Cards Open Men's Basketball Practice
October 14, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Oct. 14, 2005
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville men's basketball team began team preparations for the 2005-06 season with its opening practice Friday night (Oct. 14) in Cardinal Arena.
Fans were permitted to watch the two-hour, fast-paced practice as a benefit for the Derek Smith Memorial Fund. It was not a typical "Midnight Madness" type evening, but rather a true full first practice for the Cardinals.
"Last year, at this time, nearly all of our guys knew what sets we were going to run," said Coach Rick Pitino. "Now, our guys do not know one set. Obviously, we're going to look a lot better when (David) Padgett and (Juan) Palacios are in there. Our freshmen are lost. They're going to have to get in there and learn it right away, but that can be good. If Palacios and Padgett were in there, we wouldn't have to hurry the freshmen along."
Pitino is currently without a pair of front line starters. Juan Palacios, a 6-9 sophomore forward, injured his right foot in a pickup game on July 13 and has been sidelined since then. David Padgett, a 6-11 sophomore center, broke a bone in his right foot in a pickup game on Sept. 19. Padgett is a transfer from Kansas who will play his first season with the Cardinals this year. Both are expected back on the court in about a month.
The Cardinals are armed with seven returning lettermen -- including a pair of starters -- and an impressive list of seven talented newcomers, including two who sat out last season. Pitino must replace 60 percent of his team's scoring from a year ago for the Cardinals' first season in the BIG EAST Conference.
"We've got to try to become a good defensive team, because we're not going to be nearly as good offensively as we were last year," said Pitino. "You don't replace the players we lost at the offensive end. You've got to somehow compensate and become a better defensive team. We're not going to be as good as we were last year early in the season. We just want to try to become as good as we were last year by the end of the season. That's going to be a tall task."
Last season, the Cardinals reached U of L's eighth NCAA Final Four and its first in 19 years, matched a school record with 33 victories, won the Conference USA regular season and tournament championship in its final season in the league, and finished with a No. 3 national ranking in the ESPN/USA Today poll (No. 4 AP).
