ESPN Men's Basketball

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- To say California vs. Louisville was a game of runs is like saying the ocean has a few waves.

The Bears opened the game with a 22-4 lead, then saw Louisville get it back to single digits late in the first half. After Cal built a 14-point edge in the second half, the Cardinals stormed back to get within four points with seven minutes left.

But Cal had the last run and the last laugh, advancing to play Duke on Sunday with a 77-62 win.

The end came for Louisville when the Cardinals were called for an intentional foul with 2:43 left after coach Rick Pitino yelled for his team to foul. Pitino argued and was slapped with a technical, giving California four free throws and the ball.

Really, though, the Bears won with their outside shooting. Every time Louisville got close, a Cal shooter would hit a big jumper. Jerome Randle, Theo Robertson and Patrick Christopher combined to make all eight of the team's 3-pointers and scored 59 points together.

The Cardinals, on the other hand, got very little from their backcourt outside of Edgar Sosa. Starting guards Jerry Smith and Reginald Delk and top reserve Preston Knowles were a combined 3-for-17 from the floor.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Quick halftime thoughts from the final game of the day here at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, where No. 8 seed Cal leads No. 9 Louisville 41-30:

• The start of the game was delayed by 20 minutes as arena workers fixed a malfunctioning clock above one of the baskets. The teams retreated to the locker room while the work was performed, and Louisville might as well not have even come out for the first six minutes of the game.
  

• Cal scored the first 12 points and held a bloated 22-4 lead after an intentional foul on Terrence Jennings resulted in a five-point trip. The start resembled the blowout runs Rick Pitino's old Kentucky teams used to put on tournament opponents, but the other way around. Patrick Christopher hit three 3-pointers early and finished the half with 13 points

• The Cardinals, though, didn't fold. They used a 12-0 run midway through the half to get back in it as the Bears started to get sloppy with the ball. The lead shrank to six points late in the half, but Jerome Randle's 35-foot buzzer-beater put Cal back on top by 11 points and could be a huge momentum changer.
• Rick Pitino rolled the dice and let point guard Edgar Sosa play with two fouls in the first half. Sosa picked up his third foul on a charge with a little more than five minutes to go. Pitino has shown little faith in freshman Peyton Siva, so the point guard situation is one to watch in the second half.
• Louisville's press didn't seem to bother Cal much as the Bears used their quickness to break it several times for easy scores. But Mike Montgomery's team isn't very deep with the suspension of starting forward Omondi Amoke, and all five starters played at least 17 minutes in the first half. Can they avoid fatigue and hang on to this lead?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Previewing Friday's action at Jacksonville Memorial Arena:

Temple (5) vs. Cornell (12), 12:30 p.m.

This promises to be one of the more fascinating first-round matches of the tournament. Both teams appear criminally underseeded -- Cornell is one of the best Ivy League teams in years, while Temple won both the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament title. The game features a contrast of styles: The Big Red led the country in 3-point shooting (43.4 percent), while the Owls have the fourth best 3-point percentage defense (27.8 percent). Hard as it is to believe, the Ivy Leaguers want to push the pace, but Temple prefers a more controlled tempo.

And then you have the side story on the coaches, as Cornell's Steve Donahue spent 10 years as an assistant to Temple's Fran Dunphy at Penn. "There are so many emotions that go on in this tournament, and I'd rather not have the extra layer of emotion of competing against a guy that you were hoping to root for," Dunphy said. No one will want to play the survivor of this confrontation.

Wisconsin (4) vs. Wofford (13), 2:50 p.m.

In its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, Wofford had the misfortune of drawing the Badgers and their suffocating style of play. The Terriers know that they're facing a tall order -- or do they? "It would be a huge upset if we were to beat them; let's be honest" Wofford coach Mike Young said. "But I can tell you this: I know my team. They're a little crazy in a great way, in a wonderful way. They are convinced that they're going to come in here and play well and give themselves a chance to win."

