Salukis aim to attack Cardinals' pressing defense
Louisville's men's basketball team turned 17 SIU turnovers into 17 points in a 23-point win at the KFC Yum! Center last season.
A year later, and several years older, a different Saluki lineup will try to turn a profit against the Cardinals' pressing style when the two square off in Louisville tonight. SIU (2-0) has scored 30 points off 27 turnovers in wins over Winthrop and Division II Illinois-Springfield, and started on its transition offense the first day of practice.
"In the old days when we all played, they called it press breakers, but we've looked at it as an offensive opportunity," SIU coach Barry Hinson said. "I think, once we get in the routine of this press offense, I'm confident that we have a chance to be OK with it. We got the game to 11 and had the ball, on a dead ball. Coach (Rick) Pitino called timeout, they went to the press, and it kind of blew up again, and it bothered us. I think we'll do a better job against it this year."
The 18th-ranked Cardinals (2-0) are without Pitino, who was fired amidst an FBI corruption investigation in the offseason, and two NBA players, but return their typical defensive length. Friday night, Louisville backup center Amas Mahmoud had eight of the team's 15 rejections in a win over Omaha, three off the school record. The Cardinals are expected to start 6-11 freshman center Malik Williams (5 ppg., 2.5 rpg.), 6-10 junior forward Ray Spalding (10.5 ppg., 9 rpg.) and 6-7 junior forward Deng Adel (20.5 ppg., 6 rpg.) in the frontcourt with the 7-foot Mahmoud not far behind.
"We have to handle their length, and we have to handle their athleticism, and we have to be able to make really good decisions, offensively," Hinson said. "Anybody that is going to have a chance against these guys has to rebound and has to be able to handle their length at the offensive end, and that's a pretty big challenge."
The Salukis are expected to get junior guard Armon Fletcher back tonight. The 6-5 junior guard was available for Saturday's win over Illinois-Springfield but did not play, as he continues to battle a dislocated knee he suffered earlier this month. Hinson said SIU could get starting point guard Marcus Bartley (wrist injury) back at practice in some way as soon as next week, and starting forward Thik Bol (knee injury) back next month.
Louisville beat Omaha 87-78 and topped George Mason in its opener, 72-61, for interim head coach David Padgett's first win. Padgett, a member of Pitino's staff the last three years at Louisville and a Cardinals grad, is just the third coach for the program in the last 46 years after Pitino (2001-17) and Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Famer Denny Crum (1971-2001). He was the director of basketball operations for two years before getting promoted to assistant coach in 2016.
Louisville was picked fifth in the ACC preseason poll, but has struggled with turnovers and a developing roster.
Even with senior guard Quentin Snider and Adel, two second team preseason all-conference players, three of its top-nine players are freshmen, and the Cardinals have been without the suspended Brian Bowen all season because of the FBI scandal. Pitino allegedly was involved in funneling $100,000 to Bowen, a five-star forward from La Lumiere (Indiana) School that was ranked the 14th-best player in the 2017 class, to play for Louisville and then sign with Adidas and certain advisers once he turned pro. Williams was ranked the 29th-best player in the 2017 class, and two bench players, guard Darius Perry (54th) and forward Jordan Nwora (56th), were also top-100 recruits.
The Cardinals allowed 53 second-half points to Omaha Friday night, and have committed 31 turnovers in two games. Adel and Snider have the most, with seven apiece.
"At least, sometimes, when you turn it over, it's a dead-ball turnover and you can set your defense, but it's been the live-ball and we struggle to get back, and they have an advantage," Padgett said. "You have to give George Mason and Omaha some credit. They forced the majority of our turnovers, but a lot of them we were just careless with the ball. Just lackadaisical with our passes and not being strong with the ball."
Louisville's men's basketball team turned 17 SIU turnovers into 17 points in a 23-point win at the KFC Yum! Center last season.
A year later, and several years older, a different Saluki lineup will try to turn a profit against the Cardinals' pressing style when the two square off in Louisville tonight. SIU (2-0) has scored 30 points off 27 turnovers in wins over Winthrop and Division II Illinois-Springfield, and started on its transition offense the first day of practice.
"In the old days when we all played, they called it press breakers, but we've looked at it as an offensive opportunity," SIU coach Barry Hinson said. "I think, once we get in the routine of this press offense, I'm confident that we have a chance to be OK with it. We got the game to 11 and had the ball, on a dead ball. Coach (Rick) Pitino called timeout, they went to the press, and it kind of blew up again, and it bothered us. I think we'll do a better job against it this year."
The 18th-ranked Cardinals (2-0) are without Pitino, who was fired amidst an FBI corruption investigation in the offseason, and two NBA players, but return their typical defensive length. Friday night, Louisville backup center Amas Mahmoud had eight of the team's 15 rejections in a win over Omaha, three off the school record. The Cardinals are expected to start 6-11 freshman center Malik Williams (5 ppg., 2.5 rpg.), 6-10 junior forward Ray Spalding (10.5 ppg., 9 rpg.) and 6-7 junior forward Deng Adel (20.5 ppg., 6 rpg.) in the frontcourt with the 7-foot Mahmoud not far behind.
"We have to handle their length, and we have to handle their athleticism, and we have to be able to make really good decisions, offensively," Hinson said. "Anybody that is going to have a chance against these guys has to rebound and has to be able to handle their length at the offensive end, and that's a pretty big challenge."
The Salukis are expected to get junior guard Armon Fletcher back tonight. The 6-5 junior guard was available for Saturday's win over Illinois-Springfield but did not play, as he continues to battle a dislocated knee he suffered earlier this month. Hinson said SIU could get starting point guard Marcus Bartley (wrist injury) back at practice in some way as soon as next week, and starting forward Thik Bol (knee injury) back next month.
Louisville beat Omaha 87-78 and topped George Mason in its opener, 72-61, for interim head coach David Padgett's first win. Padgett, a member of Pitino's staff the last three years at Louisville and a Cardinals grad, is just the third coach for the program in the last 46 years after Pitino (2001-17) and Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Famer Denny Crum (1971-2001). He was the director of basketball operations for two years before getting promoted to assistant coach in 2016.
Louisville was picked fifth in the ACC preseason poll, but has struggled with turnovers and a developing roster.
Even with senior guard Quentin Snider and Adel, two second team preseason all-conference players, three of its top-nine players are freshmen, and the Cardinals have been without the suspended Brian Bowen all season because of the FBI scandal. Pitino allegedly was involved in funneling $100,000 to Bowen, a five-star forward from La Lumiere (Indiana) School that was ranked the 14th-best player in the 2017 class, to play for Louisville and then sign with Adidas and certain advisers once he turned pro. Williams was ranked the 29th-best player in the 2017 class, and two bench players, guard Darius Perry (54th) and forward Jordan Nwora (56th), were also top-100 recruits.
The Cardinals allowed 53 second-half points to Omaha Friday night, and have committed 31 turnovers in two games. Adel and Snider have the most, with seven apiece.
"At least, sometimes, when you turn it over, it's a dead-ball turnover and you can set your defense, but it's been the live-ball and we struggle to get back, and they have an advantage," Padgett said. "You have to give George Mason and Omaha some credit. They forced the majority of our turnovers, but a lot of them we were just careless with the ball. Just lackadaisical with our passes and not being strong with the ball."
