Pitino Previews Sunday's BIG EAST Game at USF
January 07, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2011
Game Notes
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino met with the media Friday afternoon at the Yum! Center to preview Sunday's BIG EAST road opener at USF on Jan. 9 at the Sun Dome. Start time is set for 12:04 p.m. ET, and the game is being broadcast on the BIG EAST Network (WHAS-TV/Ch. 11 in Louisville), with Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play) and Bob Wenzel (color) calling the action.
The Cardinals, ranked 23rd in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, defeated Seton Hall, 73-54, on Jan. 5 for their first conference victory of the season. Peyton Siva and Mike Marra led Louisville (12-2, 1-0 BIG EAST) with 14 points apiece, while Stephan Van Treese had a game-high 10 rebounds. The Cardinals won the battle on the glass, 46-35, and received tremendous production from the bench, as the reserves tallied 29 points. Defensively, Seton Hall was limited to just 29 percent (18-of-62) shooting from the field, including a 22.6 percent clip (7-of-31) in the first half.
USF, coming off an 83-71 home loss to Villanova, enters Sunday's contest with a 6-10 overall mark, going 0-3 in the BIG EAST. Augustus Gilchrist led the Bulls with a double-double, recording 16 points and 10 boards, with six rebounds coming on the offensive end. Shaun Noriega tallied 13 points, and Hugh Robertson had 11. Despite allowing Villanova to shoot 58.3 percent (28-of-48) from the field and 75 percent (9-of-12) from 3, USF won the rebounding battle, 31-27, including an impressive 16-7 advantage on the offensive side of the ball.
The Bulls are under the direction of Stan Heath, who is in his 10th season as the program's head coach. He has registered a 47-64 mark at USF and owns a 159-141 career record. The Bulls were picked to finish 13th in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. Gilchrist leads the team with 12.1 points per game, while Anderson, Jr., has a team-leading 7.6 rebounds per game. Collectively, the Bulls are outrebounding opponents by a 6.1 margin.
The Series - Louisville vs. USF
Louisville owns the all-time series advantage, 24-3, including 10-straight victories. The Cardinals, winners of 13 of the past 14 games, took a 73-52 victory in last season's meeting on Dec. 30, 2009 - USF's road opener. Edgar Sosa led the team with 16 points, and Louisville reeled off a 15-0 run early in the second half and never looked back. Samardo Samuels and Jared Swopshire added 12 points apiece, and the Cardinal defense forced 21 turnovers. The last time Louisville played in Tampa was on Jan. 7, 2009, and the Cardinals defeated the Bulls, 71-57.
GAME FACTS - Louisville at USF
Date: Sunday, Jan. 9
Time: 12:04 p.m. ET
Site: Sun Dome, Tampa, Fla. (10,411)
TV: BIG EAST Network (WHAS-TV/CH. 11 in Louisville) will televise the game, with Rich Hollenberg (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 113 and SIRIUS XM Channel 203.
Series History: Louisville leads the all-time series, 24-3 (13-1 in Louisville, 9-2 in Tampa, 2-0 neutral).
Officials: Pat Driscoll, Earl Walton, Lamar Simpson
Next U of L Game: Jan. 12 at Villanova, Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pa., 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
