Pitino, Chris Smith Preview Saturday's Game at Connecticut
January 28, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2011
Game Notes
Rick Pitino Audio | Chris Smith Audio
Rick Pitino on Podcast | Watch on ESPN3.com
SIDs pay tribute this weekend to Oklahoma State men's hoops SID Will Hancock 10 years after the tragedy
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino and junior guard Chris Smith met with the media Friday afternoon at the Yum! Center to preview Saturday's BIG EAST road game against Connecticut on Jan. 29 at the Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. The game is set for a 12:04 p.m. ET tip, and the game will be broadcast on the BIG EAST Network (Ch. 11 in Louisville), with Mike Gleason (play-by-play) and Bob Wenzel (color) calling the action.
Louisville, ranked 19th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll and 23rd by the Associated Press, defeated West Virginia, 55-54, on Peyton Siva's driving scoop layup, with 4.5 seconds left. Siva finished the game with 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting, going 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, along with three assists and two steals. Chris Smith chipped in 15 points and six boards, while Preston Knowles had 10 points and five rebounds. Despite Joe Mazzulla's 18 points, the Cardinals were strong defensively. The squad limited the Mountaineers to just 17 second-half points, going only 4-of-22 from the field that half, and forced WVU into 15 turnovers.
Since its loss on Jan. 4, Connecticut has gone on to win six-straight games, including two wins over Top-25 opponents. Most recently, the Huskies won at Marquette, 76-68. Jeremy Lamb scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Kemba Walker added 14 points and Roscoe Smith had 11 points and eight rebounds. The Huskies outrebounded the Golden Eagles, 39-34, and held them to just 41.7 percent (25-of-60) from the field.
The Huskies are under the direction of Jim Calhoun, who's in his 25th season as head coach of Connecticut. He has led the program to a 592-223 mark, going 295-166 in the BIG EAST, and leading the team to 16 trips to the NCAA Tournament. In the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, Connecticut was picked to finish 10th. Walker, the team's lone preseason selection, was a first team all-BIG EAST pick. He leads the team with 24.4 points per game and 40 steals. Alex Oriakhi ranks first in the team in rebounds per game (9.0) and second in scoring (10.9).
The Series - Louisville vs. Connecticut
Connecticut holds the lead in the all-time series, 5-4, over Louisville. However, the Cardinals have won the past four meetings, including a pair of victories last season - 82-69 on Feb. 1 at Freedom Hall and 78-76 on Feb. 28 in Storrs, Conn. In the first meeting, Edgar Sosa (15 points), Jerry Smith (14 points), Samardo Samuels (13 points) and Reginald Delk (10 points) all tallied double digits in scoring. In addition to holding the Huskies to just 37.5 percent (21-of-56) from the field, the Cardinals also forced Connecticut into 18 turnovers. In the second contest, Sosa scored the game-winning layup with seven seconds remaining to give Louisville the 78-76 victory. Four players scored in double digits, led by Samuels' 14 points. Defensively, Louisville forced Connecticut into 22 turnovers. Kemba Walker finished the contest with a game-high 28 points, which included a 10-10 stint from the line.
GAME FACTS - Louisville at Connecticut
Date: Saturday, Jan. 29
Time: 12:04 p.m. ET
Site: Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, Conn. (10,167
TV: The BIG EAST Network (WHAS-TV/CH. 11 in Louisville) will televise the game, with Mike Gleason (play-by-play) and Bob Wenzel (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 121 and XM Channel 141.
Series History: Connecticut leads the all-time series, 5-4 (2-2 in Louisville, 2-1 in Storrs, 0-2 neutral).
Officials: Bob Donato, Brian O'Connell, Roger Ayers
Next U of L Game: Monday, Jan. 31 at Georgetown, Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. (ESPN Big Monday)
