March 25, 2008
NCAA Championship Guide (PDF)
Cardinal Fans Central - 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship
Audio Clips
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville men's basketball head coach Rick Pitino and senior center David Padgett met with members of the media Tuesday at the Yum! Center to preview the Cards' NCAA Championship regional semifinal game against Tennessee. The No. 3-seeded Cardinals and No. 2-seeded Volunteers will tip off at approximately 9:57 p.m. ET on Thursday at Charlotte Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, N.C., and the game will be televised regionally by CBS.
The Cards enter the game at 26-8 overall following a 78-48 win over No. 6-seeded Oklahoma last Sunday in Birmingham, Ala. Sophomore forward Earl Clark led the Cards with 15 points, while sophomore guard Jerry Smith added 12. Louisville was 59 percent from the field on 32-of-54 shooting while holding the Sooners to 31 percent shooting. The Cards have won 11 of the last 12 meetings with the Vols, including an 85-62 win on Jan. 22, 2005 in Freedom Hall in Louisville.
Tennessee enters the game at 31-4 overall following a 76-71 overtime win over No. 7-seeded Butler on Sunday in Birmingham. Forward Wayne Chism led the Vols with 16 points, while forward Tyler Smith added 15 in the win. Tennessee was the SEC regular-season champion with a 14-2 league record and the Vols are making their second straight Sweet 16 appearance.
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The winner of Thursday's Louisville-Tennessee game will advance to play the winner of the North Carolina-Washington State game on Saturday in Charlotte, N.C., in the East Region final.
Cardinal Fans Central in Charlotte
Planning to join Cardinal fans in Charlotte? The University of Louisville Alumni Association has picked the Cardinal Fans Central site, which is the perfect place to get in on all the basketball action this weekend, beginning Thursday, March 27. The site is Jillian's Sports Bar located on 200 E Bland St., in Charlotte, just 1.2 miles from Charlotte Bobcats Arena. Fans can walk or use the light rail system which stops at Jillian's and drops directly at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. In addition to walking or using the rail system, plenty of parking is available adjacent to the arena. Click here for more information on the event or for more info on Jillian's Sports Bar, visit http://charlotte.jilliansbilliards.com.
Pep Rally Information
The U of L Pep Rally will take place Thursday, March 27 at Jillian's beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET. The U of L Athletics Pep Band and Spirit Squad will perform at 5:45 until 6:30 p.m. The first game between North Carolina and Washington State is set to begin at 7:27 p.m., while the Cards and Vols are scheduled for approximately 9:57 p.m.
2008 NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - East Region Semifinal
GAME FACTS - No. 3 Louisville (26-8) vs. No. 2 Tennessee (31-4)
Date: Thursday, March 27
Time: Approx. 9:57 p.m. ET
Site: Charlotte Bobcats Arena, Charlotte, N.C.
TV: CBS (WLKY-TV, Channel 32 in Louisville) will televise the game with Dick Enberg (play-by-play) and Jay Bilas (analyst).
Radio: WHAS (840 AM) with Paul Rogers (play-by-play) and Bob Valvano (analyst)
Series History: U of L leads 11-7 all-time (5-4 in Louisville, 5-2 in Knoxville, 1-1 neutral)
Last Meeting: U of L 85, Tennessee 62 (Jan. 22, 2005 - Freedom Hall, Louisville, Ky.)
National Rankings: U of L is ranked 13th in latest Associated Press Poll and 13th in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll; Tennessee is ranked fifth in the most recent AP Top 25 and sixth in the coaches' poll.
