Samardo Samuels leads the Cardinals in both scoring (15.9) and rebounding (7.5)
UConn (13-8,3-5) @ Louisville (13-8,4-4) Monday Feb 1, 7PM ET ESPN
Louisville’s season, like UConn’s, is getting away from them. They come into this one losers of 4 of 5, and find themselves at 13-8 overall and 4-4 in the Big East. Their Big East wins have come over USF, Cincy, St. John’s and Providence.
They, like most teams, are playing much better at home, where they are 11-3 overall, and 3-1 in the Big East. Their lone home conference defeat was to Villanova, 92-84, a game they led by 7 at the half.
Louisville has yet to post a signature win. They have just one win over an RPI top 50 team, the 68-60 win over Cincinnati on January 24th. Their four out of conference losses came to UNLV, Charlotte, Western Carolina and Kentucky.
The Ville has just two players averaging in double figures, Samardo Samuels and Edgar Sosa.
Samuels, the 6’9″ sophomore forward, leads the team in both scoring (15.9) and rebounding (7.5). He’s shooting .540 from the floor and .710 from the stripe, and has scored in double figures in 18 of Louisville’s 21 games. He had a 25 point performance in a January 16th 82-77 overtime loss to Pittsburgh.
Senior guard Edgar Sosa his having his best season. He’s averaging 13.5 points and 3.9 assists, both career highs. He’s also posting career bests in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6), field goal percentage (.462) and three point shooting (.395). Sosa is the team’s biggest threat from deep, where he is 47-119.
Louisville is as content as any team in the Big East to sit back and fire threes, they’ve taken 509 of them. Only Providence has taken more, with 512. 39.5% of all of Louisville’s field goal attempts are threes, compare that to UConn’s 20.2%…two very different styles of play. Some more comparisons :
Statistical Conference Rank Comparison:
Scoring Offense
Louisville 79.8 (6th)
UConn 73.0 (9th)
Scoring Defense
UConn 66.4 (10th)
Louisville 69.7 (11th)
Field Goal % Offense
UConn .469 (4th)
Louisville .448 (9th)
Field Goal % Defense
UConn .377 (1st)
Louisville .427 (12th)
Free Throw %
Louisville .703 (5th)
UConn .679 (10th)
3 Point FG %
UConn .339 (8th) 80-236
Louisville .322 (13th) 164-509
Rebounding Margin
Louisville +4.9 (5th)
UConn +3.0 (10th)
Turnover Margin
Louisville +2.57 (4th)
UConn -2.05 (14th)
Connecticut certainly has some statistical advantages in this game, but the most important statistic to know is that the Huskies have yet to win a road game. 0-4. When you add neutral court games, it doesn’t get much better, 1-6.
The Huskies simply can not lose this game, falling to 3-6 in the conference would just about do it, barring an improbable run in the Big East tournament. Turnovers are killing this team, if they don’t get them under control vs Louisville, it’s going to be a long night.
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
January is behind us. If February is not a heck of a lot better March is not going to be very fun.
Still clinging to a bit of hope for this team.
This team needs to take a deep breath and start over. There is time to make a run, if they start now. Look in the mirror, stop turning the ball over. Stop waiting until you are down 10 to play with a purpose. The time is now…missing 2 tournaments in a 4 year span would be a disaster.
Glad to see that you guys still have hope…I couldn’t even get mad watching the game against Marquette – I just felt empty. But, since you all still have hope I will try and get my enthusiasm back for tonights game. I find myself constantly looking at our recruiting to see if we are going to sign some marquee players for next year…Brandon Knight – if you can hear me – make the commitment!!!!!!!!!!!
Roscoe Smith is disgusting…so we’ve got that going for us…We are still in it for Knight, Corey Joseph, and Josh Selby…although some say we are on the outside looking in with Selby and Knight…
Thompson, my hope is very, very fragile at this point. Can easily be shattered this evening.
Deep down I am with you – I just can’t believe that they can’t get it together. They just seem to play into other teams style of play. I think the talent is there (besides a pure 3 point threat), but they just don’t seem to show up. Stanley had a good first half and then dissappears – Jerome goes for 32 then doesn’t show up the next game – it is great when they all decide to play on the same day, but come on – it would be nice to see them all show up each game!
We could use a guy like Doron Lamb as well – shooting guard!!!!!!!
Doron recently trimmed his list, and we were left out…it’s not over until he commits, but I think we can cross out Doron.
IF we fall to 3-6, I have a hard time believing we can dig out…we need to win tonight..
What site do you use? ESPN is behind and does not provide a lot of information unless you are an Insider.
You know…for the past two years I have ordered Huskies Gear to be delivered to me in SC and it always turns out to be bad luck. Last year I bought Adriens Jersey and this year I ordered a Jacket. Maybe I need to quit ordering stuff. The funniest part was they sent me my UCONN Jacket (nike) this year and after two days of wearing it my wife looks at my arm and asked “Why does your jacket say Penn State” – it actually had the UCONN logo (big C) on the chest and in smaller writing on the outstide of the left arm said “Penn State”….
Anyway just thought that was funny – but I couldn’t agree more – I will watch tonights game with the hope that we can get it together and make a little run heading into March, but if we loose, that little hope that I have for the rest of the season will vanish. I may drive up to Raleigh and drowned my sorrows with those poor bastards from UNC.
I use a bunch…and read articles from different bloggers…you really have to dig…Rivals.com is pretty good but that’s a pay one too $9.95 a month. You can get a lot of info from message boards…namely the one at Connecticut.Scout.com..also a pay site but the message board is free…I’ll keep you posted, don’t worry. IF there is any movement, I’ll know about it right away, and I’ll put it up. Go to the top, go to “Men’s Basketball Recruiting” I have the latest known news on the 4 remaining targets…including the Doron Lamb update…and Corey Joseph refuting that he had recently cut his list to UConn and Texas…
Hahahah, misery loves company…
What a crap half of basketball. And Louisville is not that good.
Too many times we rely on a guard taking the ball to the rim against the opposing team’s front court. Worked out OK as we got to the line pretty often but relying on that does not a good offense make.
How many times did a ball bounce out of bounce off one of our guys after a missed Louisville free throw or field goal attempt?
Why can’t we finish around the rim? We look lazy out there. It’s crap. None of the players seem upset or concerned with the way the game is going.
If this post does not cause the reverse jinx for the second half I am done with this team.
Crap!!!!!!!!! Lazy!!!!!!!!!! I couldn’t agree more. Remember that guy when we played Duke with the sign that said “UCONN stick to Football”….well watching this team makes me want to.