Pitino, Padgett Preview Saturday's Battle of the Bluegrass Matchup
January 04, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2008
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville men's basketball head coach Rick Pitino and senior center David Padgett met with members of the media Friday at the Yum! Center to preview Saturday's Battle of the Bluegrass showdown against Kentucky. The Cardinals and Wildcats, meeting for the 39th time, will tip off at 4 p.m. ET at Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, Ky., and the game will be televised nationally by CBS.
The Cards, playing their final non-conference game of the season, enter Saturday's game at 9-4 overall following a 58-57 home loss to Cincinnati on Tuesday. Padgett returned to action after missing 10 games with a broken kneecap and totaled 13 points and four rebounds. Through 13 games, junior forward Terrence Williams leads five Cardinals averaging in double figures in scoring at 12.4 points per game, while sophomore Earl Clark leads U of L in rebounding at 10.0 rebounds per game to go along with 11.8 points per outing.
Kentucky enters the game at 6-6 overall and has won two of its last three overall, including a 92-49 pounding of Florida International on New Year's Eve as three Wildcats scored 20 or more points - Ramel Bradley (22 points), Jodie Meeks (21) and Patrick Patterson (20). Through 12 games, UK has four players averaging in double figures in scoring, led by Patterson, a 6-8 freshman, at 17.7 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds per contest.
GAME FACTS - Louisville (9-4) at Kentucky (6-6)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 5
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Site: Rupp Arena (23,000), Lexington, Ky.
TV: CBS will televise the game with Verne Lundquist (play-by-play) and Billy Packer (analyst)
Radio: WKRD (790 AM, 101.7 FM) with Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Doug Ormay (analyst)
SIRIUS: SIRIUS Satellite Radio channel 125
Series History: U of L trails 26-12 all-time (6-10 in Louisville, 4-14 in Lexington, 2-2 neutral)
Last Meeting: UK 61, U of L 49 (Dec. 16, 2006 at Freedom Hall)
National Rankings: U of L is unranked but the Cards are among the teams receiving votes in this week's ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and in the latest Associated Press Poll; Kentucky is unranked.
Next U of L Game: Jan. 10 vs. West Virginia in Freedom Hall, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