The biggest obstacle will be dealing with Wisconsin's size. The Terriers like to go inside first, but they play a three-guard lineup with two 6-foot-6 forwards. The Badgers counter with 6-foot-10 center Jon Leuer and 6-8 Keaton Nankivil fronting Bo Ryan's typically stingy defense, which allowed just 56.2 points per game this season. Wisconsin had one of the worst shooting days imaginable against Illinois in the Big Ten tournament and still almost found a way to win. A lot more will probably have to go wrong for Ryan's team if Wofford is to pull the upset.

Duke (1) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (16), 7:25 p.m.

Arkansas Pine-Bluff has already won one game in the school's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance -- beating Winthrop on Tuesday night in Dayton -- and that will almost certainly have to suffice for the Golden Lions. They don't shoot the ball well -- making just 36.8 from the field and 31.8 percent from the 3-point line on the season -- and they have only one player taller than 6-foot-7. That doesn't sound like the profile of a team that can topple Duke, which has both size and shooters. But guard Terrance Calvin is trying to stay optimistic. "They're a very big team and we're going to have a small lineup, so we're going to try to use our speed against them," he said. More realistically, the Blue Devils will have far too much firepower for this to be close.

California (8) vs. Louisville (9), 9:45 p.m.

Both teams are a bit of a mystery. Cal won the Pac-10 and had a great RPI but lacks any marquee wins. Louisville was good enough to beat Syracuse twice but bad enough to get hammered by Marquette, St. John's and Western Carolina. Each team boasts some very streaky shooters, especially the Golden Bears' Jerome Randle, who can score in bunches.

If Louisville wants to press and play up tempo, Cal says bring it on. "The faster the better," coach Mike Montgomery said. But Montgomery has to worry about the paint, especially with starting power forward Omondi Amoke not making the trip because of a suspension. The Cardinals say they want to feed big man Samardo Samuels early and often. "I feel like he's the key for us in this tournament," Louisville point guard Edgar Sosa said.

NEW YORK -- Playing without Jerry Smith hasn't changed the impact of Louisville's backcourt. The senior Smith is on the bench in street clothes, nursing a hand injury that will make him day-to-day for the duration of the Cardinals' stay in New York.

No big deal. Edgar Sosa and Reginald Delk have made up for his offense. The often unpredictable Sosa has been rock solid in the first half, with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Delk, meantime, has been equally reliable. He's a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line and goes to the locker room with 13. The duo is spearheading a torrid 51-percent shooting effort for Louisville.

The only thing standing between Louisville and a blowout right now is the backboard. The Cardinals are getting smoked on the boards by Cincy. The Bearcats have 11 offensive rebounds, giving the Bearcats, who are shooting 26 percent, just just enough putbacks to hang in the game.

Lance Stephenson, the newly minted Big East rookie of the year, continues his struggles playing in his hometown. He's only 1-of-5 for four points in the half.

NEW YORK -- Rise and shine, hoops heads. Time for the official tip of college basketball. The mid-majors are fun and the Tuesday warm-up at the Garden is a good appetizer but today it’s officially on as the Big East revs up with its four-game platter of hoops.

At least three teams are playing for their NCAA Tournament lives today, two more are working to remove any gray area from their own status and one is trying to secure its head coach’s future.

Game 1: South Florida vs. Georgetown

What’s at stake: The Bulls are in the conversation but a long way from in the tourney. A win here won’t put them in but will put them in the conversation.

What has to happen: Dominique Jones dropped 29 on the Hoyas in a February upset. He’ll need to do the same for the Bulls to have a chance plus negate Georgetown’s guard tandem of Austin Freeman and Chris Wright.

Something else to watch for: The play of Austin Freeman. Diagnosed last week with diabetes, the guard didn’t seem fazed in his first game back. He had 24 points in 30 minutes of an emotional senior night.

