Rick Pitino appared at Captain's Quarters for the final Cardinal Carvan Thursday night, and made a handful of comforting statements for Cardinal fans.
First, Pitino removed any doubt about the eligibility of freshmen Wayne Blackshear and Kevin Ware, saying both will be in Louisville by this weekend and ready for class on Monday. He added that Blackshear's shoulder injury will be examined by the U of L medical staff on Sunday, but that he believes the McDonald's All-American is "ready to go."
As for Ware, while he isn't a natural point guard, Pitino is hopeful the freshman can pick up the position enough to become a reliable backup to Peyton Siva. Regardless, the coaching staff is excited about his athleticism.
"I don’t think he’s a natural point, but we’re going to have to play him some at the point," Pitino said. "He’s a natural two and three — he’s a type of athlete like T-Will (Terrence Williams) is. If he can play the backup point with his length, it’ll be a great asset to our basketball team."
Pitino also updated the status of forward Jared Swophsire, who has been out of action for over a year with a groin injury. According to the Cardinal coach, Swop is a bout two weeks away from being 100%, and should be ready when practice begins in October.
"I just called his dad this past week and said it’s time for him to get on the court and start playing or else he’s going to miss his opportunity, and his dad agreed with me," Pitino said. "Once you get to the dad, the player seems to follow."
Oh yeah, definitely (Swop voice).