U of L coach Rick Pitino was so displeased with his team from Wednesday’s loss to USF that no one should be surprised to see major lineup changes against Syracuse on Saturday.
It could start with Peyton Siva. Although the junior guard played 31 minutes — his season average — against the Bulls, Pitino pulled him after his first turnover in the second half and sat him nearly 7 minutes.
The only time I can remember him sitting so long in the second half of any game this season was the first meeting with Syracuse when he had three first half fouls.
In Pitino’s postgame comments it could have been a thinly veiled message directed at Siva when he spoke about how USF point guard Anthony Collins played a disciplined game:
“They have a freshman point guard who’s a very good thinker; he doesn’t play like a freshman. He’s the best freshman point guard I’ve seen mentally in some time. He doesn’t rattle, he knows what to do.”
Kyle Kuric may not be spared either. Pitino is still unhappy with his overall play. Missing a few defensive rotations and grabbing just two rebounds against the Bulls didn’t help change his perception.
Pitino also said on his radio show that he wanted to get Wayne Blackshear more playing time. Blackshear, he said, had been playing tentatively in practice, afraid to re-injure his shoulder.
Pitino said assistant coach Kevin Keatts told Blackshear to either tell trainer Fred Hina that he’s too hurt to play and pack it in for the rest of the season or come out and play with the intensity and aggressiveness that he can. Pitino said Blackshear responded today with his best practice to date adding, “He looked like the player I recruited in high school.”
The Cards roster is full of a bunch of nice-guy types. If Pitino really does shake up the lineup, we’ll get a chance to see for the first time how they play when they’re ticked off. It’s ultimately the last button Pitino can press to get them ready for the postseason.