Game 2: St. John’s vs. Marquette

What’s at stake: For the Red Storm, it could be Norm Roberts’ job. The coach said he’s not concerned and the university hasn’t offered any indication but certainly after another disappointing season in the Big Apple, he’s at least on the hot seat. For the Golden Eagles, their NCAA spot would appear secure thanks to nine wins in their last 11 games.

What has to happen: Another breakout game for Sean Evans would be helpful. The junior had 19 points and 10 rebounds against Connecticut in the opening round, giving the Red Storm a needed and somewhat unexpected injection of offense.

Something else to watch for: The Red Storm again will be without Dwight Hardy. The junior has a sprained left knee. That’s 10 points that St. John’s needs to make up.

Game 3: Seton Hall vs. Notre Dame

What’s at stake: The Pirates are on the very soft bubble but not in the tournament. A win against the surprise Irish could be enough to push them among the last four in. Notre Dame’s stunning Harangody-less rally has put them in the bracket but another win would only make their spot more secure.

What has to happen: The Pirates need Jeremy Hazell to play within the context of the game and not take foolish shots.

Something else to watch for: Points and lots of 'em. Both teams like to score and neither is a fan of defense. The Pirates average 81 points per game, the Irish 77.9.

Game 4: Cincinnati vs. Louisville

What’s at stake: Interstate bragging rights for starters. The two schools are only separated by 90 minutes of highway. Cincinnati is a long way from in the NCAA field, but after a dismal finish to the regular season (losing five of their final six) a strong finish would be good. Louisville secured its spot with a victory over Syracuse to close out Freedom Hall. Wouldn’t be a bad idea for the roller-coaster Cards to get some momentum going.

What has to happen: Edgar Sosa has to play smart. The point guard can giveth and taketh away. Sometimes he’s brilliant. Sometimes he’s awful. The Cards need his A game to stave off an upset.

Something else to watch for: Lance Stephenson's return to the Big Apple. The Big East’s rookie of the year didn’t fare so well in his first visit, with just seven points against the Red Storm.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Two hours after the final horn, fans still milled about Freedom Hall. Some posed for pictures on the court, some sought autographs from former players while others just sat in the lower-level seats, soaking it all in.

Louisville public address man Sean Moth had to make a couple announcements politely asking people to go home. Who could blame them, however, for wanting to stick around just a bit longer?

Freedom Hall isn't going anywhere, but the team that defined the building's legacy is. Louisville pulled out every conceivable stop in recognizing its last game before moving to a downtown arena. Scores of stars from the past gave speeches during timeouts, halftime and after the game. Heck, even some of the best-known fans in the crowd heard their names called out on the video board for their years of support.

Truth is, few moments in the arena's 54-year, tradition-rich history could surpass what transpired on Saturday. Freedom Hall will be remembered more for the games played there than any unique architectural feature, and the Cardinals added to the atmosphere by upsetting No. 1 Syracuse 78-68.

"It couldn't have been any better," said hometown legend Darrell Griffith, who led the program to its first NCAA title in 1980. "That was a great sendoff."

The final crowd was officially listed at 20,135, breaking the arena record. Parking lots were jammed a good three hours before the game, and hundreds of fans stood in line for a pre-game autograph session with ex-players. The queue snaked around one entire side of the building, up two ramps and into a hot, stuffed ballroom.

Seven former All-Americans, most of the 1980 and 1986 championship teams and Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum came back to celebrate the occasion. They returned the love that was showered upon them.

"One of the reasons we had success was the fans were so supportive," said 1986 Final Four MVP Pervis Ellison, who made a rare appearance back at his former school. "You always had the feeling that you had the ability to speak to anybody in the stands.

"We did win, and that helped. But even during the bad seasons, there were sellout crowds. It helps being the only ticket in town, and these fans love their basketball."

Freedom Hall has never had much of a student presence and usually boasts more of a pro-style crowd comprised of long-time season ticket holders. On Saturday, though, fans came early, wore red in unison and stood throughout most of the game.

