Rakeem Buckles Injury Hit Louisville Hard

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Following the Louisville Cardinals (22-7, 11-5) 62-59 upset win over the Pittsburgh Panthers (25-4, 13-3) in overtime, head coach Rick Pitino commented on the injury to sophomore Rakeem Buckles saying, "He has a sprained (right) knee."

"Normally, you'll be out for a week, in our case six to eight."

But, even coach Pitino didn't realize the certainty of the injury.

Buckles was later diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee, which means he will miss the rest of his sophomore season.

In 15 games this season, Buckles played 19.9 minutes, while averaging 7.2 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game.

Louisville will be hit hard with the loss of Buckles who usually starts for coach Pitino. 

His production on the glass, and defensive end will be hard to replace.

Buckles has shown flashes of improvement all season after having a coming out party against Cal in the tournament last season.

Buckles tallied double-digits rebounds in three games and looked great early.

The Cardinals went a 12-game stretch earlier this season with Buckles sidelined with an injury and went 7-5 without the talented sophomore.

Buckles has missed a total of 13 games this season and his presence will be missed greatly. Buckles is probably one of the more talented and improving forwards in the Big East conference.

Terrence Jennings and Gorgui Sy Dieng have both played well all season so frontcourt rotation shouldn't be a problem. Energy, rebounding and scoring in the frontcourt, however, could be an issue.

Buckles absence might open more minutes for many other frontcourt players and allow Jennings and Dieng to take a bigger role in the rebounding column, which is a strength both possesses.

For more CoHoops news follow us on Twitter (@Collegiate_Hoop) or subscribe via email

Louisville Defense Impressive Early

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

With teams like Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, and Ohio State stealing the spotlight early, a team like the Louisville Cardinals (6-0) go unnoticed.

The Cardinals are off to their best start since beginning the '05-06 season with six straight victories.

Louisville has yet to be tested with an average defeat of 25.2 points a game. The Cardinals six early wins include key wins over then-No. 18 Butler, and Florida International.

Rick Pitino's scrappy young squad is doing it with defense.

The Cardinals have forced 114 total turnovers this year. That is an average of 19 per game. Louisville is also tied for fourth in the nation with 12 steals per outing.

Senior guard Preston Knowles leads the Cardinals with 2.0 steals per outing, with five other players checking in with at least one steal per game.

Knowles also adds 11.5 points, and 4.0 rebounds per outing. With such a balanced attack on offense, four other players are in double-figures for the Cardinals.

After a 23-point outing against South Alabama, Mike Marra is now the leading scorer for Louisville with 13 points, 3.8 assist, and 3.3 rebounds.

Sophomore Peyton Siva, the former McDonald's All-American, has made his mark thus far. He is averaging 10.6 points, 3.8 assist, and 1.8 steals per game.

Coach Pitino's team doesn't just play tough defense, it also attacks the glass pulling down 41.8 a game, which also ranks among the top in the nation.

Once the Cardinals get the rebound, Siva is looking to push the ball up court in transition. The Cardinals have a good transition offense that allows them to dish out 19.1 assist per game.

Their assist total also helps Louisville become one of the best scoring teams in the nation. The Cardinals are now the sixth best scoring team in the nation averaging 87.5 points per game. Louisville as a team is also shooting 48 percent from the field.

More impressively, the Cardinals have done most of this without their prized freshman Gorgui Sy Dieng. Dieng hasn't learned to play without fouling which limits his minutes to around 12 per game.

With Dieng on the court, it certainly is a lift for Louisville in the post. However, the Cardinals have been able to cover up his loss with the emergence of sophomore Rakeem Buckles, and junior Terrence Jennings.

Buckles currently averages 11 points along with 8.5 rebounds per outing. He is one guy that gets it done on the glass for Pitino, coming away with two double-doubles on the season.

Jennings chips in his 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game. In my eyes, Jennings is one of the top post defenders in the Big East. He has excellent size at 6-foot-9, and always tracks down the ball.

Nonetheless, if the Cardinals continue to play this well all around their isn't a reason why Louisville shouldn't be considered contenders in the Big East.

The Cardinals have another opportunity to prove they are for real at home against the No. 23 UNLV Rebels on December 11th, 12 PM ET.

For more CoHoops news follow us on Twitter (@Collegiate_Hoop) or subscribe via email

Louisville Forward Gorgui Sy Dieng Ruled Ineligible

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

Last season, the Louisville Cardinals lost their main contributors in Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith, and Samardo Samuels. The Cardinals possessed a special guard Justin Coleman in the 2010 recruiting class, but he was ruled academically ineligible.

The Cardinals then looked at Roburt Sallie, the Memphis transfer to come in and help their efforts. However, he was also ruled academically ineligible.

Jared Swopshire and Russ Smith are both sidelined with injuries and Louisville's Basketball team isn't looking so great at the moment.

Gorgui Sy Dieng the 6-foot-10 center that was looked on to fill the shoes of Samuels was ruled academically ineligible by the NCAA today—although, Louisville is looking for an appeal.

Dieng was going to be a premier low-post threat. Not to mention, he received top honors in the Derby Classic game after scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds.

As of now, Louisville will be without their low post threat Dieng. Rakeem Buckles, the sophomore forward and Terrence Jennings will now have to play harder with no depth in the frontcourt.

Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino roster is slim. It does have talent but without Dieng it will be hard to compete at a high-level.

Nonetheless, don't be surprised if Louisville wins the appeal. Just remember: Dee Bost.

For more CoHoops news follow us on Twitter (@Collegiate_Hoop) or subscribe via email