PHOENIX — If Rick Pitino could have scripted Louisville's return to the Final Four, it would bear almost no resemblance to anything that transpired Saturday at US Airways Center.
It started on the other side of the court, with an opponent — the Florida Gators — coached by the man Pitino call's his "seventh child" — Billy Donovan. There is no team he enjoys beating less.
But Pitino had no choice in this matter, so beat them Louisville did, despite being outplayed for the better part of 32 minutes, and only under the most unlikely of circumstances:
• Falling behind 7-0 right out of the gate, 41-33 at the half and by as many as 11 points, at 65-54, after a one-handed, alley-oop, tomahawk slam by Patric Young with 8:16 to play.
• Playing man-to-man defense for the entire second half, something the Cardinals barely even practice, after their trademark zone was scorched by the Gators' 8-for-11 shooting from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.
• Pitino getting whistled for a costly technical foul midway through the second half, leading to four consecutive Florida free throws that gave the Gators their first 11-point lead.
• And with Louisville's leader and best player, point guard Peyton Siva, camped on the bench after fouling out with 3:58 to go, having played just 26 minutes.
No matter. Because the Cardinals never stopped believing, never stopped scrapping, never said uncle. By hook or by crook, and by throwing out the book, Louisville clawed its way to a 72-68 victory to punch its ticket to New Orleans.
"We didn't doubt each other," Siva said. "We knew we were going to come back. We just kept playing through it, kept cutting the lead down, and we took the lead at the right time."
Siva's replacement, sophomore guard Russ Smith, and freshman Chane Behanen led the way as the Cardinals held Florida to three points over the final 8:16 after Young's monster dunk. Behanen's jumper at the 1:08 mark put Louisville in front at 69-68, its first lead since 13-12, and Florida came up empty on four shots in the final minute.
It's the ninth Final Four for the Louisville program and the sixth for Pitino, but it's the first for either since 2005.
Credit Pitino for recognizing that his zone didn't have a chance of defending Florida's outside shooting.
"They're one of the best shooting teams I've faced in a long, long time," he said. "They're just awesome at it."
What that called for was a page out of his 2005 playbook following a similarly disastrous first half against West Virginia in the Elite Eight. Pitino scrapped the zone, and after that 8-for-11 first half, the Gators missed all nine of their second-half tries.
Credit senior Kyle Kuric, struggling through a tough shooting night, for providing a verbal kick in the pants after Pitino's technical, when the game appeared to be slipping away.
"Kyle grabbed everyone together and said, 'Listen, we're going through adversity,'" Russ Smith said. "We're down 11 or 12, calls aren't going our way. They're hitting ridiculous shots. Let's just get some stops, because we're facing adversity and we've been here before."
That it was the normally quiet Kuric that provided the inspiration was a revelation to Pitino.
"To be honest with you, I'm the most shocked person on Earth that it was him that did it," Pitino said. "Because he really doesn't do those things. So he stepped out of character at a much needed moment and showed that type of leadership."
And credit Smith, all six-feet and 160 pounds of him, for carrying the Cardinals on his back down the stretch, scoring 13 of his 19 points and pulling down five rebounds in the second half.
This from the player who Pitino affectionately refers to as "Russ-diculous" for his sometimes brilliant, often erratic play.
"He has a unique ability to score, but he has no clue how to play the game," Pitino said. "The first thing we had to say is 'OK, Russ, let's go from eight ridiculous shots a game to five, to three. Now let's get — because we're going to the Final Four — to one, two.'
"And he's done that. So he has bailed us out of more situations this year."
Put it all together and the unlikely Cardinals are Final Four bound. And what's not to like about that?
"I never wanted a Final Four more than for these guys," Pitino said. "They gave me every single thing they have in their bodies. And they're just the most incredible group to coach."
