SB Nation - Edgar Sosa

Louisville 80, Stetson 48

Mike Rutherford — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:02:22 -0000

If Louisville had traveled to Vegas and handled UNLV with ease, then last night's game would have pretty much been a throwaway. However, seeing as how the Cards were upset by the Runnin' Rebels and returned to the Derby City with multiple players needing a confidence boost, there probably wasn't a better time to face off against what is probably the weakest squad on the schedule.

It wasn't particularly fun to watch, but it was probably more beneficial than a lot of people are giving it credit for.

There's bound to be at least a minor relapse coming at some point, but Edgar Sosa's senior season is off to a tremendous start. Obviously a hot shooting start has helped, but it's the other little things that are making him look like a completely different player. He looks a step quicker, he's still not a great on-ball defender but more times than not he's in the right position, he's making the extra pass even when the game's out of reach and, honestly, he just looks more at ease.

Many Cardinal careers have been defined by senior seasons and here's hoping that's the case for Good Edgar.

It was pretty obvious that Jerry Smith had been given word to put the ball up early and often, and he certainly followed orders, driving hard to the bucket numerous times, connecting on 6-of-8 shot attempts and finishing the game with a season-high 17 points.

I don't think anyone doubts what his desire and leadership mean to this team, but he's also got to step up his on-court performance significantly for this group to hit its potential.

Congrats to both Edgar and Jerry for joining the 1,000-point club last night. Louisville now has 62 1,000-point scorers, which ties them with North Carolina for the most in college basketball.

If you're extremely bored at work (why else would you be here), I'd suggest you relive the magic that was last night's open thread. It was pretty entertaining for a game that was as lacking in excitement as last night's.

I'm really worried about Samardo. A lot of people said before the season that how much he had improved would be the deciding factor when it comes to whether or not this team can compete for another Big East title, and the fact of the matter is that right now he looks worse than he was 12 months ago. His inability to rebound has been well documented, he appears to be getting pushed around by post players he has both inches and pounds on, he still ALWAYS turns to his right when he looks to score, he still never uses the board and his pouting appears to have increased tenfold.

Even at the height of its popularity I never joined the "Jennings should play more than Samuels" club last season, and I'm still not on board now, but TJ certainly appears to be gaining significant ground on Samuels offensively, and he's always been ahead of him defensively.

Prep hype can only take you so far. The time to step up has come, 'Mardo.

This has nothing to do with the game or basketball, but I feel like I need to address the fact that Eric Crawford wrote an entire column for this morning solely to show me up for not turning "stepping stone" into a compound word.

Really, Eric? Couldn't think of a more mature way to express your jealousy over my Krag-esque salary and Krag-esque level of fan support. Grow up.

Are you allowed to say "douche face" in your column? You're not? That's funny, because I just did it.

Wear it.

Preston and Peyton in street clothes in 3....2....1......

Can't believe I'm about to say this, but point, Siva.

Argyle Wednesday respect for the win.

He's taking a lot of heat for his ice cold shooting start, but I really, really think Mike Marra is going to be a significant contributor here throughout his career. True, he's got to start hitting some shots if he wants to keep seeing the floor, but for a guy who was advertised strictly as a sharp-shooter, the other aspects of his game are much further along than I think most of us expected them to be.

First, he's extremely athletic. He's a very capable defender and rebounder, and he's a much better passer and ballhandler than I thought he'd be. If he can prove that he's the shooter he's supposed to be then he's going to have to get double-digit minutes night in, night out.

Is WHAS the worst local television station ever? I'm not talking about in Louisville, I'm talking about anywhere in the world.

Their HD feed is always out, their picture is always awful, there's constantly something messed up with their sound and then last night they try to give the entire city a stroke.

Your product is miserable and I wish I wasn't forced to rely on it.

There's something about the letter S wearing a hat that tickles me in a way few other things do.

Awesome.

Stephan Van Treese DOMINATED the last two minutes of that game. Also, kudos to long-shirted Chris Brickley on burying a trey.

Reggie, Kyle Kuric, Swop and Rock Buckles all deserve mentions for their respective efforts, so, yeah, there you go guys.

Charlotte returns to the Hall Saturday night. If Diego Guevarra is still on that team and blowing kisses to his wife after every shot he makes, you have no idea how pissed I'm going to be.

Get ready for the pain, Bobby Lutz.

Louisville 80, Appalachian State 53

Mike Rutherford — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:14:05 -0000

Maybe it was because it wasn't the afternoon, but there was definitely more of an air of excitement in the stands and bounce in the step of the player's in white on Monday night than there had been on either of the two days before. Appy State is down from where they were a couple of years ago, and the Mountaineers aren't nearly as well suited as Louisville is to play three games in three days, but this was still a very solid 40-minute performance.

A solid momentum-builder heading into this weekend's road test in Vegas.

How much of a trend-setter is Preston Knowles? Let's just say there are nine guys at my office wearing white compression t-shirts. It's like Kelly Kapowski's pizza hat.

This really might be the most balanced team in Louisville history. How much better is Swop than Buckles? Samuels than Jennings? Sosa than Siva? Knowles or Jerry than Delk or Kuric?

If you're on this team and you finish the season averaging more than five points, then you probably can say you had a fantastic year.

I was almost positive that I saw Ryan Abraham throw a punch into Edgar Sosa's midsection early in the game, a thought that was confirmed on the next possession when Sosa leveled him for seemingly no reason. It looked like Edgar was telling the ref that Abraham had hit him in his happy area, which is possible since Sos's high-short-wearing ways make it difficult to gauge the location of his body parts.

Wherever he hit him, Abraham's a chotch.

Samardo appeared to be extremely pissed off all night for whatever reason.

There was a point where Pitino told him to check back in the game, but when he took an insanely long amount of time to remove his warm-up, Rick opted to let George Goode take the floor. Then there was another instance later in the game during a timeout where hung out by himself outside of the team huddle. And then of course there was the highly uncharacteristic poor free-throw shooting.

No idea what the deal is there, but here's hoping it's nothing a little (or a lot of) turkey and stuffing can't resolve.

Naturally, we have the greatest junior announcer of all-time a mere eight hours or so after I rip on the segment for the first time.

The official Card Chronicle 2009 Hall of Fame Showcase champions t-shirt should be hitting stores late this morning.

On the front of the shirt? You guessed it, Schnilk Chuggenberger.

