Rubles, UC ready to redeem against Louisville
Jan. 29, 2014 5:03 PM


Senior forward Titus Rubles committed eight turnovers and scored only two points against Louisville last season. / The Enquirer/ Joseph Fuqua II

Written by
Bill Koch

Titus Rubles calls it the worst game of his college career.

The University of Cincinnati senior forward committed eight turnovers last year in UC’s 67-51 loss at Louisville and scored only two points, although he did grab nine rebounds.

“I’ve been ready to play this game since last year,” Rubles said.

The time has arrived. No. 13 UC (19-2, 8-0 in the American Athletic Conference) and winner of 12 straight games plays at No. 12 Louisville at 7 p.m. Thursday in the KFC Yum! Center. The defending national champion Cardinals (17-3, 6-1) have won four straight since losing at home to Memphis on Jan. 9.

Rather than downplaying the importance of this game to keep his players from getting too fired up, UC coach Mick Cronin wants them to embrace it. And they are.

“We’ve been ready for this game because we knew at the beginning of the year that we were going to be the top teams in the conference - us them, and Memphis,” Rubles said. “So any time you play one of the top teams in the conference your blood pressure is a little higher.”

Louisville coach Rick Pitino said his team is looking forward to it, too.

“It's been awhile since we've had an extremely relevant game in terms of (conference) standings here and certainly this is not only a longtime rival of ours coming in, but a team that sits on top of the league in first place with an unblemished record,” PItino said.

UC forward Justin Jackson, who sat out the second half of UC’s victory over Temple on Sunday with a sprained left ankle, is expected to play for the Bearcats, although it remains to be seen how effective he is.

“We fully expect him to be healthy and ready to go,” Pitino said, “which is the way you would want it.”

Rubles wasn’t the only culprit when it came to turnovers last year on a night when the Bearcats committed 21 of them and were blown out in the second half. But his inability to take care of the ball was the most glaring.

Cronin’s concern this year is the inexperience of freshman guards Troy Caupain and Kevin Johnson, who have never faced Louisville’s press, and junior point guard Ge’Lawn Guyn, who played only eight minutes last year against the Cardinals. Louisville ranks third nationally in steals with an average of 10.0 per game.

“They have not seen that type of defense and the pressure that Louisville brings constantly,” Cronin said.

If the Bearcats don’t do a better job of taking care of the ball, Cronin said, they might as well not bother taking the bus ride down I-71.

“You’ve got no chance,” Cronin said.

Kilpatrick, who was 1-for-9 from 3-point range against Louisville last year, said it’s up to the veteran players to prepare the younger ones for what they’re about to face.

“You can go there and get so amped up that you stop playing the way you’re capable of,” Kilpatrick said.

But Louisville has concerns, too, as it prepares to test its league-leading offense against UC’s league-leading defense.

“Mick's an excellent defensive coach and they contain the basketball very well,” Pitino said. “Like Wichita State, they attack the paint defensively with all five of their players. They close out very well, and Jackson's a terrific shot-blocker, one of the best in the country at changing shots.”

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20140...Louisville

That game was so ugly last year....

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(01-29-2014 10:33 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  That game was so ugly last year....

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Awful, could not score in the 2nd half. When we break the press go to
the glass.

I honestly believe this is the best fast break team I have seen from Mick. If JJ plays we have a chance.