Peyton Siva News

Louisville coach Rick Pitino thought his young team learned a few lessons during its first true road game of the season.

You can say it was just one early December college basketball game, an evening that will be forgotten by mid-January - maybe sooner.

Derrio Green had a career-high 20 points to lead Charlotte past No. 20 Louisville 87-65 on Saturday night, the Cardinals' worst home loss under coach Rick Pitino.

Even for Rick Pitino, the compliment may have been a little over the top. When the Louisville coach announced the Cardinals had signed forward Mike Marra last year, Pitino didn't hesitate in calling the 6-foot-5 swingman the best high school shooter he's ever seen.

Who is Edgar Sosa? Had you asked Louisville coach Rick Pitino, a Cardinal fan, or any half-attentive college basketball fan last season, they would have told you Sosa is that head case of a Louisville point guard.

Jerry Smith broke out of a shooting slump to score 17 points and lead No. 20 Louisville to an 80-48 win over Stetson on Wednesday night.

It's a lesson Rick Pitino has carried with him for three decades, one he learned as a young coach at Boston University when he was just an up-and-comer looking to make a name for himself.

Injured University of Louisville guards Preston Knowles and Peyton Siva both will miss Wednesday night's game against Stetson.

The critics shouldn't call Louisville's 76-71 loss at Nevada Las Vegas on Saturday an upset.

LEFT: Louisville coach Rick Pitino directs his team during the first half against UNLV on Dec.

Louisville has played 53 prior seasons at Freedom Hall, and hopes to make its final one at the facility memorable.

That's what Louisville coach Rick Pitino says his team must take. Right now the Cardinals are taking them in a three-day, three-game series called the Hall of Fame Showcase at Freedom Hall.

Samardo Samuels scored 23 points to go with 12 rebounds and No. 20 Louisville held off Morgan State 90-81 on Sunday.

Credit Edgar Sosa with his first assist of the season that has nothing to do with scoring a basket.

It took until his ninth season at the University of Louisville, but Rick Pitino finally decided to coach as if he's in college.

The fast pace the University of Louisville men's basketball team plays is juxtaposed with slow starts during eight seasons under coach Rick Pitino.

Braydon Hobbs loves hunting and dreams of being a conservation officer. The Bellarmine University sophomore is going to find out this basketball season what it's like to be hunted.

U of L's three-guard offense is here to stay - or at least here to start. With the Cardinals opening the season Tuesday against Arkansas in St.

Before the 2007-2008 college basketball season, I came up with a mathematical formula to create my very own preseason Top 25.A As it turned out, the top three teams in my rankings made the Final Four.A My number four team, Louisville, did not, but my number five team, North Carolina, did.

Old faces with new and expanded roles figure to play a big role in the successes or disappointments of this season.