Later today the Big East will announce the individual home/road basketball schedules for the 2011-2012 seasons, but news of each squad's three mirror opponents has already leaked.
As far as Louisville is concerned, the Cardinals get the brutal task of four games against Syracuse and Pittsburgh, but then are rewarded with a pair of tilts against DePaul. That's right: two DePaul Days in 2012. You may as well cease any and all partying you were planning on doing over the next six months in order to save up and be prepared.
Here's the complete slate of Big East repeat opponents:
Cincinnati: Villanova, Marquette, St. John’s
Last season: DePaul, Georgetown, St. John’s
Finish: 26-9, 11-7 (NCAA)
Connecticut: Notre Dame, Seton Hall, Syracuse
Last season: Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame
Finish: 32-9, 9-9 (NCAA)
DePaul: Louisville, St. John’s, Seton Hall
Last season: Cincinnati, South Florida, West Virginia
Finish: 7-24, 1-17
Georgetown: Marquette, Providence, St. John’s
Last season: Cincinnati, St. John’s, Syracuse
Finish: 21-11, 10-8 (NCAA)
Louisville: Pitt, Syracuse, DePaul
Last season: Connecticut, Providence, West Virginia
Finish: 25-10, 12-6 (NCAA)
Marquette: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Villanova
Last season: Connecticut, Notre Dame, Seton Hall
Finish: 22-15, 9-9 (NCAA)
Notre Dame: Connecticut, Rutgers, West Virginia
Last season: Connecticut, Marquette, St. John’s
Finish: 27-7, 14-4 (NCAA)
Pittsburgh: Louisville, South Florida, West Virginia
Last season: South Florida, Villanova, West Virginia
Finish: 28-6, 15-3 (NCAA)
Providence: Georgetown, South Florida, Syracuse
Last season: Louisville, Rutgers, South Florida
Finish: 15-17, 4-14
Rutgers: Notre Dame, Seton Hall, West Virginia
Last season: Providence, Seton Hall, Villanova
Finish: 15-17, 5-13
St. John’s: Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown
Last season: Cincinnati, Georgetown, Notre Dame
Finish: 21-12, 12-6 (NCAA)
Seton Hall: Connecticut, DePaul, Rutgers
Last season: Marquette, Rutgers, Syracuse
Finish: 13-18, 7-11
South Florida: Pitt, Providence, Villanova
Last season: DePaul, Pitt, Providence
Finish: 10-23, 3-15
Syracuse: Connecticut, Providence, Louisville
Last season: Georgetown, Seton Hall, Villanova
Finish: 27-8, 12-6 (NCAA)
Villanova: Marquette, South Florida, Cincinnati
Last season: Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse
Finish: 21-12, 9-9
West Virginia: Pitt, Notre Dame, Rutgers
Last season: DePaul, Louisville, Pitt
Finish: 21-12, 11-7 (NCAA)
With Pitt, Syracuse, UConn, UK, Vandy, and Memphis, Louisville now already has 8 games against teams that could be ranked in the top ten preseason. It's going to be an exciting winter.