I heard Jared Swopshire talk for the first time (besides, of course, the "it's game time" at the end of the intro video) on the radio after the game and he sounds nothing like you think he would. His voice is extremely deep and pretty awesome. He also started every single answer with "oh yeah, definitely," causing me to do the same thing for the rest of the night and ultimately end up losing all my friends and end up sleeping on the floor by myself.

Thanks, Swop.

Also, I know that everybody calls him Swop, but for some reason I think it's hilarious when I hear Pitino do it. I don't understand most of the things that make me laugh.

We're still doing a really poor job of locating shooters when we're in zone. Like, really poor.

These games count, Jerry. Let's get it goin'.

Curtis Shaw sucks but didn't do anything ridiculously awful last night. Congrats?

Edgar was a little bit more reckless with the ball Monday night than he had been over the weekend, but he still has to be the mythical Hall of Fame Showcase MVP. If he plays like this, Jerry becomes Jerry by Big East Play, Samardo realizes he's enormous and the young guys steadily improve, then we're going to be an extremely tough out.

Chris Brickley's undershirt was enormous. Preston was just trying to make a point, Chris. You don't have to celebrate it.

Gratuitous dunking Kyle Kuric pic...

More solid pics from Sam, who made the questionable decision to sport a blue button-down and once again refused to take a shot of me looking extremely cool in the stands.

Rock Buckles (my god what a name) is receiving some very much-deserved praise this a.m. He's definitely going to make some awkward mistakes over the course of the season, but if he can rebound like that, defend like that, finish around the rim and knock down the occasional 15-footer then he's going to provide an enormous lift off the bench.

He also gets yelled at by Pitino a lot, which I think just shows that Rick knows he can take it and sees significant potential in No. 4.

Keep workin'.

Overall, a solid three days to get both the fans and the team into the swing of basketball season.

We owe these guys one on Saturday. I'm excited.

Louisville smokes Arkansas 96-66 in season-opener

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:22:49 -0000

The Louisville basketball team has played one game and their margin of victory in that contest - played against an SEC opponent away from home - is more than double the combined margin of victory of their football counterpart's three D-1 victories. Scoring lots of points and winning by lots of points is fun, and I remember that now.

The ball is bouncing once again in the Derby City.

So I'm not sure who started at the four for Louisville last night. He looked like Jared Swopshire, he even wore his number, but he didn't play anything like the Swop we've seen for the past 12 months.

Maybe it was playing in front of friends and family in St. Louis, but Swop looked about 20 times more confident than he ever has at any point in his brief Cardinal career. He made smart and bold decisions with the ball in his hands, knocked down open shots and came down with contested rebounds over some pretty big boys.

I've stated on here multiple times that Swop is at least a year away from being a solid Big East forward, and while I still doubt his ability to do a lot of what he did last night against the likes of Connecticut and West Virginia, if he can play at the level he displayed then he absolutely deserves a spot in the starting lineup.

A friend I took in the game with summed things up quite well at one point in the second half: "Swop just looks...cooler."

Reggie Delk again confirmed his status as the least predictable Louisville basketball player of all-time by burying 4-of-5 treys and scoring 20 points. He also did a tremendous job when he was assigned to Rotnei Clarke.

I thought before the season that Delk's performance would be a huge factor in how the season turned out, and while I don't feel nearly as strongly about that statement as I once did, it's an enormous lift when he's knocking down open shots, snatching rebounds and doing all of the other little things that players with his athleticism can do.

Pitino has talked about Delk being a guy whose performance is dictated largely by his confidence level, and if that's the case then last night may have been even more important than it appeared on the surface.

He didn't shoot the ball particularly well but I thought Edgar Sosa put together a nice game. He made a couple of poor decisions early but still finished with a team-high seven assists and turned it over only twice.

Sosa is this team's point guard and he will be for the entire season.

Even with Delk's big night, I love the three-guard starting lineup. Sosa, Knowles and Smith look extremely comfortable on the floor together and produced an assist-to-turnover ratio of 18:4 last night. I still wouldn't be surprised if Jennings replaces Swop in the starting five at some point, but I think the three-guard lineup is here to stay. As it should be.

The Big East is 29-0 right now. That's quite ridiculous.

What do you think the odds are of the entire league being without a loss come Selection Sunday? It's gonna be tough, but I think we've got a shot.

This will be the 9,674th time someone has said this in the past calendar year, but Samardo Samuels has simply got to turn himself into a better rebounder. Last night he was consistently out of position, he was out-muscled and he bobbled multiple boards he should have come up with cleanly. Granted, he was going up against a future first round NBA Draft pick, but without T-Will and Earl Clark, four boards simply isn't going to cut it.

No token photo. Get off your ass, AP photogs.

Apparently there were some network-wide problems that made CC impossible to access for a period during the game last night. In order to make amends, I'm going to go ahead and make all of our content free and open to the public.

You're welcome.

Jerry's excited about the season.

Seriously, can one guy be cooler?

Peyton Siva's and-one was highlight worthy, but he appeared a bit overanxious when the ball was in his hands and struggled to keep his man in front of him on defense. Still, he's a high school All-American with ridiculous potential who doesn't mind waiting his turn as long as his team is winning.

We love you, Peyton. We love you a lot .

A Big East football win and a 30-point victory over an SEC opponent in the basketball season-opener in the span of four days. It's safe to say Cardwear Sporting Dog is legit.

When Preston buried the no-hesitation three on the first possession of the season, the urge I had to take my pants off was at a March '09 level.

Anyone else have an extremely strong desire to chug Bud Light and pound Reese's Cups after watching that game? I wonder what that was all about.

Rotnei Clarke is really good and we did an outstanding job on him last night. He has as pure a stroke as there is in college basketball and is actually much better at creating his own shot than I thought he was. Kudos to Knowles and Delk for keeping him under 20.

How pissed do you think the two Razorbacks on the end of the bench are that the guy from the golf team plays more than them?

On a related note, I have a friend - who shall again remain anonymous in order to protect him from becoming Louisville's biggest social pariah - who had the gumption to yell "fore" when the golfer missed a free-throw. If that wasn't bad enough, he later admitted that he'd been waiting to use the joke for the better part of the night.

Robert Daniel Sinnard of St. Matthews, the world weeps for you and all you come in contact with.

Mike Marra really needs to make a shot. Just one.

