Pitino Previews Thursday's BIG EAST Tournament Game
March 08, 2011 | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2011
Game Notes
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino met with the media Tuesday afternoon to preview Thursday's BIG EAST Tournament game against the winner of the West Virginia/Marquette vs. Providence contest on March 10 at Madison Square Garden. The game is set for a 9 p.m. tip, and it will be broadcast on ESPN.
The No. 14/14-ranked Cardinals (23-8, 12-6 BIG EAST) are coming off a loss in their regular-season finale, falling to West Virginia on the road, 72-70, on March 5. Louisville led by three with 17 seconds to go, but a Casey Mitchell 3-pointer and a pair of Truck Bryant free throws in the remaining seconds earned the Mountaineers the win. Kyle Kuric led the Cardinals with a team-high 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. Preston Knowles finished the game with 15 points, and Chris Smith tallied 14. Kevin Jones finished with game highs in points (25) and rebounds (16) for WVU. John Flowers also registered a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds. Defensively, Louisville held West Virginia to just 33.9 percent (21-of-62) from the field.
Louisville, which was picked to finish tied for eighth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, enter the tournament tied for having the third-best conference mark at 12-6 to earn the No. 3 seed.
Quick Notes:
- Louisville has 20 all-time wins at Madison Square Garden, and the Cardinals have won five of their last nine games. Louisville won the 1956 NIT Championship in the Garden as well as the 1971 Holiday Festival title and the 2009 BIG EAST Championship.
- Rick Pitino has accumulated a 36-12 record in conference tournaments. He has guided his teams to nine league tournament titles.
- Preston Knowles and Peyton Siva earned all-BIG EAST honors on March 6. Knowles garnered second-team honors, while Siva earned honorable mention accolades.
- The Cardinals own a winning record against the three teams they could potentially face in their first game of the BIG EAST Tournament. Louisville is 8-4 against West Virginia, 11-5 against Providence and 39-25 versus Marquette.
GAME FACTS - Louisville vs. Winner of West Virginia/Marquette vs. Providence
Date: Thursday, March 10
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Site: Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y.
TV: ESPN will televise the game nationally.
Radio: WHAS (840 AM) will broadcast the game on radio, with Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Doug Ormay (color) calling the action.
