Orange prepare to beat Louisville on the road without Southerland

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. That’s the attitude of the SU players as they prepare to take on Louisville without James Southerland on Saturday.

As much as they’d love to have him back, they have to operate under the assumption that he’s going to be out for awhile – possibly for the entire season. If he does return, it’ll be a bonus.

In the meantime, the Orange will have to use the “next man up” approach and they did so rather successfully last weekend against Villanova.

The three freshmen combined for 25 points and more than picked up the slack left by Southerland’s absence.

The task on Saturday will be more difficult, not just because Louisville is the nation’s No. 1 team, but also because it’s a road game and a very tough environment at that.

Assistant coach Gerry McNamara says the Orange need to keep their poise in order to beat the top ranked Cards.

Tip off is at 4 p.m. on ESPN.