Keep shooting, my man.

How about Chris Brickley's take? That was insanely confident and well-executed.

It was equally awesome to see Sosa, his roommate, going nuts on the bench.

It's really cool to watch how much these guys genuinely like each other.

Ninety-six points, 15 threes, 25 assists, 16 turnovers forced, 30-point win, basketball season.

I'm crying because I'm happy.

BtB 2009-10 Big East Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:19:46 -0000

The Big East had a BIG season last year, but not quite the monster year many predicted. At the end of the year, the conference only qualified eight teams for the NCAAs, instead the nine or ten many had predicted. Louisville earned the tournament's overall number one seed, while UConn and Pitt joined them on the top line. The Huskies were the only one of this group to make it to Detroit, but the 3 seed in the East region, Villanova, knocked off the Panthers to join Connecticut at Ford Field.

Graduation and the NBA Draft sapped some of the star power from the conference during the offseason, and teams like Pitt and Marquette, look to be in rebuilding mode because of it. Louisville, whose summer included personnel losses and revelations about Rick Pitino's personal life, will be a contender but not quite the power of last year. UConn and Syracuse also lost significant personnel, but have some exciting recruits coming in to fill the voids. Two teams who fell flat last year, Georgetown and Notre Dame could be back, while Cincinnati, St. John's, and Seton Hall may be waking from a long slumber.

But the two teams who appear to be head and shoulders above the rest are the two who lost the least, Villanova and West Virginia. They'll start with the biggest targets on their backs, and they'll take plenty of shots in the early season, particularly in tournament play. Both play in loaded fields this November, the Wildcats in Puerto Rico; the Mountaineers in Anaheim.

More on all 16 teams in the largest league in the land after the jump.

Here's a recap of last year's Big East standings.

Big East Conference Standings

(updated 4.5.2009 at 12:15 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Louisville Cardinals	16	2	31	6
Connecticut Huskies	15	3	31	5
Pittsburgh Panthers	15	3	31	5
Villanova Wildcats	13	5	30	8
Marquette Golden Eagles	12	6	25	10
Syracuse Orange	11	7	28	10
West Virginia Mountaineers	10	8	23	12
Providence Friars	10	8	19	14
Notre Dame Fighting Irish	8	10	21	15
Cincinnati Bearcats	8	10	18	14
Seton Hall Pirates	7	11	17	15
Georgetown Hoyas	7	11	16	15
St. John's Red Storm	6	12	16	18
South Florida Bulls	4	14	9	22
Rutgers Scarlet Knights	2	16	11	21
DePaul Blue Demons	0	18	9	24

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a team name appears in red, click it to go to that schools SBNation site, your source for more in depth analysis.

DePaul (last NCAA: 2004) The Blue Demons defeated a league opponent once only last season, bursting Cincinnati's bubble in the first round of the Big East tournament. The pressure is definitely on Jerry Wainwright at the moment, but this team doesn't look like it will improve much. The foundation is good, even with swingman Dar Tucker's departure for the professional game, as 6-10 Mac Koshwal is a beast inside for Wainwright, as he averaged over 12 points and nearly 10 boards a game last year, and Will Walker averaged nearly 15 points a game in the backcourt. But the rest of the squad lacks scoring punch and experience. Ohio State transfer Eric Wallace, Oregon State transfer Eric Wallace, and returnees Devin Hill (3.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and Mario Stula (1.7 ppg) will have to produce more to make up for the loss of Tucker, while Jabari Currie (5.3 ppg, 1.8 apg) and Jeremiah Kelly (4.3 ppg, 2.4 apg) will need to help Walker out more in the backcourt. DePaul will play Northern Iowa in the Paradise Jam, then East Carolina or Tennessee in their second game. They'll also head to Tampa to take on Mississippi State in the Big East/SEC Invitational.

Providence (last NCAA: 2004) The Friars won 10 Big East games in Keno Davis' first season at the helm, but ended up in the NIT. Providence's schedule is a big reason for their failure, as they defeated Cincinnati and Rutgers twice, and were swept by Villanova, making their victory total a bit suspect. Providence should drop significantly this season, as they lost four starters off an already disappointing team. Senior point guard Sharaud Curry (11.7 ppg, 4.2 apg) is the lone returning starter, so at least the offense will be in good hands. Production will have to come from 6-5 wing Marshon Brooks (10.6 ppg) and 6-4 Brian McKenzie (4.6 ppg), along with JC transfer Kyle Wright and freshman Duke Mondy, both of whom lit it up at their previous level of competition. 6-9 JC transfer Russ Permenter and 6-8 freshmen Kadeem Bates and James Still will join two redshirt freshmen, 6-6 Jamine Peterson and 6-8 Bilal Dixon, on an all new frontline. How quickly that group can adjust to the rigors of the Big East will determine how well PC can do this season. The Friars don't participate in a tournament this year, but they travel to Alabama and host former Big East member Boston College.

South Florida (last NCAA: 1992) The Bulls should be better this year, but the question is whether that will show up in the standings. Stan Heath returns three starters from a team that won only four Big East contests a season ago, including guard Dominique Jones (18.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.9 apg) and 6-10 forward Augustus Gilchrist (10.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg). Both of those players will receive significant help in their particular units, as Ohio State transfer Anthony Crater will take some of the playmaking pressure off Jones (as will a bigger role for senior Chris Howard, who averaged over 4 assists a game last year) and 6-11 JC transfer Jarrid Famous will combine with Gilchrist to form one of the more intimidating frontlines in the conference. 6-4 guard Mike Mercer (8.5 ppg, 33.3% from 3) returns to the team for his final season after head coach Stan Heath booted him in January for disciplinary issues. USF's freshmen, heavy on guards and wings, includes Joe Dumars' son, Jordan. The Bulls will play in the Charleston Classic before Thanksgiving, where they'll play Davidson on Day 1. A matchup with either La Salle or South Carolina awaits on Day 2. USF will also face San Diego and San Francisco in Las Vegas before Christmas.

