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Pat Kelsey defends Syracuse player on James Scott flagrant: 'I'm not saying the kid cheapshotted'

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•about 9 hours•

BarkleyTruax

James Scott
© Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

A flagrant foul called on Syracuse guard Kyle Cuffe against Louisville‘s James Scott brought some tension to Tuesday night’s ACC matchup inside the JMA Wireless Dome.

Scott went up for a lob, but wasn’t able to cleanly land after the dunk attempt and the two became tangled. After review, the shooting foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 1. Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey reacted to the situation after the game.

“I love James [Scott],” Kelsey said. “When [Cuffe] undercutted him and he went down, I just know how he is. When something happens like that, I knew he went to the line that he was going to know those [free throws] down. He helt like he got slighted. He felt like he got cheapshotted.

“I’m not saying [Cuffe] cheapshotted him, but there was a flagrant called.”

Kelsey revealed why Scott reacted the way he did, noting that he broke his wrist earlier this season in the Bahamas while in a similar situation.

Perhaps it was just physical moment in a physical game, as Kelsey raved over Louisville’s defensive intensity and effort during the matchup. The Cardinals’ effort on defense created 14 turnovers which turned into 17 points for Kelsey’s squad.

Scott finished the game with 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists. He’s been improved on the defensive end lately as well and playing cleaner than he has all season. Since fouling out against Kentucky, he’s picked up a total of seven fouls in the Cardinals’ past seven games. This comes after he compiled over 20 fouls in an 11 game span to start the season.

Louisville guard Chucky Hepburn led all scorers with 24 points and seven assists. He shot 6 of 10 from 3-point range during 37 minutes on the floor.

“Chucky’s been sensational for this year,” Kelsey said of his star. “I think he’s one of the best point guards in the country, one of the best point guards in our conference. … He’s very selfless, he’s a phenomenal leader, and he’s a pro in his in his work every day. Chucky was awesome tonight.”

The Cardinals will head back to the ‘Ville where they’ll prepare for a Virginia team that has started 1-4 in ACC play this season. Tip-off is scheduled for Noon ET and will air live on ESPN2.