By Chris Duncan
The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It took longer than he expected, but Louisville coach Rick Pitino knew the Cardinals' brutal February schedule would catch up with them.

The fourth-ranked Cardinals (19-3, 9-2 Conference USA) have lost two of their last three games since reeling off 17 straight wins between Dec. 7 and Feb. 12.

"I told them before February came that February was going to bring some very difficult times and probably some good times," Pitino said Friday. "This period is where those bumps lie. I thought they would lie a little earlier, but they haven't."

The next "bump" is Saturday at Cincinnati (14-8, 6-5), where the Cardinals have won only once in five meetings since 1996.

A road trip might be just what Louisville needs after an 80-73 home loss to Memphis on Wednesday. Pitino said he was "very disappointed" with how the Cardinals were manhandled by the Tigers, outrebounded 47-31.

"Discarded is the word I would use. Pushed out of the way," Pitino said. "They tried hard, they played hard. They were just beat up inside and did nothing about it.

"Rebounding has to be a constant. You can't go where one game you're up and one game you're down. We didn't control our destiny in that game."

A lack of toughness isn't a good trait to have against the traditionally physical Bearcats, although the Cardinals overcame their roughneck style in a 77-71 victory at Freedom Hall on Feb. 5. Louisville was outrebounded 41-39 but forced 22 Cincinnati turnovers.

Pitino doesn't expect the Bearcats to throw anything different at Louisville on Saturday.

"Cincinnati is nuts and bolts. They're going to do what's made them famous for the last 13 years," he said. "They're going to play great defense, they're going to rebound hard, they're going to play smash-mouth basketball, they're going to play with a lot of hustle and a lot of desire. They're not going to give you any surprises."

Louisville senior guard Reece Gaines had 17 points and seven assists in the earlier victory. He's averaged 21 points in four games since, but Pitino said he needs to shift his focus to getting his teammates more involved.

"Reece's biggest problem is when you get down, he tries to put everything on his back," Pitino said. "That doesn't make us a better team. The great players make other people better around them."

Pitino has other qualms about his team, too, starting with the ineffectiveness of its full-court pressure.

But he's still amazed the Cardinals are one of only four teams nationwide with only three losses. Top-ranked Arizona, No. 2 Kentucky and No. 17 Creighton are the others.

"We're very pleased to be where we are," he said. "But we realize we're rebuilding and it's going to take some time. In the interim, we'll try to win as many games as we can and make it fun for everybody involved."

The Bearcats aren't having as much fun these days. Coach Bob Huggins banished his team from their regular locker room just before the first Louisville game, but the motivational ploy apparently backfired.

Cincinnati has lost five of its last six, including a 58-55 home loss to Saint Louis on Tuesday.

Pitino said that makes the Bearcats all the more dangerous.

"We're going to have to beat Cincinnati playing one of their best games," Pitino said. "They're a team with great pride, a program with great pride. We're going to have to beat a terrific Cincinnati team."

Louisville center Marvin Stone, who's averaged 11.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, will play Saturday and then meet with NCAA officials in Louisville on Sunday.

An attorney for Stone said Friday the NCAA wants to ask Stone about his connection to an AAU program in Alabama. Stone played for the team between his junior and senior seasons of high school.

Pitino said he wasn't worried that Stone will be distracted.

"It doesn't bother me. Catholics go to confession every Saturday," he said.