Rutgers (last NCAA: 1991) The Scarlet Knights once again struggled in the Big East, winning only two games in the conference in '08-09. Fred Hill's team should face another tough year despite the return of 6-3 sophomore guard Mike Rosario (16.2 ppg) and an improving frontline featuring imposing shotblocker 6-9 Gregory Echenique (8.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.4 bpg) and 6-11 center Hamady Ndiaye (5.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg). 6-7 Jonathan Mitchell, a transfer from Florida, and 6-6 sophomore Patrick Jackson, a rarely used freshman, are expected to contribute as well. While Rutgers is set at shooting guard thanks to Rosario, JC transfer James Beatty will likely replace Anthony Farmer at the point, though junior Mike Coburn (4 ppg, 2.1 apg), last year's backup, will see plenty of time there as well. The Scarlet Knights will make the short trip to Atlantic City, where they'll face UMass in the semifinals of the Legends Classic. They'll play either Florida or Michigan State on the following evening. A December 28 trip to North Carolina also looms large.

Marquette (last NCAA: 2009) The Golden Eagles appear due for a fall in Buzz Williams' second year at the helm. Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews, and Dominic James, Marquette's starting backcourt of a season ago, have all graduated. And while 6-6 F Lazar Hayward (16.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg) is back, that's a lot of production Williams will have to replace. Jimmy Butler (5.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg), another 6-6 forward, should move from the sixth man role to the starting lineup, but he needs to show more offensive consistency. Two-time Wisconsin HS Player of the Year Jeronne Maymon, yet another 6-6 forward, will be expected to contribute immediately, as will 6-7 shot blocking machine Erik Williams. Marquette's all-new backcourt features two JC All-Americans, 6-3 Dwight Buycks and 6-1 Darius Johnson-Odom, and 6-1 Canadian freshman Junior Cadougan, the heir apparent to James. Maurice Acker (2.8 ppg, 1.8 apg), who replaced James when he went out with a broken foot, is also back for the Golden Eagles. Marquette plays in the Old Spice Classic this year, where they open with Xavier. They'll then play either Michigan or Creighton in what has to be called that tournament's Midwestern half of the bracket.

Pittsburgh (last NCAA: 2009) The Panthers will be in full rebuilding mode this season, as Jamie Dixon lost four starters from a season ago. However, the one starter who is back, senior guard Jermaine Dixon (8.4 ppg, 2 apg), is out until November thanks to a broken foot. Reserves Gilbert Brown (5.4 ppg), Brad Wanamaker (5.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg), and Ashton Gibbs (4.3 ppg, 43.9% from 3) will have to take on a greater role, but replacing Levance Fields at the point is the biggest issue for Pitt. Ultimately, Gibbs and Centenary transfer Chase Adams (14.6 ppg, 4.5 apg) will have to shoulder the load. The frontcourt was decimated thanks to the departure of DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, and Tyrell Biggs. 6-10 center Gary McGhee (1.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg in roughly 6 minutes per game) will see a lot more time this season, as will 6-6 swingman Gilbert Brown (5.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg), but 6-9 freshman Dante Taylor, a McDonald's All-American, could become the most exciting frontcourt player for the Panthers this season. Pitt will travel to Kansas City for the CBE Classic, where they'll open against Wichita State. Big 12 power Texas or now-perennially-rebuilding Iowa awaits on the second night.

Seton Hall (last NCAA: 2006) Bobby Gonzalez not only brings back four starters from a season ago, led by offensive force Jeremy Hazell (22.7 ppg), he has several transfers coming in to provide much needed depth. The Pirates' solid backcourt, featuring Hazell, starting point guard Eugene Harvey (12.5 ppg, 4.5 apg), and backup PG Jordan Theodore (5.9 ppg, 2 apg) receives a major reinforcement in the form of Missouri transfer Keon Lawrence (11 ppg, 2.3 apg in '07-08). An emerging frontline, featuring 6-6 Robert Mitchell (14.7 ppg, 8 rpg) and 6-9 John Garcia (8 ppg, 7 rpg), will be even better thanks to the presence of 6-8 New Mexico State transfer Herb Pope, who averaged more than 11 points and almost 7 boards a game in his single season in Las Cruces. Melvyn Oliver, a 6-11 sophomore who weighs in at an immovable 340 pounds and 6-6 Memphis transfer Jeff Robinson will also see some minutes. Seton Hall won't participate in a tournament this year, but they'll still get some time in the sun. They'll travel to Cancun to take on Virginia Tech on the second day of 2010.

St. John's (last NCAA: 2002) Last season, Norm Roberts' Red Storm won 16 games, 6 in the Big East, during a campaign that was plagued by injuries. St. John's hasn't quite been able to shake the injury bug yet, as their best player, 6-7 senior F Anthony Mason, Jr. (14 ppg, 4.3 rpg) will be out until at least late November with a hamstring injury. He only played three games last season thanks to a torn tendon in his right foot. When he returns, he'll join 6-6 junior D.J. Kennedy (13 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and 6-8 junior Sean Evans (10.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg) to form a quality frontcourt. 6-3 junior Paris Horne, who led the Red Storm in scoring a season ago (14.6 ppg), and 5-9 PG Malik Boothe (6.4 ppg, 4.4 apg) will anchor the backcourt, with sophomore Quincy Roberts (5 ppg) and freshman PG Malik Stith, as the supporting cast. St. John's will participate in the Philly Hoop Group Classic over Thanksgiving weekend at the Palestra, where they'll face Siena and Temple.

Notre Dame (last NCAA: 2008) The Fighting Irish have a chance of improving on last year's disappointing 21-win NIT campaign thanks to the return of 6-8 Luke Harangody (23.3 ppg, 11.8 rpg), a player who has numerous school and conference records within reach. In the backcourt, point guard Tory Jackson (10.6 ppg, 4.9 apg) returns, but perimeter sharpshooters Kyle McAlarney (15 ppg) and Ryan Ayers (11.1 ppg) will be sorely missed. Mississippi State transfer Ben Hansbrough, brother of Tyler, will be called on to make up some of that production, though he's just as likely to score inside, as he can really drive to the basket. Unfortunately, another player who would've fit in immediately, 6-8 Purdue transfer Scott Martin, will miss the year with a knee injury. That means 6-8 junior Tyrone Nash (3 ppg, 3.6 rpg) will have to take on a greater role. Ultimately, a lack of depth will keep the Irish from rising too high in the standings, but they should be competitive for an NCAA bid. Notre Dame will participate in the Chicago Invitational Challenge, where they open with Northwestern. The second day the Irish will face either Iowa State or Saint Louis.

