Louisville/WVU

The RPI is 59 and falling. Poop. That game isn't worth a good swear word, just a half-hearted little kid swear. The reason? We could sit and bitch about the lack of starting the clock at the end of regulation or the fact Sosa took three steps or Ruoff getting thrown to the ground at the end of the first overtime, but I prefer to think about the heart this team showed. It's disappointing, but not soul-crushing like Texas last year.

Another slow start for WVU in both halves created some huge holes to dig out of, but the team kept coming. Louisville shot 46%. Not terrible defense, but they did shoot 60% from two. It would have gotten ugly if WVU hadn't forced tricked Louisville into thinking they could shoot threes at about the 15 minute mark of the second half. Darris Nichols played FIFTY minutes. Frank Young scored 19 in 45 minutes. Butler scored 17 in 32 minutes and Smalligan 13 in 36 minutes. The difference in this game was Ruoff and Alexander. Sometimes we forget how young they are. Everyone waited for Alexander to have a breakout tournament and become a star. He played young. 0 for 6, 2 turnovers and 4 fouls in only 25 minutes. Ruoff struggled too. 2 for 13 from the field. In the second overtime the team was on fumes as the five on the court had been there for both overtimes and the last 5 minutes of regulation. Louisville scored the first 9 points off of simple drive and dish as the man to man defense couldn't slow down penetration. Committing 11 turnovers while forcing only 12 was a major difference and coupled with the lack of three makes (7-32, 22%) caused us to die by the sword. But I'll be damned if WVU hasn't been fun to watch again this year and that is a surprise. Everyone would have been happy with the NIT before the season, but now? Poop.