Louisville's Rick must "trick" Kentucky

Louisville's Rick must "trick" Kentucky

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Rick Pitino's coaching acument figures to be put to test Saturday night when his Louisville team takes on in-state rival Kentucky, the NCAA Tournament's overall top seed

NEW ORLEANS As challenges go, Rick Pitino is facing one of the toughest in his career. The Louisville coach is considered a savvy tactician and master defensive strategist. But in the national semifinals at the Superdome, his Cardinals will be staring at a vast talent deficit when they meet overall No. 1 seed Kentucky, a team with six players likely headed for the NBA.

On Saturday night, wel l find out if Pitino can come up with a game plan that shrinks that gap and brings Louisville (30-9) even with the blood rival Wildcats (36-2) to put it in a position to win.

With the five days to prepare, I would imagine theyve come up with a few things to try, Kentucky coach John Calipari said. I dont want to use the word trick but to confuse a team that starts two freshmen and three sophomores ... I have no doubt that (Pitino) has.

Calipari knows that his young Cats are a prohibitive favorite, not just to beat the Cards but also to win the national title on Monday. Pitino said Calipari probably coaches young players better than anybody in the game, but both are acutely aware of the question: Can Pitino outsmart Calipari and the Wildcats?

Pitinos team may not have the gifts that Kentucky has, but it has more experience. Junior point guard Peyton Siva led a team that had lost four of six to close the regular season through four wins in four nights to capture the Big East Tournament at the Garden and now has kept the group rolling through four NCAA Tournament wins. Chris Smith and Kyle Kuric are seniors with tournament experience. The trio leads a defense that disrupted both top-seeded Michigan State and Florida to win the West Regional.

Were expecting to win this game, Cards junior Jared Swopshire said. Since the Big East, weve been on a great run. We just feel like were prepared to play and win this game.

Louisville increased its press-and-run approach at the Big East tourney and has gone hard to it in every game since.

Pitinos resume has some outstanding NCAA achievements on it. He guided Providence to the 1987 Final Four by winning a regional final against a Georgetown team that had routed the Friars in their previous meeting. He helped Louisville overcome a 20-point deficit to beat West Virginia in OT and reach the 2005 Final Four. And of course he took Kentucky to the 1996 national title.

But hes had some bad moments too, the kind he hopes to avoid Saturday. He decided not to guard a last-second inbounds pass against Duke in 1992 that gave us Christian Laettners miracle shot. And in a 1995 regional final, he couldnt persuade Rodrick Rhodes to keep things from getting personal with North Carolinas Jerry Stackhouse as Rhodes poor play torpedoed Kentucky.

Pitino made the obvious reference to the Cardinals superior experience when he said, You never know, when the ball is thrown up in the Final Four, who is going to handle and overcome the nervousness of playing in a Final Four and whos going to be totally focused in and not bothered by it. . . . Early on in the game if guys make shots, their confidence rises, it just becomes a basketball game. When they dont make shots, they start to press.

Calipari pointed to how the Wildcats have adapted their play to their opponents and have still managed to keep rolling. Five minutes in well have an ide a of how he wants the game to be played, he said. Were a driving, attacking team. . . . Theyre going to try to take a lot of charges.

Theyre not the only ones getting ready, Kentuckys Marquis Teague said. Well be ready for whatever theyve got.