Cincinnati (last NCAA: 2005) Thanks to four returning starters and a couple of key newcomers, Mick Cronin's team should be able to improve on last year's 18 wins (8 in the conference), and with the losses other Big East teams suffered, they should get back to the Dance. The Bearcats' strength will be their backcourt, led by all-Big East pick Deonta Vaughn (15.3 ppg, 4.7 apg). He'll receive more help than he had last year, as PG Cashmere Wright is back after missing all of last year with a knee injury and Larry Davis (6.8 ppg) also returns from an ankle injury. 6-9 Yancy Gates (10.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg), who was one of the league's top freshmen last season anchors the frontcourt, which will also feature 6-11 Oklahoma State transfer Ibrahima Thomas (8.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg) when the fall semester ends. However, the arrival of 6-6 New Yorker Lance Stephenson gives the Bearcats a second legit star. New York State's all-time leading scorer averaged nearly 29 points a contest last year, so he should provide an instant boost to a team that was weak on the offensive end last season. Cincy will play in Maui this November, where they open with Vanderbilt. If they win that, a semifinal with Maryland would likely await.

Georgetown (last NCAA: 2008) The Hoyas were touted as a Final Four team by some last year, but struggled with consistency throughout the season. DaJuan Summers left early for the NBA, which is a major blow, and Jesse Sapp, the senior point guard and defensive specialist who saw a lot more action than anticipated last year, graduated, but John Thompson III has plenty of talent returning to improve on last season's 16-15 mark. Chris Wright (12.5 ppg, 3.8 apg) is back to run the point after showing well in his first league campaign. He missed all of the previous conference season with an ankle injury. At the 2 spot, Austin Freeman (11.4 ppg, 2 apg) will be expected to improve his production in Summers' absence. The frontcourt is anchored by conference Newcomer of the Year Greg Monroe (12.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg), but those expected to start alongside him, sophomore PF Henry Sims and freshman SF Hollis Thompson are relatively inexperienced. That means reserve Julian Vaughn (1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg), who was expected to contribute more in his first year after transferring from Florida State, and occasional starter Nikita Mescheriakov (2.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg) may see quite a bit more time than anticipated. The Hoyas won't participate in a tournament this season, but they will head west to take on Washington in the Wooden Classic (not UCLA, which would make sense) and up to New York to face Butler in the Jimmy V Classic.

Louisville (last NCAA: 2009) Rick Pitino was the center of a lot of unwanted attention this offseason thanks to some well-publicized off the court issues. On the court, the Cards the news was also negative, as the team's two leading scorers and rebounders from last season, Earl Clark and Terrence Williams, are now in the NBA. The cupboard is far from bare for Pitino, however. He has a backcourt led by seniors Edgar Sosa (7.3 ppg, 2.3 apg) and Jerry Smith, a gifted shooter who averaged almost 8 points a game while shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc. Junior Preston Knowles shot even better from outside, 43 percent, as the sixth man last year. The Cards will need their production, along with that of 6-4 freshman sharpshooter Mike Marra and McDonald's All-American PG Peyton Siva, to replace some of the production that left with Clark and Williams. The frontcourt should be a strength, thanks to the return of 6-9 Samardo Samuels (11.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg), though he'll need to be more consistent. Samuels will be challenged by having to do more of the dirty work on the glass, as he was only the third leading rebounder on last year's team. 6-9 sophomore Terrence Jennings should also provide more punch this season, as he averaged 4.2 ppg and 2.9 rpg in only about 12 minutes worth of action as a freshman. Tony Delk, a 6-4 swingman, who averaged less than a bucket a game last year, should also see more time. Besides the traditional game with Kentucky, Louisville will play Arkansas in the Hall of Fame Showcase in St. Louis before they play home games against three mid-major opponents in the same event.

Syracuse (last NCAA: 2009) The Orange lost their three leading scorers--NBA first rounder Jonny Flynn, his Niagara Falls High School teammate Paul Harris, and Eric Devendorf--off a squad that reached the Sweet 16. But don't expect Jim Boeheim's squad to fall too far down the Big East pecking order. Two regular frontcourt starters--6-9 C Arinze Onuaku (10.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.4 bpg) and 6-9 F Rick Jackson (8.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg)-return, as does part-time starter Andy Rautins (10.5 ppg, 36.6% from 3). The newcomers are even more intriguing. 6-7 F Wesley Johnson, who averaged over 12 points and almost 8 boards as a freshman and 12+ points and 4 boards as a sophomore at Iowa State, will fill Harris' spot in the frontcourt. 6-4 freshman Brandon Triche will replace Flynn at the point. The Orange have some talent on the bench, as 6-1 sophomore guard Scoop Jardine returns after sitting out last year injured, 6-7 sophomore Kris Joseph will provide some depth up front, but he'll have to be more consistent than he was as a freshman. 6-8 freshman James Southerland should see some time off the bench because of his ability to shoot. Syracuse makes the short trip to New York City for the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, where they'll face California in the semifinals, then either Ohio State or North Carolina. They'll travel to Tampa to take on Florida in the Big East/SEC Invitational and host Memphis in the Dome.

Connecticut (last NCAA: 2009) Jim Calhoun lost three starters off a Final Four team, Hasheem Thabeet, A.J. Price, and Jeff Adrien, but don't expect UConn to fall too far. PG Kemba Walker (8.9 ppg, 2.8 apg) got a lot of experience off the bench in '08-09 and will be ready to fill Price's shoes at the 1 spot. Freshman Darius Smith should also see some time at the point and maybe even at the 2 spot, thanks to his scoring ability. Jerome Dyson (13.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.1 apg) returns from a torn meniscus to provide more toughness to the backcourt. In the frontcourt, SF Stanley Robinson (8.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg) needs to show more consistency, while 6-9 senior Gavin Edwards steps into a starting role for the first time. Calhoun has some impact youngsters on his frontline, including 6-10 Ater Majok and high school teammates Alex Oriakhi and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel. If the younger frontcourt produces as the season goes on, UConn could go on another long March run. Of course, the ongoing investigation surrounding Josh Nochimson could still lead to some distractions during the season. Schedule-wise, the Huskies will host the North regional of the NIT Season Tip-Off. That should result in the first of two trips to MSG for them, as they also face Kentucky in the Big East/SEC Invitational.