Rick Pitino broke out a bright red blazer that could have come out of Crum's closet in 1984. The Louisville coach said he "never felt as much pressure to win a game" as he did Saturday before all the luminaries, not even in his two NCAA title game appearances.

Louisville -- which needed to win to secure an at-large NCAA tournament bid -- pulled away late, leading by as much as 14 at one point as the building rocked. And then something foreign to these parts happened.

Point guard Edgar Sosa ran around in the final minute urging fans to storm the court after the victory, and though security guards tried to stop fans from doing so, several dozen made it onto the floor anyway, lifting Sosa on their shoulders. Blue-blood fan bases like Louisville, Kentucky and North Carolina see it as beneath themselves to rush the court. But, hey, it was a special occasion.

Sosa said he was jealous of seeing other schools swarmed by fans all the time on "SportsCenter," and he wanted to experience it himself before his career ended. Yet he also knows that others envy his privilege of playing for four years at Freedom Hall.

"It doesn't matter who you play, whether it's the number one team in the country or a team like Georgetown College in an exhibition game, the fans are always here," Sosa said. "This is definitely the way to go out."

Pitino wanted Crum to have the final words on the court that bears his name. But after Crum said a few words, a microphone kept getting passed to player after player, even winding up in the hands of a former 1990s walk-on at one point.

Fans walked onto the court to get pictures and autographs, while others tried for bolder mementos -- somebody swiped the Section 317 sign from the wall, while security had to stop others from clearing out furniture from a luxury suite. Sosa said the players were told not to take anything from the locker room, but equipment manager Vinny Tatum promised them some sort of souvenir in the future.

The final official act arrived at Freedom Hall with the traditional playing of "My Old Kentucky Home." As far as swan songs go, this one hit all the right notes.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Halftime thoughts from Louisville 35, Georgetown 29.

• Louisville senior point guard played his best half of the season. Edgar Sosa drove to the basket, shot from the outside and passed deftly to teammates, producing 13 points, six assists -- and, a key stat for the mercurial senior, zero turnovers. Cut out a couple 25-foot 3s and he would have played an ideal half.

• The primary recipient of Sosa's passes was forward Reggie Delk, who made three 3s and had 11 points. Delk had not been a big factor in Louisville's three-game winning streak, missing the big upset of Syracuse with an injury and then scoring just 10 total points in wins over Notre Dame and DePaul. But his perimeter shooting is a key element of Louisville's attack, and he had his stroke going in the first half here.

• Georgetown has been all Greg Monroe, all the time. He had 12 points, six rebounds, an assist and a block, and got the best of his individual matchup in the paint with Samardo Samuels (five points, three rebounds).

• If the Hoyas are going to come back and get this road victory they'll need more from guard Chris Wright. Georgetown is 16-1 when Wright scores in double figures, and at halftime he has zero.

• Louisville coach Rick Pitino put a pregame premium on winning the turnover battle with Georgetown. At halftime, advantage Cards: They have committed four turnovers while forcing six. But Georgetown cannot feel too badly about being down six after shooting 37 percent from the field and 29 percent from 3-point range. The Hoyas have hit just 11 of their last 40 threes over the past 2 1/2 games.

Saddle Up is our nightly preview of the hoops your TV wants you to watch. Here's Tuesday night's rundown, where we find ourselves officially in that "What does this mean for the NCAA tournament?" time of year.

No. 11 Georgetown at Louisville, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2: If you had to guess which of these two teams had the better Big East record, would you guess Georgetown? Probably not, actually, since by merely asking the question I've given away the answer. It is, in fact, Louisville. The Cardinals, 9-5 in the country's best league, aren't just playing for a spot in the NCAA tournament (after looking like an NIT team two weeks ago). They're also playing to hold off the Hoyas, who at 8-6 are trying to avoid their third straight loss, the first of which came in an ugly effort at Big East doormat Rutgers.

