Men's Basketball to Face Bellarmine in Exhibition Thursday
November 02, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 2, 2011
By Ira Green
UofLsports.com
Rick Pitino Audio from Tuesday Coach's Show
Louisville Game Notes 
| Bellarmine Game Notes
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville men's basketball team is set to face 2011 NCAA Division II national champion and cross-town foe, Bellarmine, on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7:07 p.m. at the KFC Yum! Center in each team's second exhibition game of the year. The game will be televised live by WHAS-TV, with Drew Deener (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (color) calling the action.
For those outside the local viewing area of WHAS-TV's telecast of the game, coverage is available on ESPN3 by clicking here.
Bellarmine head coach, Scott Davenport, will be coaching against a familiar face in Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. Davenport, leading the top-ranked team in the NABC Division II men's basketball preseason coaches' poll, spent nine seasons on the U of L men's basketball staff, the last four as administrative assistant to Pitino.
Since taking over at Bellarmine in 2005, Davenport has coached two players to All-America honors, 12 to all-Great Lakes Valley Conference accolades, one to conference player of the year honors and another to conference freshman of the year status. His 2010-11 national champion squad went 33-2, with a 17-1 regular-season conference mark.
"They're a little bit different in that they don't have a post-up game," Pitino said of Bellarmine on his Tuesday coach's show. "They put five guys on the perimeter. It will be very difficult for Gorgui Dieng, almost impossible for Zach Price, to be in this game because they basically play with five perimeter people.
"They pick you apart with 3-point shooting and back-cuts and ball fakes. They're an outstanding passing team, one of better passing teams I've seen. It'll be good for our guys defensively."
The Knights, like the Cardinals, have played one exhibition. Bellarmine traveled to No. 6 Duke on Oct. 29, and despite keeping the contest close - Bellarmine whittled the game down to a five-point deficit at the half, 38-33 - Duke was able to make a late charge for the 87-62 victory. Jeremy Kendle and Luke Sprague led Bellarmine with 13 points each, with Chris Dowe registering a game-high four steals.
The Cardinals, ranked No. 8 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll and No. 9 by the Associated Press, won their first exhibition of the season, a 74-55 victory Pikeville, on Oct. 26. Freshman Chane Behanan scored a game-high 16 points on the Bears, the defending NAIA national champions. Sophomore Gorgui Dieng finished with a double-double of 14 points and 15 boards.
The two programs have faced each other 12 times in the series history, with the last 11 appearing at Freedom Hall. Louisville has won all 12 contests, with the last meeting on Nov. 4, 2009, an 88-65 exhibition victory for the Cardinals. Samardo Samuels netted 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, and Louisville finished the game with a .500 shooting percentage (35-of-70). The last official meeting took place on Dec. 10, 2006, and Louisville posted a 76-64 win at Freedom Hall.
The Cardinals officially open the 2011-12 campaign on Nov. 11 at the KFC Yum! Center against Tennessee-Martin. Game time is set for 7 p.m., and it will be broadcast by WHAS-TV.
EXHIBITION FACTS - Louisville vs. Bellarmine
Date: Thursday, Nov. 3
Time: 7:07 p.m. ET
Site: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Ky. (22,000)
TV: WHAS-TV (Ch. 11 in Louisville) will televise the game, with Drew Deener (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (color) calling the action.
Radio: WHAS (840 AM) will broadcast the game on radio, with Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Doug Ormay (color) calling the action.
SIRIUS: Game will not be available on SIRIUS radio.
Officials: Mike Stuart, Mike Roberts, Lamar Simpson
Next U of L Game: Friday, Nov. 11, vs. Tennessee-Martin, KFC Yum! Center, 7 p.m. ET (WHAS)
