March 2, 2013

Matt Willinger
CardinalSports.com

Louisville vs. Syracuse Saturday, March 2 Noon ET Carrier Dome (34,616) Syracuse, N.Y. Television: CBS Radio: WKRD (790 AM) Game Look Louisville will play its final true road game of the season as the Cardinals face the Syracuse Orange on Saturday. Louisville won for the seventh time in eight games and fourth straight in beating DePaul 79-58 as Russ Smith's 17 points pushed him past 1,000 for his career. Syracuse (22-6, 10-5 BIG EAST Conference; 12th AP, 12th USA Today) is currently in fourth in the BIG EAST, a half-game behind Louisville's second place tie position. The Orange fell 71-74 at Marquette on Feb. 25 in their last game. University of Louisville (23-5, 11-4) No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Pts. Rb. 21 Chane Behanan F 6-6 250 So. 11.0 7.5 21 Wayne Blackshear F 6-5 230 So. 8.6 3.4 10 Gorgui Dieng C 6-11 235 Jr. 9.8 9.9 2 Russ Smith G 6-0 165 Jr. 18.4 3.8 2 Peyton Siva G 6-0 185 Sr. 10.1 2.3 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.; Luke Hancock, G/F, 6-4, Jr.; Michael Baffour, G, 6-2, Fr.; Stephan Van Treese, C, 6-8, Sr. HEAD COACH: Rick Pitino (Massachusetts '74) 298-111 in 12th season at UofL and 652-239 in 28th season as collegiate coach. Syracuse (22-6, 10-5) No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Pts. Rb. 5 C.J. Fair F 6-8 215 Jr. 14.4 7.3 25 Rakeem Christmas F 6-9 242 So. 5.7 5.0 32 DaJuan Coleman G 6-9 288 Fr. 5.0 4.4 1 Michael Carter-Williams G 6-6 185 So. 12.5 4.7 20 Brandon Triche G 6-4 210 Sr. 14.5 3.5 RESERVES: Michael Gbinije, F, 6-7, So.; Jerami Grant, F, 6-8, Fr.; Nolan Hart, G, 5-10, Jr.; Trevor Cooney, G, 6-4, So.; Baye Moussa Keita, C, 6-10, Jr.; Griffin Hoffmann, G, 6-1, Sr.; Matt Lyde-Cajuste, F, 6-5, Sr.; Noel Jones, F, 6-6, Jr.; Russ DeRemer, G, 6-5, Jr.; Albert Nassar, F, 6-6, So.; James Southerland, F, 6-8, Sr. HEAD COACH: Jim Boeheim (Syracuse '66) 922-309 in 37th year at Syracuse and overall. About Syracuse Louisville will play its final true road game of the season as the Cardinals face the Syracuse Orange on Saturday. Syracuse (22-6, 10-5 BIG EAST Conference; 12th AP, 12th USA Today) fell 71-74 at Marquette on Feb. 25 in their last game. Syracuse is among the top ten in the nation in scoring margin (+14.3, seventh in the nation), field goal percentage defense (.371, fourth), blocked shots (6.4, fourth) and steals (9.5, eighth). Syracuse is No. 12 in the ratings percentage index and No. 11 in the Sagarin Ratings through games of Feb. 27. Louisville has an 13-7 series advantage over Syracuse, but has lost the last three matchups including falling 68-70 earlier this season in the KFC Yum! Center (1/19/13), the Cardinals' only home loss this season. Siva, Smith Reach 1,000 Points Russ Smith scored 17 points at DePaul to join teammate Peyton Siva in the career 1,000 point club this season. Siva reached that scoring milestone against USF on Jan. 12. Louisville's 65 career 1,000 point scorers is second in the nation to North Carolina (67). Gorgui Dieng is the Cardinals' next closest to the milestone with 734 career points. 23-5 Start For Cards Louisville's 23-5 record marks the fifth time the Cardinals have won at least 23 of their first 28 games under UofL Coach Rick Pitino, with the best start in the 2004-05 season when U of L started 24-4. All four of Pitino's previous four UofL teams that also started with at least a 21-7 record reached the Elite Eight and two were Final Four teams. The Cardinals were 21-7 through 28 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. Series vs. Syracuse Louisville has a 13-7 advantage over Syracuse in the series which began in 1964. The Cardinals had won seven straight before the Orange have won the last three meetings. Earlier this season in the KFC Yum! Center, Brandon Triche scored 23 points to lead No. 6/6 Syracuse to a 70-68 victory over Louisville (1/19/13). Louisville had a final possession to extend or win the game, but did not get a shot off. Russ Smith scored 25 points to lead the Cardinals. In Syracuse last season, Brandon Triche scored 18 points to lead No. 2/2 ranked Syracuse to a 58-49 victory over Louisville in the Carrier Dome (3/3/12). Russ Smith and Chane Behanan scored 10 points each to lead