By Russ Brown
KyForward correspondent
LOUISVILLE — Rick Pitino’s teams at the University of Louisville have been known for their disruptive, in-your-face defense, and in a way this year’s team is no different. However, at least so far, the 2015-16 version of the Cardinals have forged more of an offensive identity than usual.
UofL (7-1) ranks sixth nationally in field goal percentage at 51.6, leads the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring at 87.5 points per game and has shot above 50 percent in seven of its eight games. At its current clip, this squad will score at the highest rate of any Louisville club since the 1956 NIT champions (26-3) led by Charlie Tyra.
And the No. 19/16 Cards are likely to make it eight of nine above 50 percent at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the KFC Yum! Center when they host Kennesaw State (3-8), a weak and undersized team that has already been blasted by Arizona State (91-53) and West Virginia (87-54).
Overall, UofL is shooting 51.6 percent, including 36.2 (50-138) from 3-point range, is hitting 57.7 percent of its 2-pointers and ranks in the top 25 nationally in offensive efficiency according to KenPom.com.
“Very unusual, the opposite of most years,” sophomore point guard Quentin Snider says.
But Louisville is certainly no defensive slouch either, ranking second in the country in both scoring defense (55.4 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (33.9). It leads the nation in scoring margin at +30.6.
Still, “Let’s face it, although our defensive numbers are good, we’re winning with offense,” Pitino says.
Contrast the current statistics to the final numbers last season when the Cards’ 3-point percentage of 30.7 was the worst in school history (No. 305 of 351 Division I teams) and their overall mark of 42.9 was the second lowest in the last 13 years, ranking 205th nationally.
Also, UofL’s point average of 69.0 was the lowest since at least 1950 (68.7) and they advanced to the Elite Eight almost solely on the strength of their defense, which ranked among the stingiest in the nation.
So what’s up with this season’s sudden transformation into an offensive juggernaut?
Well, at this point, any objective discussion of statistical trends has to start with Louisville’s weak and homebound schedule, which has featured a steady diet of non-conference cupcakes in the KFC Yum! Center who have provided little, if any, pushback.
KenPom.com rates Louisville’s non-conference strength of schedule at 290, by far the worst of any Top-25 team. By another measure, the Cards have played only one team — Grand Canyon of the WAC — that ranks in the RPI 150, and the Ospreys barely make the cut at No. 147 (Western Kentucky, UofL’s Saturday opponent and its strongest non-league foe at home, is No. 144).
That intramural-type schedule makes it difficult to draw any season-long conclusions. It’s significant that in their only game against strong competition — a 71-67 loss at then-No. 3 Michigan State — the Cards hit only 23.5 percent (5-17) of their 3-pointers and shot just 43.3 percent overall.
Nevertheless, the offensive uptick is still noteworthy at this stage, even though the extent to which it continues when the competition heats up — beginning with the Dec. 26 trip to Rupp Arena — is another question.
Much obviously has to do with the arrival of sharpshooting transfers Trey Lewis (Cleveland State) and Damion Lee (Drexel), who are the only Cards in double figures, the two leading scorers and the two best shooters from the perimeter.
Lee is averaging 18.8 points per game and shooting 53.7 percent, including 37.2 from 3-point land. Lewis is contributing 13.8 ppg while hitting 41.7 percent of his treys (15-36) and 46.8 percent on 2-pointers.
“Fifty percent as a team, you don’t see that too often,” Lee says. “It’s spacing, understanding personnel, knowing where guys like the ball, sprintaways (fast breaks), getting open shots, making easy plays. If we cut down on some of our mistakes, like getting too deep or trying to make a certain type of pass, then our shooting percentage can go even higher.”
Among other factors are better teammwork, which translates to improved ball movement, crisper passing and more open shots, working inside-out and less one-on-one play that was the hallmark of departed guards Terry Rozier and Chris Jones, and to some extent, forward Montrezl Harrell.
Improvement by low post players Chinanu Onuaku, Mangok Mathiang and Anas Mahmoud and the addition of 6-10 freshmen Ray Spalding has also helped immensely. Combined, that quartet is shooting 57.1 percent (64-112). Spalding, scoring mostly at point-blank range has hit 23-of-30 shots for 76.7 percent.
“Last year’s team was basically a one-on-one type thing,” Snider says. “Terry’s a great one-on-one player, Chris, Trez in the low post. There were times when you’d go down and after one pass they’d shoot the ball. With this team, you move it around, get some motion out of it and get some great shots. Every time we come down the court, there’s at least four or five passes before someone shoots.”
Says freshman guard Donovan Mitchell: “We have great shooters on this team, especially from our starters, Trey, Damion and Q, and we’re all working on our jump shots every day. And then we have guys in the post like Onu, Mango, Anas, everybody is efficient with their shots and not selfish.”
While UofL’s present identity may be tied more to offense as it continues to rack up point totals, the players say they’re focused on making defense their calling Card in the future, just as in the past.
“We’re trying to switch that to make sure we’re always a defensive identity team,” Mitchell says. “And I think when the time comes we’ll be ready to be more of a defensive team. Once the defense starts to click and we’re in synch, it will be pretty scary.”
The Cards are already frightfully good on offense.