Louisville's 10 best and toughest games this coming season
1. Duke
When: Feb. 8, 7 p.m. Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham. Watch: ESPN.
The defending national champs have reloaded for the 2015-16 season and should have a top-10 squad, but the reason this one is ahead of UNC, which might be the preseason No. 1 team in the country, is simple. Louisville is making its first trip to the famous Cameron Indoor Stadium as a member of the ACC. To the best of his recollection, Rick Pitino has never been or coached there, which adds to newness of it all.
2. North Carolina
When: Feb. 1, 7 p.m. Where: KFC Yum! Center. Watch: ESPN.
The Tar Heels will fight it out with Maryland over which team is the preseason No. 1, but either way, they are loaded and ready to make a serious run at ACC and national titles. Louisville and UNC put together three riveting games last year, with one last-second game-winner and one overtime show after a frenetic U of L comeback. The ACC tournament game was back and forth for about 30 minutes before the Heels took control. Here's hoping for another fun one.
3. Michigan State
When: Dec. 2, 7:15 p.m. Where: Breslin Student Events Center, East Lansing. Watch: ESPN.
A rematch of last season's exciting Elite 8 will be Louisville's first major test of the season. Both squads will look quite a bit different from their meeting in March, but they will still be talented and well-coached, as you'd expect. This is the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, which is always a fun event over a few days, and Michigan State is one of the toughest places to play in the country.
http://courier-journal.com/featured-newsletter/louisville_sports_headlines/
4. Virginia
When: March 5, TBA. Where: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville. Watch: ESPN or ESPN2.
UVA will once again be a top-10 team with a roster of players who complement each other and fit perfectly into Tony Bennett's system. The 'Hoos are the main threats to UNC and Duke for ACC supremacy this season, though I do consider Louisville, Miami and Notre Dame potential spoilers. Pitino has repeatedly called JPJ a very challenging place to play, and the two teams put together a pair of very entertaining, close affairs last season.
5. Notre Dame
When: Feb. 13, 4 or 9 p.m. Where: Joyce Center, South Bend. Watch: ESPN or ESPN2.
Everyone always jokes about Louisville and Notre Dame's history with overtimes and close games in the Big East. Last season's game was a bit of a clunker as the Irish picked apart the Cards at the Yum! Center, but this one should be a good one in South Bend.
6. Syracuse
When: Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Where: KFCYum! Center. Watch: ESPN or ESPN2.
There might be higher-rated teams coming into the season, namely Miami, but any time U of L matches up against the Orange, it's must-see TV. Boeheim vs. Pitino is always fun (Boeheim is one of Pitino's two most influential mentors). Syracuse bum-rushed Louisville last winter, too.
7. Miami
When: Feb. 27. Where: BankUnited Center, Miami. Watch: TBD.
These two played a pair of intense games last winter, with U of L holding off a scrappy Miami twice. Plus, there was The Throw Game, which added some intensity to the new rivalry. And this season, both teams are top-30ish squads who will be fighting for byes in the ACC tournament.
8. NC State
When: Jan. 7, 7 p.m. Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh. Watch: ESPN or ESPN2.
Can you imagine if this game was in Louisville? Maverick Rowan in a Wolfpack uniform is going to be a somewhat antagonistic image for U of L fans, at least the ones who pay close attention to recruiting. And I got the sense Louisville-NC State had a little juice as a budding rivalry last season, with Cat Barber and his guys thumping Louisville at the Yum! Center and then the Cards getting revenge in the Sweet 16.
9. Pittsburgh
When: Jan. 14, 9 p.m. Where: KFC Yum! Center. Watch: ESPN or ESPN2.
Either this game or the game at the Peterson Events Center is worth circling on the calendar, only because it was a fun series when the two teams were in the Big East. FSU might be better than Pitt this season, and have a better case for the 10th-best matchup for the Cards, but there isn't the same history there. Pitt has struggled the past three or four years, and there's reason to believe the Panthers will be a fringe NCAA tournament team again this year, so Louisville will likely be the favorite in both matchups, but there's potential for some entertainment.
10. Florida State
When: Jan. 20, 9 p.m. Where: KFC YUM! Center Watch: ESPNU
Under 14th-year head coach Leonard Hamilton, the Seminoles are the third winningest program in the ACC behind only Duke and North Carolina. Florida State won its first ACC Championship in 2012. The ACC is home to three of the top five (North Carolina, Duke and Syracuse), four of the top nine and 11 of the top 25 winningest college basketball programs in history of college basketball.
Florida State is the only team in the ACC that returns each of its five starters from a season ago as it heads into the 2015-16 season. The Seminoles return their top six scorers including the ACC’s leading returning scorer in sophomore Xavier Rathan-Mayes (14.9 ppg). The Seminoles also return their leading rebounder (Montay Brandon, 5.5 rpg), their leading shot blocker (Boris Bojanovsky, 1.3 bpg) and their leader in assists (Rathan-Mayes, 4.3 apg). Florida State also welcomes in the most heralded recruiting class in school history with McDonald’s All-American Dwayne Bacon (1,119 total points in 2014-15), Malik Beasley (22.2 ppg as a senior in high school), Terance Mann (23.1 ppg as a senior in high school, Chris Koumadje (played on the National Champion Montverde Academy team) and Benji Bell (who led NW Florida State to the junior college national championship).
