Rested Louisville ready for physical battle against Pittsburgh

Sunday, February 24, 2008
12 pm - Petersen Events Center
Pittsburgh, PA

#23 Louisville has been idle since Monday night’s 61-50 win over Syracuse, but they’ll venture into unfriendly territory on Sunday afternoon as the Cardinals square off against the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Both teams have had their share of adversity this season. The Cardinals started the season ranked No.6, but a sluggish 5-3 start quickly wiped Louisville clean from the Top 25 and brought out the doubters. Louisville (21-6, 11-3) has played without the services of Juan Palacios, Derrick Caracter, and David Padgett at various times this season, but Louisville has made their way back into the Top 25, and the Cardinals have charged to the forefront of the Big East. At 11-3, Louisville steadily remains just a half game behind Big East leading Georgetown at 12-3. Louisville carries a six-game winning streak into Pittsburgh, and the Cardinals are winners of 12 of their last 14. Center David Padgett has proven to be the heart and sole of Louisville. Since returning to action on Jan.1, 2008 from a fractured knee cap, Padgett’s mere presence on the court has propelled Louisville to a 12-3 record.

Over the past few seasons, it’s been the Panthers who have made themselves a fixture atop the Big East standings, but injuries this season have relegated Pittsburgh to keeping their heads above water, hovering around the .500 mark in the Big East. Like the Cardinals did in the early portion of 2008, Pittsburgh (19-7, 7-6) is hoping to get healthy at the right time. The Panthers have welcomed back injured starting point guard Levance Fields with open arms. Fields missed 12 games this season with a broken right foot. The Panthers did a great job without Fields, going 8-4 in his absence, but are in danger of losing three straight games. Pittsburgh is coming off tough road losses to Notre Dame (82-70) and Marquette (72-54), two teams the Panthers are staring up at in the standings. While Fields is still working himself back to the level he and Pittsburgh were playing at when the Panthers were 11-0, he, along with Sam Young and DeJuan Blair, form a dangerous trio for opponents to devise a game plan.

While Pittsburgh boasts a 12-1 home record (5-1 at home against Big East opponents), the Cardinals haven’t been intimidated on the road. Louisville is 7-2 on the road this season, 5-2 in Big East opponents’ buildings. With a victory, Pittsburgh can climb into a three-way tie with Cincinnati and West Virginia for sixth place in the Big East. The Cardinals begin a quartet of difficult games left on their regular season slate. After Sunday’s tilt with Pittsburgh, the Cardinals host Notre Dame and Villanova, followed by a much anticipated rematch at Georgetown. A win for Louisville against Pittsburgh means the Cardinals move back into a first-place tie with Georgetown, however, a loss coupled by a Notre Dame win on Sunday and Notre Dame would leapfrog Louisville for second place.

by Frank Minniti
BigEast-fans.com Director of Content

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