West Virginia (last NCAA: 2009) The Mountaineers bring back the bulk of a team that disappointingly lost to Dayton in the first round of last year's NCAAs. Bob Huggins' frontcourt features two players who will challenge for national honors this year, 6-7 senior Da'Sean Butler (17.1 ppg. 5.9 rpg) and 6-9 sophomore Devin Ebanks (10.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg)-a player who really came on in the second half of last season. PF Wellington Smith (5.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg), a 6-7 senior, should up his performance now that he's recovered from a stress fracture in his leg, while 6-8 sophomore Kevin Jones (6.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg) is another solid reserve player for the Mountaineers. The backcourt will be new as JC transfer Casey Mitchell will be the starting shooting guard and Alex Ruoff's replacement at point guard is a real question mark. Darryl Bryant (9.8 ppg, 2.7 apg), Ruoff's heir apparent, was suspended by Huggins over the summer. Joe Mazzulla (5.6 ppg, 3.7 apg), another player who had to deal with off the court issues last year, is another option. His minutes depend on how well he's recovered from the severe shoulder injury he suffered early last season. The Mountaineers will play in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, where they'll open with Long Beach State. A matchup with either Clemson or Texas A&M awaits on the day after Thanksgiving.

Villanova (last NCAA: 2009) Leading scorer Dante Cunningham (16.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and swingman Dwayne Anderson (9 ppg, 6.2 rpg) may be gone from last year's Final Four team, but there's enough quality on the roster to ensure that the Wildcats remain near the top of the league. Sixth man Corey Fisher (10.8 ppg, 2.8 apg) should move over to the point full-time, while senior Scottie Reynolds (15.2 ppg, 3.4 apg) will continue to help with the playmaking, even in a more offensive role. The frontcourt corps of 6-5 Corey Stokes (9.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg), 6-5 Reggie Redding (7.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg), and 6-8 Antonio Pena (5.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg) will be joined by several newcomers. 6-11 redshirt Maurice Sutton, 6-6 Duke transfer Taylor King, and 6-7 freshman Isaiah Armwood will see considerable minutes, while 6-10 Mouphtaou Yarou, a high school teammate of Armwood, will give the Wildcats an inside dimension they haven't had in years. Nova will play in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off before Thanksgiving. They'll open with George Mason before facing either Dayton or Georgia Tech on the second day.

The Wildcats will hold the Big East's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. There will undoubtedly be a few of their conference brethren joining them.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Big East team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Big East Team

Player of the Year: Luke Harangody, 6-8 F, Sr. (Notre Dame)

Remainder of the Team
Da'Sean Butler, 6-7 F. Sr. (West Virginia)
Devin Ebanks, 6-9 F, So. (West Virginia)
Greg Monroe, 6-11 F, So. (Georgetown)
Scottie Reynolds, 6-2 G, Sr. (Villanova)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Big East this season?

Cincinnati

7 votes

Connecticut

9 votes

DePaul

1 votes

Georgetown

24 votes

Louisville

13 votes

Marquette

0 votes

Notre Dame

1 votes

Pittsburgh

6 votes

Providence

0 votes

Rutgers

2 votes

St. John's

1 votes

Seton Hall

1 votes

South Florida

0 votes

Syracuse

10 votes

Villanova

18 votes

West Virginia

19 votes

112 votes | Poll has closed

What to read while the sound of a bouncing ball in an empty gymnasium gets louder and louder

Mike Rutherford — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:51 -0000

Two days 'til practice. Eleven days 'til Red/White game. Two weeks 'til Georgetown scrimmage. Thirty-four days 'til game one against Arkansas.

I smiled typing that. One-hundred percent serious.

Terrence Williams has been the subject of much hype in New Jersey during the months leading up to his rookie season in the NBA. He took the floor for the first time as a Net on Sunday and scored three points. He struggled a bit again on Tuesday, netting two points, committing four fouls and turning the ball over three times in a loss to the Celtics.

Still...

ESPN hoops blog NetsAreScorching.com recently took a closer look at T-Will's overall game, and came away extremely impressed.

The world wide leader's Jay Bilas recently answered some questions for a newspaper in Arizona, and spoke candidly when the topic of Rick Pitino was brought up.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino also was in the news for the wrong reasons. He admitted to having an extramarital affair. The woman was charged with trying to extort him. How does Pitino get past this?

"It's kind of hard to assess because I look at so much of it as being self-inflicted. It's kind of like the Letterman thing. You don't want to minimize the potential criminal behavior involved on the part of the alleged blackmailer. But at the same time, the underlying conduct, you can't condone that. Can you imagine if that were a player that was accused of behaving that way in a restaurant after-hours? We'd be talking about a kid being suspended from school. I'm disappointed but at the same time you don't want to be over the top. It's Louisville's decision on how they're going to proceed. And I respect that."

Is this something that will disappear after a few wins or will this hang over Pitino for a while?

"I don't think it will ever go away. I don't think you'll ever be able to look at Rick the same way. I think it will be in the back of everyone's mind. It's unfortunate, but that's the way it is. This first year will be the hardest. As time goes on, it'll fade away and he'll be looked upon as how he proceeds. But this year, everywhere he goes he's going to get an earful. Maybe it will blow over. Who knows? Our attention spans are not particularly long. But it's going to come up as he gets into away games, and I can't imagine that it's not going to be addressed in sit-down interviews until the season really gets going. I don't know how much he can or will say, but the questions are going to get asked. I think just the whole thing is tawdry and unfortunate, and I'm sorry he has to go through the legal side of it. The personal side is bad enough."

The previews for the '09-10 Cardinals are really starting to stream in, and much of the focus is being placed on the new found maturity of senior point guard Edgar Sosa. ESPN's Andy Katz also honed in on Sosa recently, taking a look at the relationship between he and former Cardinal star Francisco Garcia.

Sosa is just 70 points shy of 1,000 in his career at Louisville. He has been a starter for most of his three seasons. But he has had his moments with Pitino. At one point, the coach challenged him about transferring. Pitino knows what buttons to push on players. So Sosa needed Garcia, since he understood Pitino better than most.

"I was trying to guide him through, because I know coach Pitino, I know the program," Garcia said. "I told him I would help him make it. Pitino is a tough coach. He wants to get the best out of his players. He's a big emotional coach and a great, great coach. He can get the best out of you. He did it with me every day, all day."

The communication between the two is constant.

