LOUISVILLE " The University of Louisville basketball team certainly didn't look like the third-best team in the nation through much of its pre-conference schedule.
But the Cardinals are starting to show the potential that caused pollsters to rank them that high in the pre-season.
U of L, currently 20th in the latest AP poll, won its fourth straight game last night, using a stifling defense to shut down 12th-ranked Notre Dame late and win 87-73 in overtime.
"This was as good a college basketball game as you'll see," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said.
It certainly was, especially if you're a fan of defense.
Guards Andre McGee and Preston Knowles " who play what Pitino calls "microwave" defense because they immediately heat things up " came into the game with 6:50 left in regulation.
Except for the last second of regulation " when senior shooter Will Scott came in for Knowles " McGee and Knowles played the rest of the game.
And in the last 11:50 of the game, Notre Dame scored just four points " two on free throws by last year's Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody, and two on a reverse layup by Zach Hillesland to tie the game at 73-73 just over 30 seconds into overtime.
"When you get in a position to play like that, you can't let down," McGee said.
Louisville didn't.
Hillesland's basket accounted for all of the Fighting Irish's points in overtime as Notre Dame wilted under the constant defensive pressure brought by the Cardinals.
And it wasn't just McGee and Knowles who were wreaking havoc on Notre Dame.
With starting center Samardo Samuels in some foul trouble, Pitino rotated Samuels on offense and Terrence Jennings on defense.
Jennings responded with six rebounds and three blocked shots, and the kind of blocked shots that stay in play, not the kind that look impressive but end up in the fifth row of the stands and let the offense keep possession of the ball.
"Around the Kentucky game a light switch went on for that young man," Pitino said about Jennings, who hadn't even played in four of the Cardinals' games coming into Monday's matchup.
"I was starting to wonder if he could play at this level," he added, "but in the last 10 days to two weeks he's turned it around. I don't know if he was embarrassed by the Kentucky game, or if it was watching Patrick Patterson on film, but something clicked with him."
And something has apparently clicked with the rest of the team. In the Cardinals' last five games three that have come down to the last shot and Monday's went to overtime.
"That's just how it's going to be with the teams in this conference," McGee said. "There's so much talent " good forwards, good guard play."
That's what the Cardinals had Monday. Forwards Terrence Williams and Earl Clark both played 43 minutes, and Williams finished with 24 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Clark also had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Samuels scored 18 points and had four blocked shots and six rebounds.
"We've had three buzzer-beaters and an overtime," Pitino said, "and we played Saturday and Monday games. When you play a lot of buzzer-beaters you have to stay in it mentally. It can wear on you, and you might have a have a night where you're fatigued, but we haven't had that."
And McGee doesn't look for that to happen any time soon.
"I've been playing for Coach P for four years," he said with a laugh. "I've been running the press every day in practice. I'm in great shape."
That's good news for the Cardinals, who host top-ranked Pittsburgh Saturday in their next game. Unless the Panthers pull a Boston College and lose to South Florida Wednesday, they should come into Saturday's game with a 16-0 record.
U of L is undefeated in conference play at 3-0 and stands at 12-3 overall. Monday's game was the first of five against ranked teams " all Big East opponents " for Notre Dame (12-4, 3-2).
"I'm excited about playing No. 1," McGee said, "but I'm excited about playing every game."
And Pitino is excited to have the senior leading his team's pressure defense.
"Andre is tough," Pitino said. "I would hate to bring the ball downcourt against that young man. I'd be dead, even in my prime."
"I know Coach was a pretty good player," McGee said, "but I think I would have locked him up."