It wasn't pretty, but it was a victory, the first for Louisville under interim head coach David Padgett that will be remembered as the first season-opener not under Rick Pitino in 16 years.
The Cardinals extended their winning streak in home openers to 17 as Deng Adel scored a team-high 20 points, although it should be pointed out that George Mason led by three at the half.
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After an offseason rocked by Justice Department indictments following an FBI investigation and Pitino's ouster, this much is clear: This Louisville team is a work in progress.
Here, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, are three takeaways from Sunday's first game in the rest of Louisville's life after Pitino.
1. Louisville was pressing on offense: New coach, but familiar November shooting. The Cardinals looked nervous and rushed the offense, "in search of a nonexistent 20-point basket," the Courier-Journal assessed. That snowballed into the Patriots' advantage. Louisville eventually survived, but more games — and pressure situations — will help a talented young team find its calm in the storm. Sure, the Cardinals wanted to build a big lead and impress the KFC Yum Center crowd on Sunday. That didn't happen. But … Padgett is 1-0.
2. A couple of kids made strong first impressions: Freshmen Darius Perry (17 points, two steals) and Jordan Nwora (three key 3-pointers in the second half) provided the spark Louisville desperately needed from its bench after more experienced players struggled. Junior Ray Spalding scored just two points and committed three turnovers before fouling out. Padgett is hoping for a breakout season from sophomore V.J. King, but he scored just five points while forcing tough shots.
3. Relax: To recount, a 32-year-old who has never been a head coach is leading one of the nation's marquee programs that was rocked by a scandal that consumed its Hall of Fame coach. Padgett had four freshmen and a transfer in their first regular-season action season. King, one of the so-called "veteran" players, is a sophomore carrying weighty expectations. The Courier-Journal notes, in closing, "It's not easy in this basketball-crazed state for fans to relax, but ... relax."