The Hoyas' task won't be easy: Louisville's offense is one of the best in the country, and its defense, though still porous, has gotten noticeably better down the stretch. (For anecdotal evidence, see: holding Syracuse to 60 points in the Carrier Dome last Sunday.) How will Austin Freeman and Greg Monroe match up with Edgar Sosa and Samardo Samuels? Can Georgetown prevent a late-season swoon and a slide onto the bracket's fourth line? Can Louisville keep proving itself? If the Big East regular season race isn't your thing, the answer to those questions should be.

No. 17 Tennessee at Florida, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN: If the above game features tonight's two best teams, then Tennessee's trip to Gainesville is certainly the most tourney-dire. Florida needs a win. Is there a route for the Gators into the NCAA tournament without one? Sure. It's possible. Much like being on a boat, anything is possible. (This boat is real!)

Beating Tennessee tonight -- the Gators are 1-8 against UT since Bruce Pearl arrived -- would instantly change Florida's season trajectory from "mediocre and disappointing, so nah" to "mediocre but possibly peaking at the right time, so hey, let's keep an eye on them." The Gators have one of the more difficult closing stretches in college hoops: Tonight's matchup, a game at pesky Georgia, a home contest with Vanderbilt, and a trip to Lexington to face the mighty Wildcats. Win a couple of those -- preferably tonight and Vanderbilt, though some combination of the two with a win at Georgia wouldn't be the worst thing in the world -- and Billy Donovan won't have to pine for tournament expansion quite so enthusiastically.

Everywhere else: Syracuse rebounded nicely from its loss to Louisville by beating Georgetown at the Verizon Center last week; the Cuse will look to continue its road-warrior-ness (totally not a word, until now) with a visit to Providence ... Texas Tech's 4-8 conference record has all but doomed its tournament hopes, but a win over Kansas State might keep Pat Knight's tourney candle flickering for a few more days ... Illinois will try to rebound from its two losses to Ohio State and Purdue at the ever-disappointing Michigan's Crisler Arena ... and after tonight's game at 7-20 Evansville, Northern Iowa will either improve to 25-3 or have doubts as to whether it's an NCAA tourney lock or not.

And Rick Pitino isn't happy about it.

Edgar Sosa has been having his best statistical season of his tumultuous Louisville career. ("Tumultuous" feels like an overstatement, given the subject of today's other Louisville-related post, but there's no denying that Sosa's relationship with his head coach -- and his play on the court -- have been both brilliant and frustrating during his tenure as a Card.) Sosa doesn't think people are talking about his play enough, and so he decided to do cut to the chase and engage in a little personal PR. He decided to tell us:

“I think I'm playing the best I've played here at Louisville," he said. "I always think that I can play better and do more, but the funny thing is, I'm not being mentioned or talked about. When I measure up my numbers with the rest of the point guards in the country, our numbers are either the same or mine are better."

Sosa is averaging 13 points and four assists per game, and his percentages are all higher than at any time in his career. Then again, if Sosa is measuring himself against, say, John Wall -- and that seems most likely, given their proximity -- he's a little off. Wall is averaging nearly 17 points and seven assists, as well as 3.5 rebounds and two steals per game. Villanova's Scottie Reynolds is up around 19 points per game. (The tempo-free numbers aren't that much kinder; Sosa doesn't crack the top 100 in assist rate, for example.) And Kentucky and Villanova aren't fighting for a tournament spot; they're fighting for No. 1 seeds. Sosa's Cardinals have been unlucky in spots, but they're still very much a bubble team.

Still, that's almost beside the point. Why? Because you know Pitino isn't going to be happy about this. Time for the money quote:

"I don't know what it's going to accomplish by looking at other point guards," Pitino said. "A, it's not going to help us win; B, it's not going to help him get drafted; and C, it's not going to help him become a better basketball player."

