Big East Conference (20-12, 11-7)
Seed: #9
South Region
Big Wins: 2/14 at
Bad Losses: 12/5
Last NCAA Appearance: 2009, Elite Eight loss to
Coach: Rick Pitino (38-13 in 14 NCAA appearances)
Why They Can Surprise:
Coach Rick Pitino has put together a very deep and talented team this season. While some big names are gone, there are plenty of others remaining and plenty of future stars on this roster to make another deep run in March. The development of Samardo Samuels has been a big reason for the success of the Cardinals. The 6-9, 260 pound sophomore has increased his role on this team and has turned into the star everybody expected him to be. He leads the team in scoring and rebounding and his presence under the basket is evident on both ends of the floor.
Another sophomore forward has progressed very well too. Jared Swopshire does not get the accolades that Samuels has gotten, but he has turned from an inexperienced freshman into a consistent sophomore. The 6-8 Swopshire is a versatile forward who can hit the outside shot and battle in the paint. His ability to stretch the defense has made him a very valuable player on the offensive end of the floor. Yet, he is also a solid rebounder. Terrence Jennings and Rakeem Buckles have both earned a few starts on the year and are capable players off the bench.
Why They Can Disappoint:
This is a team that gets into foul trouble, but with so much depth that is not much of an issue. They also commit quite a few turnovers, but that is expected from a team that scores 76.7 points per game. And the fact that they create more turnovers than they give up makes it even less of an issue. The main problem could end up being their three-point shooting. The two players who are usually manning the shooting guard spot both hit under 30 percent of their attempts from long range. Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles certainly have the capability to get hot, but it just takes one cold day for the two of them for the
Who To Watch:
The best two shooters on the team are point guard Edgar Sosa and wing Reginald Delk. Sosa does a superb job running the show and he is a dynamic scorer who will rarely score over 20 points, but will consistently put up decent numbers. Delk does not look to score often, but he is easily the most consistent outside shooter on the team and when he starts hitting his shot, he can score in bunches. As long as those two are hitting the outside shot, it makes the inconsistencies of Smith and Knowles less of an issue.
Probable Starters:
Edgar Sosa, Senior, Guard, 13.3 ppg, 4.5 apg
Jerry Smith, Senior, Guard, 8.4 ppg, 1.9 apg
Reginald Delk, Senior, Guard, 6.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg
Terrence Jennings, Sophomore, Forward, 5.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg
Samardo Samuels, Sophomore, Forward, 15.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Rakeem Buckles, Freshman, Forward, 3.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg
Preston Knowles, Junior, Guard, 7.3 ppg, 2.4 apg
Kyle Kuric, Sophomore, Guard, 4.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Mike Marra, Freshman, Guard, 3.3 ppg, 1.1 rpg
Peyton Siva, Freshman, Guard, 3.9 ppg, 1.8 apg
Jared Swopshire, Sophomore, Forward, 7.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 76.7 (37th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 69.6 (204, 11)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.8 (105, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 43.0 (164, 10)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.0 (35, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 33.4 (196, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.6 (115, 5)
Rebound Margin: 2.4 (105, 9)
Assists Per Game: 15.5 (28, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.7 (170, 11)
Joel’s Bracket Says: Second Round loss to Duke