Louisville, which trailed by as many as 19 points in the game. The Cardinals beat the Orange 76-66 in the title game of the BIG EAST Tournament championship four years ago in Madison Square Garden (3/14/09) as Samardo Samuels' 15 points led six Cards in double figures. Louisville beat Syracuse 96-88 in the consolation game of the 1975 NCAA Final Four in San Diego (3-31-75). The Cardinals had lost to eventual champion UCLA 75-74 in overtime in the national semifinals. U of L Coach Rick Pitino has a 10-9 record against Syracuse, including 7-3 while at Louisville. He was 0-5 against the Orange while at Providence, including falling 77-63 in the 1987 NCAA national semifinals in New Orleans, La. (3/28/87). Pitino's Kentucky teams were 3-1 vs. Syracuse, including a 76-67 victory over the Orange in the 1996 NCAA Championship game in East Rutherford, N.J. (4/1/96). U of L played in the Carrier Dome in 1997 when the Cardinals beat Texas 78-63 in the NCAA East Regional to reach the Elite Eight. North Carolina denied the Cardinals' from the Final Four with a 97-74 victory in the regional championship game Cards By Numbers 2- Louisville is second nationally in turnover margin (+6.1). The Cards have forced an average of 18.8 turnovers a game, scoring 645 of their 2082 points off turnovers (31%). 2 - Louisville and Notre Dame are the only schools in the nation with each of its football and men's and women's basketball teams in the top 25 in the AP poll. (Louisville rankings: MBB 10, WBB 16, FB 13). 3 - National rank for UofL in steals, averaging 10.8 per game. UofL has collected double digit steals in 21 of its 28 games. Two Cards rank among the national leaders: Russ Smith (2.2/game, 35th nationally) and Peyton Siva (2.1, 42nd). 17 - Points scored by Russ Smith at DePaul as he became the Cardinals' 65th career 1,000 point scorer. Peyton Siva reached that career milestone last month. Louisville's total is second in the nation to North Carolina (67). Smith is the 37th UofL player to reach that mark in his first three seasons. 16 - Points scored by Peyton Siva in his last game at DePaul, his most in 13 games. He added six assists and two steals. Siva is third in the BIG EAST in assists (6.0, 20th nationally) and is second in free throw percentage (.887). His 221 career steals are just eight short of the UofL record. 17 - Times Louisville has limited an opponent below 40 percent field goal percent this season. The Cards have also held an opponent below 60 points in 17 games this season. 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. Pitino a Former Syracuse Assistant U of L Coach Rick Pitino was an assistant coach for two seasons on Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim's first staff (1976-78). Pitino was interviewed and hired on his wedding night on April 3, 1976 by Boeheim. He then postponed his honeymoon to leave the following day to recruit Louis Orr, who later signed with the Orange. Syracuse posted a combined 48-10 record and reached the NCAA Tournament in the two years Pitino was an assistant there (26-4 in '76-77, 22-6 in '77-78). He left the Syracuse staff to become the head coach at Boston University in 1978, at the time as the youngest Division I head coach in the nation at the age of 25. Pitino's teams have won 10 of the last 14 times he has faced Syracuse, including when his Kentucky team posted a 76-67 victory over the Orange in the 1996 NCAA Championship game in East Rutherford, N.J. (4/1/96). Career Milestones Peyton Siva moved up to second in career assists at UofL with four at Connecticut (618 total now) and is 95 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 and his 169 this year already rank sixth. With two steals against Seton Hall, Siva moved up to third in career steals (222 now). He is just eight short of the career record of 230 by Darrell Griffith. Siva is three points short of 1,100 in his career (1,097 now, No. 52 at UofL). Russ Smith has 161 steals for his career, 21 short of breaking into the career top ten at Louisville. His 87 steals last season set a new UofL record and his 61 this year is six short of the single-season top 10. Smith's 17 points at UofL made him the 65th career 1,000 point scorer at UofL. Gorgui Dieng needs onerebound 