IU can expect no love from Louisville

It has been a rough week. Between two IU losses and the fact that "Kangaroo Jack" is the No. 2 movie at the box office, one could argue that things can't possibly get any worse.\nDid I mention the fact that IU faces Louisville on Saturday?\nNo good can come out of this match up. Can you name the hottest team in America? That's right; it's the No. 8 Cardinals, who have won 13 straight since dropping their second game of the season to Purdue for their only loss (which was by two points). \nAt 83.3 points per game, Louisville has the sixth-highest scoring offense in the nation. \nSo at least we'll be able to get into a shootout, right?\nNope. Louisville's defense likes to press. And for a stagnant offense that lives off of the three-pointer and hasn't scored 60 points in its last two games, that is a bad sign.\nThen there is the game's location. IU still hasn't won a game away from Bloomington since they played at Freedom Hall in Louisville, which resulted in a 71-64 loss to Kentucky and Mike Davis' now-infamous tirade.\nAs if all of this isn't enough, Saturday's game includes two of my least favorite elements in college basketball: a non-conference game in the middle of the conference schedule and Rick Pitino.\nI've never liked the idea of having to play teams from outside the Big Ten after the second semester gets under way. I suppose coaches like these types of games because they gauge how well a team matches up against NCAA Tournament caliber opponents. Of course, this is more applicable to Louisville, which is in Conference USA and plays no one challenging besides Cincinnati and Marquette.\nThere are some advantages for IU. The game represents a chance to pick up a big win that would give the team (and fans) a reason to be confident again. If they lose, it doesn't matter -- IU's Big Ten record will not be blemished.\nBut the negatives far outweigh the positives. No matter what the result is Saturday, IU will undoubtedly be mentally and physically fatigued after a game against a team as athletic and physical as Louisville. \nAfter last year's middle of the Big Ten season tilt against the Cardinals, IU faced Wisconsin at home. The result was their first home loss to the Badgers since Bob Knight prowled the sidelines in a questionable plaid sports jacket.\nFortunately, it will be a little easier for IU to win their next game, which is against Northwestern. The Hoosiers have not lost to the Wildcats since 1988. But I still stand by the principle that non-conference games in the middle of the conference schedule are just wrong.\nAnd then there's Pitino. Now don't get me wrong; I don't completely hate Pitino. He's someone that is universally despised by Kentucky fans, which I can respect.\nI've just always felt that he was "too NBA" for college basketball. When he coached Kentucky, they seemed to change uniform design as frequently as they changed their underwear. (Remember that one hideous "shark tooth" jersey that looked like it was designed as part of the Greg Norman Collection?)\nRemember when people actually threw his name around when Knight was fired? I still shudder at the thought of Pitino coaching at Assembly Hall. The whole idea of "graduation" doesn't seem to make him bat an eyelash. (Isn't that just for high school kids, anyway?)\nHis hair also bothers me, putting him in an elite club of coaches who have annoying hair. (Jimmy Johnson, Pat Riley and Gene Keady serve as the board of directors).\nUnfortunately for Pitino, he was "too NCAA" for the NBA, as he took a team with a Rolls Royce lineage, the Boston Celtics, and left them more worthless than a Yugo.\nMaybe he'd be a better fit somewhere in between -- like the NBDL. Just a thought.