Who Is Your All-Time Starting 5 Of Rick Pitino Players at UofL: Steven

Fans’ Starting 5

Jeremy’s Starting 5

Daryl’s Starting 5

Justin’s Starting 5

I’ve said many times that I will cry the day Rick Pitino retires. Pitino is everything a head coach should be and through the years has had some tremendous players. But if I am putting together a Louisville Rick Pitino Dream Team, it’s going to look like this (All Pics from High School):

PG- Peyton Siva

While I love Reece, to me this is easy. Peyton is everything you would want in a leader and that’s what your PG has to be. Oh and did I mention Peyton won a National Title…….Mic Drop.

PS I reserve the right to replace Peyton with Quentin Snider in a few years

SG- Russ Smith

This one was the only position I battled with. Multiple times I went back and forth with Russ and Dean but in the end Russy won out. Russ will be one of the top scorers in UofL history when it’s all said and done and will have won multiple National Awards. There will be a big argument if the Cards were to win a National Title this year that the #2 be retired. Russ Smith is the total package: offense, defense, and a personality for the ages, so I guess when you put it that way the choice wasn’t as hard as I thought.

SF- Francisco Garcia

Garcia was the easiest pick of them all: Final Four, All-American, Lottery Pick…..Enough Said

PF- Earl Clark

Earl Clark is the pick here and to be quite honest, he never even touched his potential at Louisville. I truly believe Earl had the ability to be the National Player of the year and at times it showed. Earl literally scored 17 points in the first 8 minutes against Ole Miss his junior year in Cincinnati, that’s dominate folks. Earl could beat you from anywhere on the floor whether it was knocking down threes or dunking on Harangody and the entire Notre Dame team and for that he is my starting PF.

C- David Padgett 

If Siva is everything you want in a leader from the PG position, Padgett is that and more from the center spot. Padgett was literally a Point Center on the floor. I don’t know if we will ever again see the offense at Louisville ran through a center but Padgett had that ability. Padgett brought it all to the table, not only on the court, but a toughness that may never be matched. David Padgett broke his knee cap and led us to the Elite 8 in the same year…yea that’s the center I want on my team.