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Sullivan | Jones sorely missed in Cards' loss

Tim Sullivan
@TimSullivan714
Louisville's Chris Jones makes a jumper in the first half. Feb. 14, 2015

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Chris Jones was missing Wednesday night. He was also missed.

The University of Louisville's high-strung senior, left home to start serving an indefinite suspension for unspecified infractions, was conspicuous by his absence from Syracuse's 79-69 victory over the Cardinals. His return is conditional and, by all appearances, critical.

"We missed him a lot," U of L coach Rick Pitino said afterward. "But it's his selfishness that hurt the team. I'm not one that believes in game suspensions. I believe in punishment where you get up in the morning, lift weights, have curfew at night. But this was not a decision by me. . .

"It's all cleared up. He could play the next game if he does what the assistant coaches tell him to do. If he doesn't, he sits again. And I don't care if he sits all season. I could care less. If he doesn't do the right things, he can move on and go to Belgium somewhere."

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Almost since Jones arrived on campus with glittering junior college credentials, his relationship with Pitino has been an uneasy peace. Just last month, after some of Jones' strongest performances and his unseemly flop against Kentucky, Pitino joked that his point guard "always has his hands in the cookie jar," and added, "if you allow him to have bad habits, he'll have a lot of bad habits."

Yet as much as Jones has frustrated Pitino, his quickness, his stamina and his improved passing have been an important asset in Louisville's first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In the Cardinals' last seven conference games prior to Wednesday night, Jones played at least 35 minutes six times, contributing nine assists at Pittsburgh, 28 points at Boston College and six steals at Miami.

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U of L's best shot at an extended run in the NCAA Tournament – and that's not terribly promising at this point -- likely hinges on Jones recapturing his January form and attitude. If he is, instead, bound for Belgium or for banishment, it's hard to see how these Cardinals have enough weapons or depth for a meaningful March.

The Cardinals' inability to generate consistent pressure on defense has been a recurring concern for Pitino. Wednesday marked the second straight game Louisville had totaled only two steals and the first time in two years the Cardinals had lost three games in a four-game span.

Even with Jones in the lineup, Pitino has not seen the sort of ball pressure this season that made recent Louisville teams so scary. Without Jones, who leads U of L with 51 steals, that pressure is greatly reduced and the burden on his teammates greatly increased.

Junior forward Montrezl Harrell and sophomore guard Terry Rozier were both called on the play 40 minutes Wednesday night because of Jones' absence and a fruitless and foul-plagued performance by Wayne Blackshear. Both Harrell and Rozier initially declined comment on Jones after the game. But when pressed about the difference in playing without his backcourt sidekick, Rozier acknowledged, "You've got 13 points (per game) that's on the table, great defense. . .Definitely it's tough, but Quentin (Snider) did a good job today. He stepped up."

Snider, the freshman from Louisville's Ballard High School, can't match Jones' quickness or his daring. But if he is less explosive than Jones, he is also less volatile. Snider doesn't compound one bad play with an overly aggressive second error. He doesn't brood. He doesn't pout. Though he is still prone to lapses, particularly on the defensive end, Snider is the one player Pitino has yet to find guilty of a poor practice.

Snider finished Wednesday's game with a career-high 13 points, with four assists and without making a single turnover in 38 minutes. Pitino described his play as "outstanding."

Snider's role figures to expand or contract as Chris Jones' status gains clarity. He admitted to some nerves Wednesday night, but embraced the opportunity of his first college start.

"I still believe in myself," Snider said. "I still have confidence in myself. My teammates have confidence in me. My coaches have confidence in me."

If their confidence in Chris Jones has been shaken, their need for him has not.