By Russ Brown
Special to NKyTribune
LOUISVILLE — Besides whether or not they can secure another valuable road win, there are a couple of interesting questions facing the University of Louisville basketball players in Wednesday night’s game against Virginia Tech on the heels of their 75-71 win at Georgia Tech Saturday.
Foremost perhaps is whether the improved shooting of Damion Lee and Troy Lewis was semi-permanent or temporary. Then there’s the sudden emergence of sophomore center Anas Mahmoud — a sign of continuing progress or a mere blip on the radar screen?
The answers will come, starting at 8 p.m. in Casell Coliseum (ESPN), where Virginia Tech (12-8, 4-3 ACC) nearly upset No. 2/1 North Carolina Sunday, overcoming a 20-point deficit before succumbing 75-70.
Another solid performance by UofL would be helpful going into the toughest part of its ACC schedule, beginning with back-to-back home games against No. 11/2 Virginia (15-4, 4-3) and the Tar Heels Saturday and Monday.
Lee and Lewis, the top two scorers for the No. 16/14 Cards (16-3, 5-1) ended — at least for the time being — their mini-slump against Georgia Tech.
Lewis, who was 6-of-36 over four games, was 5-of-11 Saturday in Atlanta. Lee made 3-of-6 3-pointers after going 2-for-20 in his previous three outings.
“Getting back in that rhythm, that’s what it’s all about,” Lewis told reporters following the win over the Yellow Jackets. “Being in a rhythm and just doing what you can for your teammates. If you have an open shot, you have to take it.”
Lee, meanwhile, said he put in extra time before and after practice. UofL coach Rick Pitino said last week that part of the duo’s problems stemmed from taking too many challenged shots.
Pitino said the two graduate transfers took challenged shots at their previous schools — Lee at Drexel, Lewis at Cleveland State — because their teams relied on them so much.
“Now they’re playing against quicker, bigger, better competition,” said Pitino, who had them watch film of their suspect shots.
As for Mahmoud, he is coming off the game of his lifetime, having exploded for a career-high 15 points, along with four rebounds, two assists and a block. He doesn’t need to necessarily repeat that performance, but just be better than he was during the first half of the season when he averaged about two points per game.
Normally a backup to starting center Chinanu Onuaku, the 7-foot Mahmoud was on the court with Onuaku for long stretches against Tech.
“Anas has been playing very well in practice,” Pitino said on Monday’s ACC teleconference. “With Mangok Mathiang out (broken foot), sometimes I’m concerned about using him a lot at power forward — which is his normal position — but he and Nanu play very well together. He’s still very thin at 215. I don’t think you’ll see great consistency out of him until he gets up to 230, 235, and he’ll still be thin then. But at least he’ll have a decent body on him. He’s very agile, very intelligent, blocks shots and has good low post moves.”
Virginia Tech has been one of the surprise teams in the ACC this season and nearly pulled off a huge shocker against UNC, but faltered in the final minute after using a 12-2 run to take a 61-59 lead and staying close the rest of the game.
North Carolina crushed the Hokies on the boards, 48-33, including 20 offensive rebounds that the Tar Heels converted into 18 second-chance points. Naturally, VT coach Buzz Williams is concerned about rebounding against UofL, which leads the league with 41.9 per game and in rebounding margin with an 11.2 margin.
“If we don’t do better it will be the same story,” says Tech head coach Buzz Williams, whose team has been outrebounded 320-233 in its last nine games. “Whether it’s Carolina or Louisville or anybody else, until we can answer that question we’ll continue to have the same issues.”
UofL, combining a man-to-man, a matchup zone and fullcourt pressure, also leads the ACC in scoring defense and field goal defense and ranks second in 3-point field goal defense and steals. The Cards are allowing just 62.0 points per game in conference play.
“They’re not doing the same thing for every possession,” Williams says. “They’re not doing the same thing for the length of one possession. They’re changing within the possession and I think those changes keep teams on their heels.”
History doesn’t favor Virginia Tech, which is 1-11 against ranked opponents under Williams and the Hokies have lost 10 straight to the Cards dating back to 1992.