitino Wins 650th Louisville coach Rick Pitino gained his 650th career collegiate coaching victory with the Cardinals' victory at USF. Pitino has a 650-239 record in his 28th collegiate season. He has led the Cardinals to 20 wins for the 11th straight season and his 21st overall, sixth among active coaches ...More... 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