Pitino Previews Tuesday's Game Against Drexel
December 13, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 13, 2010
Game Notes 
Rick Pitino Audio | Rick Pitino on Podcast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino met with the media Monday afternoon at the Yum! Center to preview Tuesday's game against Drexel on Dec. 14 at the KFC Yum! Center. Start time is set for 9:02 p.m., with the game being televised on ESPNU.
Following the Cardinals' second-straight win over a ranked opponent, a 77-69 victory over No. 19/20 UNLV on Dec. 11, Louisville jumped to No. 20 in this week's AP Poll and No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll. Despite trailing by five in the first half, the Cardinals (8-0) surged in the second with 44 points - 20 from Preston Knowles - to record the win. Knowles shot 6-of-9 from the field in the second half, including two treys, a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Louisville also received a strong second-half performance from Kyle Kuric, who tallied eight points in his first game back from injury. In the final period, as a team, the Cardinals went 13-of-24 (54.2 percent) from the field and 13-of-16 (82.3) from the free throw line.
Drexel, coming off a 71-67 overtime victory against Rider on Dec. 11, owns a 6-1 overall mark, with a 1-0 conference record. Chris Fouch led the Dragons with a game-high 27 points to go with four rebounds and four assists. Samme Givens recorded a double-double, tallying 18 points and 14 boards. On the year, Fouch leads the team with a 22.4 point per game average, while Givens is averaging double-digit totals in points (11.3) and rebounds (11.4).
The Dragons are under the guidance of Bruiser Flint, who's in his 10th year at the helm of the program. Flint has led the team to a 160-126 overall record and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. In the preseason Colonial Athletic Association poll, Drexel was picked to finish sixth among the conference's 12 teams.
The Series - Louisville vs. Drexel
Louisville has won the only meeting between the two programs, which came in the first round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament in Louisville's national championship run. The Cardinals registered a 93-73 victory over the Dragons in Ogden, Utah, on March 13, 1986. Billy Thompson registered game-highs in points (24) and rebounds (10), along with three assists and three blocks. Mark McSwain added 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting and eight rebounds. Louisville shot 37-of-62 from the field (59.7 percent) and 19-of-22 (86.4 percent) from the free throw line.
GAME FACTS - Louisville vs. Drexel
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 14
Time: 9:02 p.m. ET
Site: KFC Yum! Center/Crum Court, Louisville, Ky. (22,000)
TV: ESPNU will televise the game, with Mike Gleason (play-by-play) and Mike Kelley (color) calling the action.
Radio: WHAS (840 AM) will broadcast the game on radio, with Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (color) calling the action.
SIRIUS: Game will be available on SIRIUS Channel 122.
Series History: Louisville leads the all-time series, 1-0 (1-0 neutral).
Officials: Ed Hightower, Michael Stephens, Todd Williams
Next U of L Game: Dec. 18 vs. Gardner-Webb, KFC Yum! Center, 3:37 p.m. ET (WHAS-TV/Wazoo Sports)