All valid points, though I would say Sosa's public relations effort could theoretically help get him drafted. It never hurts to tell pro scouts, "Hey, look at me! I'm pretty good!" Maybe they'll put down their Wall and Reynolds reports and fish around for some Sosa tape instead?

Maybe. But the only real way to impress people as a college basketball player is to deliver that message on the court. Trust me, Edgar. We'll notice. We'll write about it. Until then, probably best to listen to your coach. He might know a thing or two about PR.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Texas-Kansas on Feb. 8 should live up to the hype as the most anticipated game of the season.

Let’s hope so.

Louisville at Kentucky was supposed to be 1A to Texas-Kansas, but the game was hardly memorable beyond the first 45 seconds. Kentucky’s 71-62 victory Saturday at Rupp Arena had its moments of angst, anger and exhilaration -- because the crowd generated so much enthusiasm. But there was something missing -- like quality play, for one -- for most of the afternoon.

The game started with jawing from Edgar Sosa and Eric Bledsoe, a scrum with DeMarcus Cousins that involved an elbow that could have been deemed flagrant but wasn’t, and technical fouls for Cousins, Reginald Delk and Jared Swopshire.

But the chippy play subsided and when it was time to actually attempt to put the ball in the basket in the first half, both teams were off, with Louisville 1-of-20 at one point. Kentucky struggled as well, shooting just 30 percent.

Louisville forced tempo, and while John Wall was once again nursing cramps that kept him out of the game, the Wildcats were out of sync. Louisville made quite a comeback to take a one-point lead at 42-41 with just under 10 to play.

The Wildcats had a bit more stamina and size with Cousins and Patrick Patterson too tough to handle inside. Wall made some cameos getting to the basket, but on the whole this wasn’t his best effort.

The game was hyped as Rick Pitino’s return to Kentucky for the first time since admitting he was being extorted by a woman he had had an affair with six years earlier. But the crowd was well-behaved and only booed Pitino upon his entrance.

The game lasted into a third hour and was painfully slow at times. What was learned is that Louisville will be a pest in the Big East, but not a title contender. Meanwhile, Kentucky could be extremely vulnerable to a zone and careless play on the road.

This was hardly the crowning Kentucky thought it was going to be heading into next week's SEC opener. The Wildcats are still a national title contender, but there is still much to be done for this largely inexperienced squad.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Well, that was eventful.

The first 45 seconds of the Louisville-Kentucky game included Edgar Sosa jawing at the Wildcats' bench and a rugby-like scrum with Kentucky’s DeMarcus Cousins and Louisville’s Jared Swopshire and Reginald Delk, resulting in technical fouls for all three.

Through the first 45 seconds neither team had attempted a shot and the game was scoreless.

The rest of the half looked like it was going to belong to Kentucky, even with the Wildcats unable to put together any sort of shooting spree. There was a point when Kentucky was 6 of 17 while the Cardinals were 1 of 17. Louisville missed its first 12 field goal attempts.

As you can see, there wasn’t much offense. The only consistent presence was Cousins diving on the floor, creating shots for his team and putting forth his best effort. Patrick Patterson deserved a nod as well as he finished the half with a dozen points and was 5 of 7 from the field. While Wall did breeze through the lane for a layup at one point, the Wildcats could never get their mojo going and clung to a 27-19 lead at the half as Louisville got hot at the end. I say that liberally as they made four more field goals, including a 3-pointer to finish 5 of 29 for the half. The two teams could not have played worse and the dozen Cardinals’ turnovers didn’t help their cause.

The intensity of the jawing from the first few minutes and the booing of Louisville coach Rick Pitino had subsided. So now its time to actually play the game in which neither team was doing well for the first 20 minutes.

Saturday's game between Kentucky and Louisville has been circled since last April when UK announced John Calipari as Billy Gillispie’s replacement.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino helped Calipari get his job at Pitino’s alma mater UMass, but there is no sense of loyalty between the two high-profile coaches.

