BearTalk

Louisville coach Rick Pitino is expected to start senior Jerry Smith at guard and sophomore Jared Swopshire at forward Friday night against Cal.

Smith sat out Louisville’s most recent game, a 69-66 loss to Cincinnati in the Big East tournament, after spraining his right thumb in the Cardinals’ win over Syracuse. He has started 29 of 30 games he’s played, and will replace Preston Knowles in the starting lineup.

Swopshire, a 6-8 sophomore who averages 7.6 points and 6.0 rebounds, will get the nod over 6-10 Terrence Jennings, giving the Cardinals a bit more offensive versatility and perhaps a more comfortable defensive matchup against a smaller Cal lineup. Swopshire started 19 games this season, most of them before mid-January.