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2008 Louisville Basketball Picks & Predictions

Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals were 27-9 overall last season and 14-4 in the Big East. The Cardinals beat Boise State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament before falling to North Carolina in the Elite 8. The Cardinals managed to bring in a top-10 recruiting class that will help replace David Padgett and Juan Palacios while convincing senior wing Terrence Williams and junior forward Earl Clark to return to Louisville for another season to lead this team. Keep reading our NCAA basketball predictions to find out if we think Pitino will lead the Louisville Cardinals to their third straight NCAA Tournament and fourth in the last five years. Check out BetUS where the Cardinals are at +200 odds to win the Big East Conference.

Earl Clark will lead the Cardinals’ frontcourt despite the fact that he could have been a first round draft pick in the June NBA Draft. Clark can slide around the perimeter and be productive around the basket, especially as a rebounder, but he needs to improve his low-post game and play more consistently. Clark should be a double-double guy on a nightly basis. Terrence Williams considers himself a power forward, and since he averaged 4.5 assists last season, it is hard to argue. Williams will need to improve his shot selection and cut down on turnovers if he is going to be a first round selection in the NBA Draft. He is already the team’s defensive stopper and averaged 11.1 points last season to go with 7.2 rebounds. George Goode missed last season because of academics, but was originally recruited because Pitino believed he could make the 15-foot jumper. He will get a chance to prove he can deliver. Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings, a pair of newcomers, will help Clark around the basket. Samuels was named the National Player of the Year by USA Today and is a bruising low-post presence. Jennings isn’t as much of a bruiser, but he has a better floor game and can jump with anybody.

Rick Pitino’s best teams are always strong at guard and can always shoot the ball effectively, especially from beyond the arc, which means this could very well be one of Pitino’s best teams. Jerry Smith is a 38.4% 3-point shooter who can take the shot in the final seconds of any possession. He is also a strong rebounder and is very effective in full court press, as shown by the fact that he led the team in steals. Both Andre McGee and Edgar Sosa will get starts and quality minutes at point guard. McGee runs the team better, gets everyone involved in the offense, and makes certain that guys take shots within their range, plus he defends. Sosa is probably better all-around, or at least he has the potential to be, but he has the tendency to forget he is supposed to run the team not just score. Sosa also needs to work on his 1-to-1.2 assist-to-turnover ration. Preston Knowles is probably the most improved of this backcourt. He is a tireless defender and excelled in the full court press. Reginald Delk averaged nearly 10 points per game at Mississippi State two years ago and should play 20 minutes per game. He is a solid 3-point shooter and the nephew of Tony Delk, who played for Pitino’s champion Kentucky Wildcats in 1996.

Final Analysis

The Big East is loaded this year, but the Cardinals have a solid mix of veterans and young talent. Clark can score inside and outside and is committed to being one of the best frontcourt players in the nation. Williams is a tough defender that can pass really well. Smith is the most consistent player on the team at both ends of the floor. For Louisville to really become an elite team Sosa needs to emerge as a dependable point guard and Samuels must replace the strength around the basket lost with the departure of Padgett and Derrick Caracter. With our NCAA basketball picks we think Louisville still will be one of the top teams in the Big East and will easily get an NCAA bid. Look for the Cardinals to make a lot of noise when March rolls around and go deep in the NCAA Tournament. BetUS has Louisville at +1500 odds to win the NCAA tournament this season.

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