Stats breakdown

Scanning the box score from the Cards' victory over Rutgers, ostensibly the most encouraging team statistic -- and usually the second stat I check after three point shooting -- is rebounding. The Cards pulled down 36 rebounds, while the Scarlet Knights managed 27. However, The Knights actually outrebounded us on the offensive glass, 12 to 9. Now, that might be a result of us shooting a far better percentage than they did (54 percent to 38 percent). But at the least, we should expect better than the goose-egg that Terrence Jennings laid for rebounds, offensive or defensive. I guess part of the fallout from that Chinese scouting report.

36 percent from beyond the arc... about the bare minimum percentage for the three point attack to work effectively in Pitinoland. It helps when the threes you hit are, finally, the big ones down the stretch, like Sosa's long three that effectively sent Rutgers on their way. Interior shooting was far more impressive, with Samardo and TJ going a combined 9 for 12... underscoring a critical concern expressed immediately afterward both by Mr. Red and myself (and which, before we give ourselves too much credit, is probably pretty damn obvious to all Cards fans across the Commonwealth, but somehow lost on our ballhandlers): our guys need to do a better job feeding the ball into the post, especially when playing with a lead.

The most alarming statistic, with the biggest implications for winning the magic five of our last eight, is turnovers -- 15 for Louisville, 10 for Rutgers. I'm not certain if fifteen is so terrible a number overall, especially when compared to some of our performances earlier in the season. But the haunting image it underscores is that of an experienced backcourt that has trouble getting the ball past midcourt. We saw that during Louisville's three game skid, we saw it at Kentucky, and we saw it sporadically against Rutgers. Full court pressure on the dribbler is, to me, the most obvious scouting report on how to beat us, or at least to kill our momentum. Sosa, Smith, Siva and Knowles have to avoid traps, not pick up their dribble in bad places, and most of all not panic, if we are to avoid other teams exploiting our bevy of shooting guards (young Siva the exception) playing at the point.