A game between the men’s basketball teams from the University of Louisville and Indiana University seems like it should be an annual thing. Unfortunately it hasn't been.
So Tuesday night’s meeting should be a little something extra special.
The Cardinals (7-0), who are No. 4 in both national polls, will meet the Hoosiers (7-1) at around 9 p.m. Tuesday night in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
IU leads the all-time series 10-6, but UofL won the last meeting. On Feb. 1, 2003 - the same day as the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster - then-freshman Francisco Garcia scored 23 points to lead eighth-ranked Louisville to a 19-point win over No. 19 Indiana. That game was scheduled to be nationally-televised on CBS, but was preempted by the network’s coverage of the Shuttle tragedy. It was shown locally in a delayed broadcast - one without announcers - later that night. The two also had a memorable meeting in the 1993 NCAA Tournament, when IU beat UofL 82-69 in the Round of 16.
Tuesday night’s game should be intriguing too. The Hoosiers come in fourth nationally in scoring (88.4 points per game) while the Cards enter third in scoring defense (giving up only 49.3 ppg). IU, who beat then-No. 22 SMU 74-68 on Nov. 20 but inexplicably lost to Eastern Washington 88-86 four days later, also ranks ninth in field goal shooting (52.4 percent).
"I know they shoot the ball great, obviously (assistant coach) Kenny Johnson is from their program (too),” UofL coach Rick Pitino said after the Cards’ 82-57 win over Florida International on Friday. “They're a much better shooting team than us, (and a) much better passing team than us. Tom Crean and I got together before the season started at a function, he said he's going to take anywhere from 25 to 35 threes per game and they shoot it really well. We have to extend our defense and play much better than we did with our second unit tonight, giving up those threes. It'll be a hell of a game. I'm hoping we can get a contingent of fans down there because they have a very loyal base out of the New York area for IU from the Long Island area."
The Hoosiers feature freshman guard James Blackmon Jr., who leads the team in scoring (19.5 ppg) and is second in rebounding (5.1 rpg); junior point guard Yogi Ferrell, who is second on the squad in scoring (17.3 ppg) and first in assists (5.8 per game); and sophomore forward Troy Williams (12.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg).
Meanwhile it will be UofL’s first appearance in MSG since beating Syracuse 78-61 in the Big East Tournament final on March 16, 2013 - less than a month before the Cards won the national title.
“It's the most magical arena in all of basketball, so it's exciting for me,” Pitino said.
Photo courtesy University of Louisville Men’s Basketball Facebook Page
