Louisville and the Russdiculous Show

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Every year between the months of April and May there are a plethora of college basketball players that feel that they’re ready to make the jump to the NBA. Some declare without hesitation. Others get proper feedback that keeps their respective college basketball fan bases happy. One more year on their college campus has to happen according to Pro scouts.

For most upperclassmen that make the return for their junior or senior year it is a plus from an academic standpoint. But often it can lead to a frustrating year and impede their draft status the following spring when they have no choice but to leave due to graduation.

Russ Smith is by no means having a rough year at Louisville. The team though is. Coming off a national championship losing players is expected. The Cardinal lost Peyton Siva to graduation and Gorgui Dieng to the NBA. They also came into the season with two premier injuries to returning starters. One was well documented as Kevin Ware’s broken leg had occurred during March Madness. Luke Hancock on the other hand was not as profiled. The sharpshooter and Final Four MVP is just rounding back into basketball shape, but still does not look 100 percent on the floor, especially on defense.

Another derailment came via the un-coachable former standout recruit in Chane Behanan. Coach Rick Pitino tried sending him several messages including banning him from the team until he met the criteria of his demands. He was obedient and met those requirements only to falter weeks down the road which led to his full dismissal.

Players that are capable of being great role players on a given night are now expected to become night in and night out premier reliable pieces to Louisville. Wayne Blackshear and Montreze Harrell just do not have enough offensive tools yet to be dependable. Both have the capability of being strong on the defensive end but asking for reliable scoring is a bit of a stretch.

This puts the Louisville team on upset alert and under tremendous pressure on the offensive end each game. Who the burden falls onto ultimately is senior Russ Smith. For Smith it can be good and bad. He is going to have to will his team to victory in several games. A lot of teams in college basketball are shaped the way Louisville is. The difference is Louisville is typically not of that mold and are a powerhouse.

Unfortunately the rigors of conference play can leave even the best of teams vulnerable to an upset on any given night. From a handicapping standpoint I’d position Louisville right up there with Duke as teams that you need to have circled to capitalize off of from a moneyline standpoint. I would not be surprised to see the current three loss Louisville team stretch their loss total to eight or nine before March Madness occurs.

When it comes to seeding I still expect Louisville to crack the top 25 and get a five seed. Advancing past the sweet sixteen is going to be hard goal for the defending champions. Know to capitalize off this Louisville team instead of aimlessly playing the Cardinal minus the points because they are defending champs and have that one player you’ve heard of “Russ Smith” and great coach you’ve heard of “Rick Pitino”.