Cards boo-hooing BE Schedule

[bullwark]

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Sunday, June 4, 2006 E-mail this  |  Print page

COLLEGE BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: U of L

Pitino stumps for softer conference schedule

Coach Rick Pitino skipped last week's Big East Conference basketball meetings in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., to attend his daughter's graduation from Sacred Heart Model School and his son's wedding in Bermuda.

But now that he's getting reports on who the Cardinals' mirror opponents might be, he said he's not too thrilled about what might have gone on in the scheduling sessions. A year ago the Cardinals faced national powers Villanova and Connecticut twice, as well as traditional rival Cincinnati.

Pitino has said he's likely to "blow a gasket" if the Cards don't keep playing Cincinnati twice. And the U of L-UConn series might be set for a while because last year's Cardinals-Huskies games drew especially high television ratings.

"I'm hearing things I don't like out of the schedule once again," said Pitino, who didn't elaborate on where the schedule stands now. "So I'm going to suggest we go into a new conference if the Big East hits us again."

Pitino was joking about the new conference, but he said he might not be smiling if the schedule is as tough as it was last season.

"This time I'll be a little more outspoken than I was last year," he said. "Remember now, we didn't have a player named first-, second- or third-team Big East except Taquan (Dean), and now he's gone. They have 11 guys make the all-rookie team. We didn't have one of those guys. So it stands to reason you'd not rate Louisville very high if you're TV, magazines or the Big East.

"That's what I thought last year when we lost four starters, and were ranked seventh in the nation. So we want to get ranked low so we can overachieve this year instead of underachieve."

Cards expect practice facility to boost recruiting

With the construction of U of L's new Yum! Center basketball practice facility scheduled to begin in the next month or so, Pitino said he expects the program to take yet another step forward in recruiting.

"It's a staple of all the big-time programs now -- Florida, Texas and others," he said. "And it's probably more needed at U of L right now than at any program in the country because we're overloaded. Freedom Hall is overloaded. Our practice facility is overloaded, and it's not fair to all the sports.

"Like Minardi Hall, it'll be a tremendous recruiting tool. And we butt heads with the ACC a lot, and Florida, schools like Texas. It's funny, you take Indiana and Kentucky, we rarely go against them in recruiting. It's a strange thing. I can't quite believe it. But we seem to go more against Florida and Texas -- and very much Villanova and Connecticut and the Big East."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060604/SPORTS02/606040526/1002/SPORTS

[South_Florida_Flip]

Something tells me we are one of their mirror teams.

Sounds like a bunch of sour grapes from last season. Pitino will reload and be a force in the Big East very soon.

[Doc]

Any more crying from that guy, and I say the Big East kicks him out -- to the Metro Conference, perhaps?  I'm sure C-USA would be happy to have him back. . .

[bullman3]

the big east may become too small for ul in the not to distant future.  I can see the big 10 taking them to make 12.

[Bullpride08]

the big east may become too small for ul in the not to distant future.  I can see the big 10 taking them to make 12.

Yeah all these Flagship Landbank institutions and UL....like a match made in heaven.  Let them win a national championship in something before annointing them in anything.  The way I see it, they hopped up to the BE and didn't win a single conference championship in their first year.  What makes you think any BCS conference other than the BE would be clammoring for them?

[Apis Bull]

I can see the big 10 taking them to make 12.

I can't see that ever happening.

[Triple B]

Cards expect practice facility to boost recruiting

With the construction of U of L's new Yum! Center basketball practice facility scheduled to begin in the next month or so, Pitino said he expects the program to take yet another step forward in recruiting.

"Yum! Center"?? ............

[Triple B]

the big east may become too small for ul in the not to distant future.  I can see the big 10 taking them to make 12.

This is another joke, isn't it? You really need to use a smilie or something to let us know so we laugh WITH you and not AT you ...

[USFMikeB]

Yum Brands is the company that spun off of Pepsi containing Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC, although it was originally called TriCon Global.  They likely donated to the school.

[Triple B]

Yum Brands is the company that spun off of Pepsi containing Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC, although it was originally called TriCon Global.  They likely donated to the school.

TriCon Global Center sounds a lot better than Yum! Center ..... It sounds like it should be some kind of competition for Chuck E Cheese.