# To Hell with Louisville and Patino.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-hell-with-louisville-and-patino/653601>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [March 22, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-hell-with-louisville-and-patino/653601 "2013-03-22T02:06:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-hell-with-louisville-and-patino/653601/41 "2013-03-26T19:43:27Z")

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> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#):
>
> Apparently, Louisville only suited up 12 for the game - one of the players on ESPN’s roster was declared ineligible by the NCAA earlier in the year, and one report says that the other two were “in the stands” sitting next to him.

I figured a guy or two was hurt, and a guy or two in Pitino’s doghouse. If they dressed 12 and played 12, then there you go.

> [@zamboniracer](#):
>
> A college team at that level does not have a “base defense.” Teams have multiple defensive sets, from man-to-man, to diamond and one, to 2-3 zone, to 1-3-1 zone, etc, to full court press, to half court trap, etc. Players on such teams have been playing for a number of years, and have experience playing all sorts of defensive sets. Thinking that easing off on the full court press against an outmanned opponent is going to hurt their proficiency is a remarkable claim that lacks any evidence whatsoever.

Yes, they do, your base defense is not the only defense you play, it’s the one you show and practice the most often. For Louisville, that’s a full-court press, for Syracuse it’s that infuriating 2-3 zone that should be illegal (NCAA needs a defensive 3-second rule).

I said nothing about not playing the press for the whole game hurting Louisville somehow, so I won’t defend the idea.

> [@zamboniracer](#):
>
> Why you and others insist on glorifying poor sports who run up the score is a mystery to me, but one that I’m not going to worry about anymore.

No one’s glorifying Louisville here, they won by about the amount they should have. Beating NC A&T by 100 wouldn’t grant them any more glory than beating them by 5; there’s no glory to be had for Louisville in this game.

> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> There are a lot of ways to be a poor sport, but none of them have to do with playing your best–which means doing your best to score within the rules of the game–regardless of the score.

Amen. There’s no shame in losing if you play hard and within the rules, and there’s no shame in winning if you play hard and within the rules.

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