Louisville (20-12)
COACH: Rick Pitino, nine years at Louisville, six years in NCAA Tournament
HOW THEY GOT IN: At-large bid
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN: California makes a return trip to the NCAAs after falling in the first round as a No. 7 seed to Maryland a year ago. The two big offensive threats on Cal are Jerome Randle, the leading scorer in school history, and Patrick Christopher in the backcourt. They don't often see the up-tempo pressure defense Louisville can bring, and the Cardinals will also throw a few zone looks at the Bears. Jamal Boykin is the top player in the paint, but Theo Robertson was on fire at the end of the regular season and is another key player to watch.
GO-TO GUYS: Senior guard Edgar Sosa and sophomore forward Samardo Samuels are the top offensive threats. Samuels leads the team at 15.3 points per game and shoots 52 percent from the field and 71 percent from the line. Sosa averages 13.3 points per game and is a 38.4 percent shooter from 3-point range.
THEY'LL KEEP WINNING IF: They shoot well from the outside. Louisville is 11-3 when making seven or more 3-pointers in a game, in part because that usually indicates that someone besides Sosa and Samuels is shooting the ball well. The Cardinals also have to rebound the basketball, and shoot free throws better. Entering the Big East tournament, the Cardinals had shot 64 percent or worse from the line in eight of their last 18 games.
STRENGTHS: As it showed in knocking off Syracuse to close the regular season, the offense is a joy to watch when it is clicking on all cylinders. With Sosa at the point, the Cardinals can destory a zone with dribble-penetration and work the ball either to Samuels on the inside or to one of the wing players on the perimeter for a good look at the basket. Rick Pitino teams are never fun to play because of their intense defense, and though this isn't his best pressing team ever it can still bother opposing ball-handlers. The Cardinals also have a lot of bodies to throw out there, and Pitino isn't afraid to change things up in an effort to find the hot hand.
WEAKNESSES: The Cardinals have struggled to rebound all year, and the early exit (vs. Cincinnati) in the Big East tournament came thanks to Louisville allowing 28 offensive boards to the Bearcats. Besides Sosa and Samuels, it's anyone's guess who will help carry the scoring load on any given night, and for extended stretches the answer is often "nobody." If Jerry Smith can't play or is severely limited by the hand injury he suffered against Syracuse, the Cardinals are down a critical shooter in the backcourt.