1. Duke
When: Feb. 8, 7 p.m. Where: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham. Watch: ESPN.
The defending national champs have reloaded for the 2015-16 season and should have a top-10 squad, but the reason this one is ahead of UNC, which might be the preseason No. 1 team in the country, is simple. Louisville is making its first trip to the famous Cameron Indoor Stadium as a member of the ACC. To the best of his recollection, Rick Pitino has never been or coached there, which adds to newness of it all.
2. North Carolina
When: Feb. 1, 7 p.m. Where: KFC Yum! Center. Watch: ESPN.
The Tar Heels will fight it out with Maryland over which team is the preseason No. 1, but either way, they are loaded and ready to make a serious run at ACC and national titles. Louisville and UNC put together three riveting games last year, with one last-second game-winner and one overtime show after a frenetic U of L comeback. The ACC tournament game was back and forth for about 30 minutes before the Heels took control. Here's hoping for another fun one.
3. Michigan State
When: Dec. 2, 7:15 p.m. Where: Breslin Student Events Center, East Lansing. Watch: ESPN.
A rematch of last season's exciting Elite 8 will be Louisville's first major test of the season. Both squads will look quite a bit different from their meeting in March, but they will still be talented and well-coached, as you'd expect. This is the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, which is always a fun event over a few days, and Michigan State is one of the toughest places to play in the country.
http://courier-journal.com/featured-newsletter/louisville_sports_headlines/
4. Virginia
When: March 5, TBA. Where: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville. Watch: ESPN or ESPN2.
UVA will once again be a top-10 team with a roster of players who complement each other and fit perfectly into Tony Bennett's system. The 'Hoos are the main threats to UNC and Duke for ACC supremacy this season, though I do consider Louisville, Miami and Notre Dame potential spoilers. Pitino has repeatedly called JPJ a very challenging place to play, and the two teams put together a pair of very entertaining, close affairs last season.
5. Notre Dame
When: Feb. 13, 4 or 9 p.m. Where: Joyce Center, South Bend. Watch: ESPN or ESPN2.
Everyone always jokes about Louisville and Notre Dame's history with overtimes and close games in the Big East. Last season's game was a bit of a clunker as the Irish picked apart the Cards at the Yum! Center, but this one should be a good one in South Bend.
6. Syracuse
When: Feb. 18, 7 p.m. Where: KFCYum! Center. Watch: ESPN or ESPN2.
There might be higher-rated teams coming into the season, namely Miami, but any time U of L matches up against the Orange, it's must-see TV. Boeheim vs. Pitino is always fun (Boeheim is one of Pitino's two most influential mentors). Syracuse bum-rushed Louisville last winter, too.
7. Miami
When: Feb. 27. Where: BankUnited Center, Miami. Watch: TBD.
These two played a pair of intense games last winter, with U of L holding off a scrappy Miami twice. Plus, there was The Throw Game, which added some intensity to the new rivalry. And this season, both teams are top-30ish squads who will be fighting for byes in the ACC tournament.
8. NC State
When: Jan. 7, 7 p.m. Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh. Watch: ESPN or ESPN2.
Can you imagine if this game was in Louisville? Maverick Rowan in a Wolfpack uniform is going to be a somewhat antagonistic image for U of L fans, at least the ones who pay close attention to recruiting. And I got the sense Louisville-NC State had a little juice as a budding rivalry last season, with Cat Barber and his guys thumping Louisville at the Yum! Center and then the Cards getting revenge in the Sweet 16.
9. Pittsburgh
When: Jan. 14, 9 p.m. Where: KFC Yum! Center. Watch: ESPN or ESPN2.
Either this game or the game at the Peterson Events Center is worth circling on the calendar, only because it was a fun series when the two teams were in the Big East. FSU might be better than Pitt this season, and have a better case for the 10th-best matchup for the Cards, but there isn't the same history there. Pitt has struggled the past three or four years, and there's reason to believe the Panthers will be a fringe NCAA tournament team again this year, so Louisville will likely be the favorite in both matchups, but there's potential for some entertainment.
10. Florida State
When: Jan. 20, 9 p.m. Where: KFC YUM! Center Watch: ESPNU
Under 14th-year head coach Leonard Hamilton, the Seminoles are the third winningest program in the ACC behind only Duke and North Carolina. Florida State won its first ACC Championship in 2012. The ACC is home to three of the top five (North Carolina, Duke and Syracuse), four of the top nine and 11 of the top 25 winningest college basketball programs in history of college basketball.
Florida State is the only team in the ACC that returns each of its five starters from a season ago as it heads into the 2015-16 season. The Seminoles return their top six scorers including the ACC’s leading returning scorer in sophomore Xavier Rathan-Mayes (14.9 ppg). The Seminoles also return their leading rebounder (Montay Brandon, 5.5 rpg), their leading shot blocker (Boris Bojanovsky, 1.3 bpg) and their leader in assists (Rathan-Mayes, 4.3 apg). Florida State also welcomes in the most heralded recruiting class in school history with McDonald’s All-American Dwayne Bacon (1,119 total points in 2014-15), Malik Beasley (22.2 ppg as a senior in high school), Terance Mann (23.1 ppg as a senior in high school, Chris Koumadje (played on the National Champion Montverde Academy team) and Benji Bell (who led NW Florida State to the junior college national championship).
