Louisville veterans, newcomers show impressive offense in defending champions' first scrimmage
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Louisville doesn't buy into midnight madness.
Confusion created by its defense is another matter, and Saturday's first Red-White scrimmage featured flashes of the trademark pressure that helped win last season's NCAA championship.
However, that aspect took a back seat to impressive offense before 8,280 at the KFC Yum! Center as both squads shot at least 46 percent.
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Not bad considering Cardinals coach Rick Pitino must replace starting point guard Peyton Siva and center Gorgui Dieng from a 35-5 title team while introducing six freshmen and a transfer to his high-energy playing style.
Not surprisingly, senior guard and leading scorer Russ Smith set the tone for a strong returning nucleus and the newcomers with 24 points and eight assists in the first of three public scrimmages over consecutive Saturdays.