Tent-pole thin when he arrived at Louisville, the Senegalese center worked hard on his body and his game, developing into the one player the Cardinals had to have on the floor during his sophomore season. When he got in foul trouble, Louisville labored, so one of the key parts of coach Rick Pitino's game plan was to make sure the Cardinals protected him.
They did and he protected the rim in return, getting five of his blocked shots in the second half to prevent Michigan State from mounting any kind of rally. The Cardinals move on to the West final against Florida on Saturday.
We need to be tougher than them to win this game. The Spartans got shots they wanted and usually make but couldn't get many to fall against Dieng or anyone else, shooting 28 percent while being outscored inside by the leaner Cardinals. Green had 13 points and 16 rebounds in his final game for Michigan State. Brandon Wood added 14 points for the Spartans, who were outscored off the bench. This sweet matchup of top programs featured two of college basketball's best short-preparation coaches.
Pitino has used his speed-the-opponent-up system to reach the Final Four five times, becoming the first coach to lead three different schools to the national semifinals. Once past the NCAA tournament's first week, he's had a knack for guiding his team further along the bracket, going in the regional semifinals.
Izzo has spent his 17 years at Michigan State building teams that can handle the rigors of the Big Ten or switch to greyhound mode when the opponent plays fast. He's been as consistent as any coach in the game, leading the Spartans to the Final Four six times, including the national title, and 10 trips to the regionals round the past 15 years. Izzo played the right hand the last time these two basketball brains met, taking the Spartans to the Final Four after they found a way to break Louisville's pressure.
With Michigan State bogging the game down, the Cardinals struggled early, missing 12 of their first 13 shots. They snapped out of it by hitting 3s. Russ Smith hit a pair, Jared Swopshire and Chris Smith each dropped one in and, even Dieng -- 0 for 2 in his career previously -- got one to go in.
Swopshire closed it out with a 3 from the corner to put the Cardinals up at halftime. Louisville was 7 of 15 from the arc in the half, but got almost nothing inside, hitting 1 of 15 shots from two-point range. And yet they hit some 3s. Louisville shifted gears to open the second half, getting two layups and a dunk to keep its cushion.
Swopshire followed with an alley-oop to Siva for the point guard's first points, then stole the inbound pass to set up two free throws by Russ Smith that put the Cardinals up Michigan State managed a short run to get within four, but Louisville used its pressure to get a couple of steals and baskets to go up Dieng followed with a couple more swats -- one on Keith Appling that sailed into the stands -- to keep the Spartans at arm's length.
Spartans , Cardinals Dre Davis with 11 points to lead all scorers. MSU 27, Louisville This does not seem like the kind of game in which one team is 5 of 6 from 3-point range, and yet here we are. Louisville currently shooting from the field, MSU shooting Tied Dre Davis with 7 points and El Ellis 6. Ellis with an iffy 3, but otherwise a solid spark here. There it is.
Both teams have 4 turnovers at the halfway mark of the first half of play. MSU 11, Louisville 9. And after a strong start to the half, Lousville gave up a couple of straight line drives to the basket.
Sparty an edge in the paint. Louisville 7, MSU 6. You're cleared for takeoff, Gabe Brown! Louisville leads Michigan State at the first media timeout. Cards doing a good job getting back on makes and misses.
Spartans want to run off rebounds. But this is no thing of beauty early. Teams a combined from the floor. Louisville basketball vs. Michigan State begins at p.
Wednesday in East Lansing, Michigan. For more than two weeks, the Louisville coach followed his Cardinals the way a fan would. Games on TV. No practice access. As he served a six-game university-mandated suspension to open the season, he was forced to keep his distance from the Cards.
More: Reece Gaines is back to help Louisville basketball by bridging the past and present. What was it like to watch from afar? Was Mack anxious? How did he get caught up on his team?
It figures to be much the same Wednesday, when the Cardinals step into their brightest spotlight this season — a date with No. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville vs. Judge finds no probable cause in case of Texas mother who allegedly put son in trunk to avoid Covid exposure. Oz calls Fauci a 'petty tyrant,' challenges him to debate. Louisville men's basketball preparing for Chris Mack's upcoming suspension.
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