Coming off a season opening loss to Houston, then a 27-point drubbing to a previously obsolete Murray State, Western Kentucky needed to rally.
When the Hilltoppers completed a 68-54 upset of Louisville last Sunday in Nashville, they did. Now, after knocking off its second straight BCS conference opponent in Georgia, Western is back in talks of winning the Sun Belt Conference.
After the loss, Louisville (2-1) fell out of the top 10 from No. 3 to No. 11 in the polls, and rightly so. The Cardinals shot 26.9 percent against Western, killing the hype machine built up by coach Rick Pitino's most talented team since his 1996 Kentucky squad comprised of Ron Mercer, Scott Padgett and Derek Anderson.
It's time for Louisville to put on a similar rally seen by the Big Red in Bowling Green. With three pushovers walking into Freedom Hall this weekend—Indiana State, Ohio and Lamar—the Cardinals have a sure chance of being 5-1 heading into a difficult non-conference stretch that includes undefeated Minnesota and a dangerous UAB team.
Talk that Louisville's guard play dooming them this season seemed to be legitimized against Western. Andre McGee, Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles combined to score five points against the Hilltoppers.
Steffphon Pettigrew, a generously listed 6-5 center for Western Kentucky, dominated Louisville center Samardo Samuels, out rebounding last year's high school player of the year 12-8 and out-scoring him 17-11.
At the same time, it can't be forgotten that the same guards led the Cardinals to the Elite Eight last March, taking North Carolina down to the wire in a ten-point loss. And that Samuels guy? He's only a freshman.
It's hard to deny the talent Louisville brings to the table. The Cardinals have a lot to hope for, and a lot of potential to fulfill their dreams this season in a difficult Big East Conference.
Down the road in Lexington, a rough start awaited coach Billy Gillespie's sophomore year. After going 0-2, Kentucky (5-2) has been plagued by turnovers (31 against Kansas State) and turmoil (DeAndre Liggins' refusal to play).
To add injury to the insult of a loss to VMI, Ramon Harris was carried off the court in Rupp Arena on a stretcher during Kentucky's latest game against Lamar.
But since being blown out by North Carolina 77-58, the Wildcats have won five straight and the Las Vegas Invitational in the process.
Gillespie's team has a lot of holes, but just as many strengths. Jodie Meeks showed what he's capable of last Friday, scoring 37 against Kansas State—and it's common knowledge that Patrick Patterson is the best player in the SEC.
A big game against Miami (Fl) this Saturday could be the Wildcats' rallying point. With both teams back rolling, the showdown at Freedom Hall on Jan. 4 continues to look less like an expected blowout and more like another chapter in America's best rivalry.
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