"We became so close once I committed," Sosa said of the start of their relationship. "I always knew about him because we were from the same city, but since I committed we've been like brothers."

...

"I've been working so hard," Sosa said. "[Francisco] told me stories about how him and [former Louisville guard] Taquan Dean would sleep in the gym and use the [shooting] gun all night and never take rest. It's something that I've taken serious about my senior year. I want this to be the hardest year I've worked. I hope it pays off for me."

Garcia is confident it will. And if Sosa does produce in the manner in which he professes, he'll have a potential guide to deal with the anguish of playing professional basketball, regardless of the locale.

Speaking of Sosa, here's a shot of Highly Pleasant And Engaging Edgar and I in a passionate discussion about the controversy surrounding Guinea leader Moussa Dadis Camara while tailgating before the Pitt game.

Either that or the UK game. Definitely one of those two.

He also posed for a shot with Ms. Card Chronicle, who completely botched her story about calling his game-winner against Kentucky.

Lee Steiden declined all picture requests.

John Wooden turned 99 today. Simply awesome.

In case you missed the links earlier this week, both David Padgett and Will Scott have blogs.

We're about one Preston Knowles-authored site away from bloggers everywhere simultaneously emerging from their mothers' basements, hopping in their Chevy Cavaliers, rolling to the club bumping Ryan Adams and waltzing past the doorman and the 75 other "normies" waiting in line.

I have a friend who works with a guy whose wife's cousin's husband has a really good source who says Eric Crawford gets it.

Good news on the Downtown Arena front, where construction is reportedly one week ahead of schedule,

And finally, I think the past month and-a-half of football coupled with the approaching season and the growing distance of the Pitino scandal should have us all ready to fully appreciate the following.

I just watched the video and then read this write-up of the win over Villanova in the semis. I can't be sure, but I'm pretty sure when I was done I saw a winged Peck Hickman appear in the background of my lap top. He was smiling.

Basketball!

U of L/UK basketball game date and time set

Mike Rutherford — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:38:46 -0000

The Cards and Cats will do battle in Lexington at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 2.The game will be carried on CBS.

Who currently owns bragging rights?

Right.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- UK-Louisville Rivalry Heating Up

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:59:34 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

"I thought I got rid of Calipari back in 2005..."

Browse more photos »

The big news today is the rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville that has been growing like an out-of-control wildfire since John Calipari came to Kentucky. Not only do Calipari and Pitino have a personal rivalry that dates back to their Conference USA days, but that is multiplied by the historical rivalry between Louisville and Kentucky which is just looking for any excuse to explode. The genesis of the intense part of the rivalry was that Calipari was apparently making public comments directed at the officials before a 2003 game which culminated in a Louisville loss in which Memphis shot 48 free throws. Pitino publicly chastised Calipari, calling him "amateurish and unprofessional." The rivalry further heated up when Louisville bolted CUSA for the Big East, and refused to continue their contractual obligations to play Memphis.

I think that was an example of Pitino at his worst. Louisville and Memphis were a great rivalry for many years in CUSA, and fans of both schools really looked forward to that annual series. But Pitino, in a fit of pique, put an end to a great series that never should have been discontinued, arguably just to hurt Calipari. I think that both men have acted out a bit to stoke the fires of the rivalry, but perhaps only because of my Big Blue Shades, I think Pitino's behavior was more unfortunate. Calipari now has an opportunity to get some measure of payback if he wants it. I'm sure he would deny it to anyone who would ask, but it is human nature to want to defeat rivals in every possible way, especially not-particularly-friendly rivals, for which the Pitino-Calipari rivalry definitely qualifies.

Now, the players are getting into the act, at least here in Louisville. The Courier-Journal reports today that Jerry Smith and Edgar Sosa have apparently been hearing it from somewhere (ostensibly, but not necessarily from UK fans), and are feeling a bit motivated by it all. Obviously, as the team on the outs for the last several years, UK is anxious to return this series to one to look forward to instead of one to fear, and the suddenly powerful Wildcats have UK fans smelling blood in the water. The Calipari-Pitino angle is just going to raise the tension, and the stakes, to a fever pitch, especially this year. While the coaches continue to downplay the rivalry in comments to the media, there is no doubt that tension between these two men has been well-documented, and it is hard to believe it has simply dried up and blown away.

The Louisville-Kentucky game this year will be among the most anticipated since the very first dream game in 1983, and rightfully so. While the hiring of Rick Pitino by Louisville produced a very intense game in 2001, the 2009 game is likely to eclipse that game by a wide margin, both for UK fans and Louisville fans. Louisville fans have not forgotten John Calipari from the CUSA days, and seeing him leading the hated Blue and White will likely stoke their passion to levels unattainable by any other sports event.

"Interesting" doesn't begin to describe the upcoming game. It will certainly eclipse the Duke-UNC rivalry, at least for this year and possibly for a long time to come, as the most anticipated college basketball rivalry game of the year. Since I have been a Kentucky fan, this is quite possibly the most anticipated college basketball game I can remember since #5 Kentucky faced #3 Duke in the regional final in 1998, and is likely to eclipse even that on.

Now, the rest of the news:

UK Basketball News

Coach Cal on Meeks, Summer Workouts, and Roster
Nice interview with Coach Calipari.
Brandon Knight and Tobias Harris visit other schools
Bluegrass State Basketball has the scoop.
Jaylen Beckham of Lexington Catholic #36 for 2012
UK recruit Perry Ellis from Wichita, Kansas is #1.
Sewickley native Calipari achieves dream
Calipari's home state newspaper writes about Calipari achieving his dream:

"'I think he gets a bad reputation because he's a great recruiter and everyone assumes that he's doing something illegal,' said former Central Catholic star Jim McCoy, who played for Calipari at Massachusetts from 1988-92. 'I highly doubt that's the case.'"

I think this is exactly right.
Ex-Kentucky student Pilgrim to visit Memphis
"[Matt Pilgrim] did not want to leave [Kentucky]. And that's one of the reasons why sources told CBSSports.com that Calipari is working with new Memphis coach Josh Pastner to make this likely transition go as smoothly as possible. According to sources, Calipari and Pastner have been in contact, and Calipari has told Pastner he will not only release Pilgrim to Memphis, but that he will back Pilgrim's expected request of a waiver that, if granted, would allow Pilgrim to play for the Tigers this season. "

I hope that request is granted, and that we are never in this situation again.

