LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville*s 2008-09 men's
basketball season in the BIG EAST Conference will include a challenging
slate of 18 games, including two games each against Notre Dame, West
Virginia and USF.
The Cardinals will face an 18-game conference schedule in which teams
will face all BIG EAST teams, plus repeat games against three opponents.
Louisville's home conference opponents will include Connecticut,
DePaul, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall, USF
and West Virginia. The Cardinals nine league road games will be at
Cincinnati, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Rutgers, St. John's, USF,
Syracuse, Villanova and West Virginia.
Earl Clark and the Cards will face a stern Big
East schedule next season. |
"As tough as our schedule was last season, this year our BIG EAST
and non-conference schedule could be the toughest we have ever faced,"
said U of L Coach Rick Pitino, whose team played the nation's
sixth-toughest schedule by the ratings percentage index (RPI) last
season. "With as many as nine BIG EAST teams ranked in the early top 25
rankings, this could be the strongest season for the league since its
inception. We look forward to the challenge and I know it will be fun
for our fans and players alike."
Seven BIG EAST Conference teams were in the among the nation's top 25
in a recent ranking by ESPN.com's Andy Katz, including three of the
first five picks - No. 2 Pittsburgh, No. 4 Notre Dame, and No. 5
Louisville. U of L is second nationally in a CBSSports.com preseason
ranking by Gary Parrish, one of seven BIG EAST teams among the top 16.
The Cardinals are No. 6 in a similar ranking by Jeff Goodman of
Foxsports.com with eight BIG EAST teams are in the listing.
U of L will return four starters, seniors Terrence Williams and
Andre McGee, and juniors Earl Clark and Jerry Smith, from a team
which posted a 27-9 record, was runner-up in the BIG EAST Conference,
and reached the NCAA Elite Eight for the third time in 11 years. The
Cardinals will welcome seven newcomers, including 2008 USA Today high
school player of the year Samardo Samuels, a 6-8 forward/center.
U of L's complete schedule, including dates and times for the BIG
EAST games, is expected in early September.