Grand Canyon a trap?
Is No. 14 Louisville walking into a trap at Grand Canyon Saturday night in Phoenix? Rick Pitino thinks so.
"Well that is the first real road game," Pitino said. "... The first clip I am going to show is the Indiana vs. Fort Wayne to get the guys to understand that it's a true road game."
The Cardinals (6-1) head west to Phoenix to play Grand Canyon (3-3) at the GCU Arena. Pitino started his film session Thursday with footage of Indiana losing to Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne earlier this season. Billed as the biggest home game in years for IPFW, the Mastadons jumped out to a big lead and knocked off the Hoosiers in a program-defining win. That's the kind of atmosphere Pitino is expecting Saturday night.
"We need it," Pitino said. "That's why I wanted it because we need it desperately. Look I was hoping to be 7-0, but we are 6-1 and we are playing excellent defense. I have no complaints."
Pitino wants to see his team tested in a tough environment. Grand Canyon coach Dan Majerle said his student section is very comparable to Duke's Cameron Crazies. Grand Canyon senior Dewayne Russell can't wait for the Cardinals to come to town.
"It's going to be rocking," Russell said. "I remember when I first got to the school and sitting right there with my grandmother. To see the whole thing build and a school like Louisville come in here it's amazing."
For Grand Canyon, the opportunity to host a recent national champion like Louisville is huge. Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo is a big Grand Canyon booster. He gave Louisivlle credit for accepting the trip out west.
"It’s huge for the school and the program," Colangelo said. "A lot of times schools will say they’ll come, but they want to play on a neutral court. The risk of possibly losing is too great. When Louisville was willing to do what they’re doing, that says a lot about their character and their willingness to help. I think it’s a good story."
Majerle said his team hasn't been as successful so far as he'd like them to be, but getting the chance to play Louisville is big. At 3-3, the Lopes (short for Antelopes) will still be a significant underdog despite the home court advantage.
"We tried to beef up our schedule so the kids can see that we’re playing good competition," Majerle said. "Our goal ultimately is to be a top-25 team. We’re still a long way away from that but our guys need to see these kind of games. It’s fun for our guys. It’s not so fun for me, but it’s a good opportunity for our guys."
Grand Canyon started the season with a 96-61 loss at Duke and an 85-76 loss at Penn State before beating Albany, Marist and Coppin State. On Monday, the Lopes missed 20 of 24 three-point attempts in a tough 76-64 loss to SIU Edwardsville, falling to 3-3.
The Lopes will try to speed Louisville up. The Cardinals are holding opponents to just 57.9 points per game, and no Louisville foe has scored more than 66 points in a game this season. Grand Canyon has not scored uner 61 points in a game this season.
Tipoff: Scheduled for 9 p.m.
Television: GCU TV (WAVE-TV in Louisville) Barry Buetel, play-by-play; Scott Williams, analyst; Kate Longworth, reporter.
Watch Online: http://gcutv.gcu.edu/player/0yQGrR43X_c/yt
Radio: WHAS (840 AM) - Paul Rogers, play-by-play; Bob Valvano, analyst
(Sirius channel 113, XM 194, Internet 956)