Louisville just handed Pittsburgh its worst loss in more than a century, pounding the Panthers by 55 in their own building. A bright spot for the Cardinals was the play of graduate transfer Tony Hicks, thrust into the starting lineup while point guard Quentin Snider is sidelined with a hip injury. He had four assists and 10 points in the win, but also suffered a hand injury while fighting for a loose ball in the first half.
Hicks returned to the game with his fingers taped, but after a follow-up examination on Wednesday morning he was ruled out for six to eight weeks with a spiral fracture of his fourth metacarpal.
"Tony was just fitting in at the point position and has made great progress," coach Rick Pitino said in a statement. "We will keep him in great condition and hope we make a long run in the tournament so he can play in his first NCAA Tournament. It's time for Ryan (McMahon) and David (Levitch) to pick up their defense. Injuries are part of the game and we will get stronger."
Pitino is using the "next man up" message to get his team ready for what will be a grind of a February in the ACC. The Cardinals are NCAA Tournament bound for sure, but where they fall in the field of 68 will be determined by their ability to overcome these injuries. Snider's return should come at some point in February, but that's still a few games away. Six of Louisville's final 10 regular season games are against top-50 teams and while they are among the best in the country defensively, there are sure to be moments in this final stretch where the play of an experienced point guard will be needed, and missed.
