Louisville is Looking for that Loving Feeling

Syracuse's next opponent, the Louisville Cardinals, come to the Carrier Dome on Valentine's Day and it's safe to say they won't be in a loving mood. Tonight they got spanked by lowly St. John's in Madison Square Garden. The Cardinals were so lifeless even a healthy dose of KY on the Card Chronicle blog couldn't get them to rise to the occasion and take care of the Johnnies.



It was a rough day all around for Louisville, as Rick Pitino had to fight off rumors that he is interested in the New Jersey Nets job -- which is basically the equivalent of expressing an interest in running the Greek economy right now.

Coming off a terrific season last year that yielded a Big East Championship and a trip the Elite Eight, things have gone far less smoothly for Louisville this year. The off-season started with the Pitino sex scandal and this year the team has been victimized by bad calls and poor performances that have left them potentially on the wrong side of the NCAA bubble.

On the surface this looks like a game the Orange should handle - but Louisville does have talent and rumors aside, Pitino knows what he's doing. The Orange aren't sneaking up on any teams and I can see Pitino, with his team's back up against the wall, rallying them for a great effort. Louisville's season is on the line, I expect the Cardinals to get lubed up give the Orange all they can handle.

And then I expect to read more rumors about Rick's next job.