UK Football News

Kentucky greats, Couch and Yeast, discuss Newton
Great to see Couch and Yeast commenting on Newton. Lots of good highlights. Don't miss it.
Kentucky coach Brooks calls for more enforcement
"Brooks doesn't believe that self-reported, secondary violations are always inadvertent missteps. He believes there may be more afoot as some programs try to get an upper hand in recruiting.

"I think that some of these things are not accidental," Brooks said on the News Sentinel's radio show, The Sports Page. Brooks called for changes in enforcement, saying that will keep the amount of secondary violations from growing."

I think Brooks has a point. These repeated "secondary" violations look like abuse to me, and its time to deal more harshly with them, particularly with repeat offenders.
UK football notebook: More Cats arriving on campus
"There had been some eligibility questions regarding junior-college signees Chris Matthews and DeQuin Evans, but both players have now arrived from Harbor College in California and are on campus and enrolled for the second summer session."

Great news for Brooks & Co
John Clay: Ranking Kentucky's last 10 football coaches
I think he has it about right.
Fame might sneak up on UK tackle Peters
"While most players with his size and talent level visualize being the next Warren Sapp, his dream job is to become another Coach Carter. 'The NFL was never really my goal," Peters said. 'You hear all these young players coming up like, 'I gotta make it; I gotta make it.' I never thought like that. My goal was to be a teacher. My parents always put it in my head that football was just a game.'"

What a level-headed player. Good for him.

Other UK Sports News

Former UK long-jumper takes gold at U.S. championships
Congratulations to Dwight Phillips, former Wildcat.

NCAA Sports News

Eric Crawford takes a whack at the NCAA
He makes good points. The NCAA has become a giant billboard for corporate sponsors that happens to put on athletic events.

Other News of Interest

Packing heat in church
Offered without comment.

The Daily Schadenfreude

Dookies unhappy with Williams' departure
"There’s no getting around the fact that losing Elliot Williams hurts. It hurts the defense and it especially hurts depth. Three guards was iffy but doable; two is really bad news. Add to that the fact that Duke lost all their other midsize players from last year except for Jon Scheyer - Gerald Henderson, Dave McClure, Marty Pocius, and now Williams are gone. It’s a big hit."

Heh.

Rick Pitino types stuff

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:04:15 -0000

In the midst of what has likely been the most peculiar offseason of his coaching career, Rick Pitino took to the Internet today to answer some pressing - basketball-related - questions.

Here's a teaser:

Starting five for next year?

Edgar Sosa at the point. He will have a banner senior year. It takes certain players longer to mature than others.

Jerry Smith - We need him in shape ready to play and lead. Mr. Consistent will also have a terrific senior year.

?? Your guess is as good as anyone.

Reggie Delk must develop a more dedicated work ethic. Great person. Has to make the gym and weight room his second home.

Jared Swopshire. MDP on the team (Most Dedicated Player). Has an unbelievable work ethic. Will battle for time at both three and four.

Samardo Samuels- People would be surprised at how good a face up shooter he is from seventeen feet. Trying out for Jamaican National team.

Terrence Jennings- The sky’s the limit to how good he can be. With a Swopshire work ethic -- look out. Let’s hope he develops that desire.

Peyton Siva - Will see plenty of action as a freshman.

Preston Knowles - Is the best sixth man in the country (Ed. Note: boner).

Mike Marra - Must get stronger and quicker, but his jumper and range are outstanding.

Rakeem Buckles - “Rock” – Reminds me of Otis George. Will need time to mature physically. But has the desire to become a good player.

Stephen Van Treese - Tough young man who will not back down from contact of the BIG EAST. We will work hard to develop his low post game.

Kyle Kuric - Great in the weight room. Just has to work on his ball handling and spend more time in the gym. But he has the potential to be a very effective player.

George Goode - Helped us last year. Terrific person who has a difficult time with his conditioning. We have to monitor his diet to get his body fat under eight.

Hmmm, "Rock Buckles." It's about a 50/50 split between porn name and action name. Either way, welcome to the club my man.

Pitino names '09-'10 captains and addresses rumors

Mike Rutherford — Sat, 09 May 2009 15:50:31 -0000

Rick Pitino held a press conference Saturday morning to both announce his decision on who the captain or captains for the 2009-2010 Cardinal squad would be and to address the growing rumor that he had expressed interest in coaching the Sacramento Kings.

As far as the first order of business goes, Pitino went the safe route and announced the senior backcourt pair of Jerry Smith and Edgar Sosa as co-captains.

"We're happy to have Jerry and Edgar be our captains during their senior year," said Pitino. "Both have matured into team-first players and I know they will show the right leadership for a young basketball to become a highly competitive unit next season."

And on the rumors...

"I'm not sure how these rumors get started, but there is absolutely no truth that there has been any dialog, either directly or indirectly, with the Kings and I'm sure they would confirm that. I am not represented by an agent, I don't have a "camp," and no one representing me nor have I had any contact with the Kings. Anything else said to the contrary is false. These invalid rumors are unfair to the Kings and are misleading to the many outstanding young men we are recruiting to attend U of L.

"I have great respect for the Kings, their ownership and (President for Basketball Operations) Geoff Petrie. However, I have been totally committed to U of L the past eight seasons and I am looking forward to the future more than ever. We are all very anxious for the start of next season and will concentrate our efforts on what we can control, not on what we can't."

I like everything I'm hearing.

Who will lead the 2009-2010 Cardinal basketball team?

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:39:28 -0000

It was noted in C.L. Brown's story this morning that Rick Pitino will take his time on naming a captain for the '09-10 squad, despite anointing Terrence Williams and Andre McGee to the position very shortly after the end of last season.

So who will end up getting the nod?

The odds-on favorite has to be an Edgar Sosa/Jerry Smith pairing, but the two have shown even less from a leadership standpoint than Williams and McGee had heading into their senior seasons. Pitino has handed the title to underclassmen before, and it's not unlikely that he'll choose to do it again here.

So which of these guys has most earned the right to be named team captain in 2009-2010?

Poll

Who's your pick for '09-'10 captain?

Edgar Sosa

70 votes

Jerry Smith

335 votes

Reggie Delk

17 votes

Preston Knowles

192 votes

Samardo Samuels

19 votes

George Goode

12 votes

Other

13 votes

658 votes | Poll has closed