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 24 points for 700 in his career. He grabbed his 500th career rebound with nine at DePaul in his last game. Cards Lead in BIG EAST Wins Louisville is has the most BIG EAST Conference victories over the last seven years during the regular season, since the 2005-06 season when the Cardinals first joined the BIG EAST. Louisville has a 92-45 BIG EAST record, just ahead of Syracuse (91-44) in league victories during the regular season, with both schools ahead of next-in-line Pittsburgh (90-48). UofL has won or finished second in the BIG EAST on three occasions. Card File The Cardinals limited DePaul to 35.9 percent shooting from the field. UofL has held 17 of its opponents below 40 percent accuracy from the field this season (three of last four). DePaul was the 17th opponent the Cardinals have held below 60 points this sason. Uof L is 16-1 in those games (loss to Georgetown). Gorgui Dieng has produced a double-double in six BIG EAST games this season, including totaling 10 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and two blocks against St. John's. For conference games only, he leads the league in rebounding (10.7 rpg) and is second in blocked shots (2.9 bpg). Dieng has led UofL in rebounding in 16 of his 21 games this season. Louisville has outscored its opponent's bench in 21 of 28 games this season and has committed fewer turnovers than its foe in 27 of 28 games (all but vs. Duke). UofL has had single-digit turnovers in six games, including nine against Seton Hall two games ago. Peyton Siva has made 33 of his last 35 free throw attempts over the last 17 games and ranks second in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (.887). Siva scored 16 points at DePaul, his most points in 13 games. Russ Smith has a steal in 64 of 83 career games. He had four steals at DePaul in his last game. Peyton Siva has handed out six or more assists in 16 of the Cardinals 28 games, including dishing out at least 10 on five occasions this year. He had a career-high 13 assists at Villanova. He has 35 assists with 15 turnovers in his last five games. Pitino Nears 300th at Louisville Louisville coach Rick Pitino is just two victories away from 300 wins at Louisville in his 12th season with the Cardinals. The Hall of Fame finalist has averaged nearly 25 victories at Louisville. He gained his 650th career collegiate coaching victory with the Cardinals' victory at USF. Pitino has a 652-239 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. Cards 18th in All-Time Victories Louisville has an all-time 1685-869 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 66 of the last 69 years, including winning 20 or more games in the last 11 straight seasons Don't Count the Cards Out Louisville has rallied from nine or more points down to win on 16 occasions over the last three seasons, including four times this season. This year, the Cards trailed by 16 at Memphis before recovering, were down 13 in the first half against Illinois State on Dec. 1 before coming back, and Providence and Connecticut both led by 10 in the first half. The Cardinals pulled off a dramatic comeback victory against Florida in the NCAA West Region Championship after trailed by 11 with 8:04 remaining (54-65), using an 18-3 closing run to cap the Louisville victory and sending the Cardinals to their ninth Final Four. Also last season, UofL was down 17 at DePaul with 5:17 left in the first half (17-34) before ralling for the win. One of the most improbable recoveries occurred two years ago when the Cardinals beat Marquette 71-70 on Jan. 15, 2011 after U of L had trailed by 18 with 5:44 to play. Special Red Event For March 9 University of Louisville men's basketball fans can participate in another "color" event later this season. The annual "Wear Red for the Seniors" game is set for March 9 when the Cardinals face Notre Dame in the final home game of the season. Cardinal fans are encouraged to wear red attire at that game. The team will wear special adidas uniforms as well. Fans participated in a "White Out" for the Feb. 3 game against Marquette in the KFC Yum! Center. ...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial

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