They had a brief rivalry in Conference USA with Pitino at Louisville and Calipari at Memphis. But that has nothing on this.

Pitino, the former Kentucky coach, is still a legendary figure in the Commonwealth. He's the one who helped get the Wildcats out of the abyss of NCAA sanctions, won a national title in 1996, took the program to another Final Four the following year, and whose assistant, Tubby Smith, won another title in 1998 with Pitino's players.

Kentucky’s undefeated record, star power in players like John Wall, Patrick Patterson and DeMarcus Cousins, and the game being staged at Rupp Arena makes this even more of an event. Toss in Pitino’s sordid offseason soap opera of being extorted for an affair from six years prior, and the atmosphere should be one of the more heated of any game this season.

No one wants to talk about how much the other wants to win, pound the other team, but the intensity is palpable.

“Let’s be honest,’’ Calipari said. “We’ve got a good team. They’ve got a good team. It’s great for the Commonwealth and it’s great for college basketball. Let’s just enjoy it.’’

I was at the first game when Pitino returned to Kentucky after taking the job at archrival Louisville. The signs were nasty. You can expect the same Saturday at Rupp Arena.

On the court, this should top the North Carolina atmosphere from last month, which was deafening at times as the Wildcats tore through the Tar Heels after a bumpy start.

Louisville has guards who shouldn’t be rattled like Edgar Sosa and a big man in Samardo Samuels that can definitely move muscle with Cousins and Patterson. But not having Terrence Williams or Earl Clark means the Cardinals aren’t as experienced for a game like this. Injuries and a lack of maturity have shown through for the Cards in losses at UNLV and at home to Charlotte and Western Carolina.

Kentucky has been pushed at times, by Sam Houston State, Stanford and Miami (Ohio), and of course by Connecticut in Madison Square Garden.

But this game means much more.

“It’s like Duke and North Carolina,’’ Calipari said. “Name about five rivalries that people wait for the game where they’re marking the game, knowing what they’re going to do that evening. It will be the hardest game we play by far.’’

Calipari came to Kentucky to recruit, schedule and compete for national titles in much more of a mainstream manner. But he also came for the fanfare of coaching in games like Kentucky-North Carolina and especially Kentucky-Louisville. It only seems fitting that the first of the series between Pitino and Calipari is at home in Rupp.

“It’s what you dream about in coaching,’’ Calipari said. “It’s what you want your program to be. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, this place is going to be nuts.’’

But in this instance it does matter. It’s Louisville. It’s Pitino. It’s Kentucky as a Final Four candidate and Louisville as a team that may have to muddle its way through the rugged Big East, unlike last season when it won the regular season and conference tournament title on the way to a No. 1 seed and an Elite Eight finish.

Louisville has had its run. Kentucky was down the past few seasons. Now things have turned. A Louisville win would certainly stun the Big Blue Nation that is feasting on a Cardinal win before the thrust of the SEC schedule begins.

“Louisville will play better than they have all year,’’ Calipari said. “They will make shots. We will get their best games. Our players know it’s an important game but it’s not life or death to them. They don’t realize how hard Louisville is going to come out.’’

Facebook and Twitter are awesome tools for socializing. They also prove helpful when you want to tell a rival team's player just what you think of him. Maybe this isn't so awesome.

To wit: The case of Louisville guard Edgar Sosa, who says he's been receiving his fair share of "disrespectful" messages on his Facebook account. Lexington Herald-Leader hoops writer John Clay shared the video. (Hat tip: Card Chronicle.)



All things considered, Sosa seems to be handling the Internet hate well.

Anyway, did I mention Saturday's game is going to be intense? Because with the simmering Rick Pitino-John Calipari rivalry (Calipari said he's OK if Pitino wants to "go John Cheney on him"), and the general dislike each fan base has for the other, um, yeah. Saturday's game is going to be intense.