BearTalk

When Louisville senior point guard Edgar Sosa talked about Jerome Randle on Thursday, he sounded impressed, almost a little in awe and, frankly, a bit jealous.

Asked about Randle’s deep shooting range, Sosa said, ”It looks like a shot we’d never be allowed to take here at Louisville, or any other place that I can think of. But he makes 40 percent of them.”

Sosa will be assigned to defend Randle on Friday night, and said the trick is to contest his perimeter shot, but not get so close that Randle can go past him on the dribble.

“When you’re guarding smaller guards, they definitely have the speed to get by you. But a guard like him can pull up from deep. I just think I have to give him a little space, and if he’s able to pull up from deep, just try to contest his shots,” Sosa said. “Jerome Randle is just a great player.”

Asked if there is anyone like Randle in the Big East, Sosa suggested Scottie Reynolds of Villanova.

“Reynolds is a lot taller (at 6-foot-1),” he said. “Both of them shoot the 3 from deep, they both get to the basket, they both get to the free throw line. So that would be a good comparison.”

Asked if he had a sense of how tall Randle is, the 6-2 Sosa said, “On the scouting report it says 5-10, but when you watch him in person it doesn’t look like that at all.”

Sosa said the Cardinals are aware Cal has more weapons than simply Randle. “”They have Christopher who is as great shooter, and Robertson, who is a great player, as well,” he said. “Our main key is Randle because he makes them go, but they also have some other players who can hurt you as well.”