By Russ Brown
Special to NKyTribune
LOUISVILLE — In the past few years, the University of Louisville’s basketball team has earned a reputation as being Road Warriors because it has compiled one of the best records in the country away from home.
This season? Not so much.
The 16th-ranked Cardinals (12-2, 1-0 ACC) can begin changing that and revert to their old ways when they meet NC State (10-4, 0-1) at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., at 7 o’clock Thursday night (ESPN2).
UofL has dropped its only two road tests this season — at No. 5 Michigan State and No. 9/8 Kentucky — so the unranked Wolfpack, who are coming off a 73-68 overtime loss at Virginia Tech Saturday that snapped a six-game winning streak, don’t appear to be as big a challenge.
But it IS on the road, and all UofL coach Rick Pitino has to do is remind his players of last year’s regular-season meeting. NC State came to town with a 4-7 record and losses in five of its last six games and went home with a 74-65 upset victory.
The Wolfpack wore black uniforms in that win and are doing the same for this game with a “Pack In Black” promotion, urging fans in the 19,700-seat arena to also wear black.
“If you can come away with a road victory at any point you have a leg up,” Pitino says. “Then you’ve got to win your home games. The ACC is no different than playing on the road in any league; it’s very tough to win. You’ve got to execute. I’m not sure our young team is a road warrior team, we’re so new. We have to take what you get on the road and hope for the best.”
In the first weekend of ACC play, there has already been one shocker, with Virginia Tech — which was 2-16 in the league last year — upsetting No. 4 Virginia 70-68. The Hokies have already equaled last year’s conference wins. Otherwise, Clemson’s win over Syracuse in the Carrier Dome was a mild surprise and the Tigers also gave North Carolina fits in an 80-69 loss on the Tar Heels’ homecourt.
Pitino calls the ACC Big East Southern Style.
“I think as you can see with this league, probably right now there are 14 coaches saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got a great shot at the NCAA,'” Pitino said during his news conference Wednesday afternoon. “It’s a fascinating league, which makes it fun for everybody. We’re going to be in a lot of close games. It’ll be a great year.”
Pitino said senior guard Trey Lewis “is fine” after playing only 22 minutes in Sunday’s 65-57 win over Wake Forest.
In NC State’s upset last year, the catalyst was guard Cat Barber, who scored a game-high 21 points with five rebounds and four assists. But UofL turned the tables in the NCAA East Region semifinal, beating the Wolfpack 75-65 as Barber scored just eight points while hitting only 3-of-14 shots. The 6-2 junior leads the ACC with 22.9 points per game, is fourth in assists (4.9) and sixth in free throw percentage (84.7).
“I think Cat Barber is one of the premier guards in the nation and I say that not to hype him because we are playing them,” Pitino says. “He’s a terrific mid-range shooter, great off the bounce and he’s also an excellent defensive player. We’ve got to be careful with a lot of things we do in this game.”
Louisville recruited Barber and also 6-7 NC State freshman forward Maverick Rowan, who’s averaging 12.6 ppg and 3.9 rebounds, but Pitino downplayed that factor.
“We’re all recruiting the same guys,” he says. “So it’s musical chairs, basically. I think every player we’re on who is a sophomore or junior, the entire ACC is in on them too.”
CARDS ADD ANOTHER TRANSFER
With UofL having so much success with fifth-year senior transfers Damion Lee and Lewis — the team’s two leading scorers — Pitino is taking another graduate in former Penn guard Tony Hicks.
Hicks (6-2) will graduate this spring and be eligible for the 2016-17 season. Point guard Quentin Snider, shooting guard Donovan Mitchell and former walk-on David Levitch are the only experienced backcourt players who’ll return.
Hicks started 25 games last season at Penn, averaging 13.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg and 2.5 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from the field, including 37.1 percent from 3-point range.
However, according to the Daily Pennsylvanian, the student newspaper at Penn, Hicks was suspended four times in three seasons, including once in 2012 for failing a drug test. He also missed a game as a sophomore for punching a Columbia guard during a game.
Hicks, a Chicago native, also considered Miami, Nevada and Oregon. He visited UofL over the weekend and said he fell in love with the program and the KFC Yum! Center.
“It was just something I couldn’t pass up,” Hicks told The Courier-Journal. “I’m just excited for the opportunity to be on the stage like this. I’m willing to do anything to help them.”
UofL MAY PLAY MEMPHIS
Pitino said Tuesday night on his radio show that he is talking with Memphis about playing a game in Madison Square Garden next season. He said he hopes the schools can work it out.
The Cardinals will already play a more difficult non-conference schedule than this season, which isn’t saying much since this year’s slate was one of the weakest in Division I.
UofL will host a team to be determined in the Big Ten/Acc Challenge, also face Kentucky at home and plays Indiana on new Year’s Eve in Indianapolis. The Cards will also play in the Battle 4 Atlantis, which includes Baylor, Michigan State, St. John’s, VCU, LSU, Old Dominion and Wichita State.
“We have an unbelievable schedule,” Pitino says.
To which I say, it’s about time.