Louisville CardFile: Indiana State

Basketball,

Hop in the Way Back Machine with me for a second, I want to show you something from back when.

Alright, actually just a short trip to last Sunday, to remind you how the Cards started against Youngstown State.

See how Louisville turned it over on the first possession after getting the tip.

Then the Cardinals scored on their next 11 possessions, draining their first 11 shots from the field.

So, here’s how Wednesday’s 91-62 romp over Indiana State began.

Cards get the tip. Cards throw it away on a similar attempt to pass it into the post on the first possession. Cards fall behind 5-8, then go on a 13-3 run, which featured a Jordan Nwora stepback three, a Dwayne Sutton long bomb on a feed from Nwora, and a Darius Perry trey.

U of L had drained 7/8 from the field for that 18-11 advantage at the first media stoppage. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Indiana State →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week

Football

Looking back at last week’s picks, as is my wont before providing this coming slate’s victors, I must admit, the locals let me down.

Much to my chagrin, the Louisville Cardinals threw in a clunker at Miami.

And the Wildcats, who let me down only because I picked them to prevail which would have increased my winning percentage, did what UK usually has done in my lifetime when battling Tennessee. They tumbled down Rocky Top.

Stupid me for thinking Kentucky would beat even this season’s mediocre Volunteers. Must have been having one of those LSD flashbacks they warned us about back in the day.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut . . .

. . . Underdog Minnesota vanquished Pennsylvania State to remain undefeated in nine.

. . . Underdog LSU glossed up its already snazzy resumé with a W in Tuscaloosa.

. . . Mediocre Texas survived K State, which had recently toppled Boomer Sooner.

As predicticated right here.

3-2 for the weekend, pushed Seedy the Swami to 36-21 on the campaign.

As the season rounds the turn and heads for the home stretch, here come five Week XII winners:

Indiana @ Pennsylvania State. Part of the well worn shtick here are my annual references about how Hoosier fans always care more about hoops, and how they’re not paying attention to the perennially also running IU football squad. And I’ll normally pick whomever the Sunny Siders are contesting, and usually be correct. Well, something’s happened on the way to tipoff at Assembly Hall. More Crimson & Cream fans are taking note of what’s going down on the field turf at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers are 7-2, 4-2 in the B10, albeit not against the scariest of schedules, but way mo’ betta’ than their spate of losing records through the last, oh, decade or so. The Nittany Lions hopes for the Final Four were derailed last weekend in Minneapolis. How will they respond to the disappointment? Has Indiana improved enough to prevail in State College? Not really. But, hey, Archie’s ballers get Troy on Saturday.

Oklahoma @ Baylor. Flavor of the Month Matt Rhule’s Bears are one of the real how they doin’ that? stories of the season. They seem to always fall behind, and, so far, have always come back to snatch another scalp on the totem pole of victory. 9-0 for the season. 6-0 in the B12. It took three OTs to best the middlin’ Horned Frogs, but best them they did. Their Houdini act notwithstanding, doubters remain. Are they good? Or just lucky? Or, I suppose, both? We should, or may find out Saturday when they host the Sooners. Who escaped Iowa State, after the upend to Kansas State. I think the Green might be better than folks believe, worthy of their unblemished record. But feel the visitors shall conquer.

Georgia @ Auburn. Well, look who discovered the mother lode in the latest Selection Committee bracketology. The Georgia Bulldogs, who, that L between the hedges to the Gamecocks notwithstanding, are currently IN. In the fourth spot. Hmmmmmm. But I gotta ask, how many more boneheaded game decisions does Kirby Smart have circulating through the synapses of that brain of his? He sure has a penchant to find and use one at the most inopportune times. Meanwhile Auburn’s two Ls were both competitive Top 10 defeats, one in Gainesville, the other in Baton Rouge. Plus they’ve got the opening weekend W over the Quack. Toomer’s Corner, prepare thyself to be toilet papered.

Kentucky @ Vanderbilt. I hate having to pick this game. It’s only a matter of journalistic ethics — I always consider UK and U of L when they are playing — that prevents me from going to Minnesota @ Iowa or Tulane @ Temple. Hate it. Because the QB-bereft Cats aren’t very good. And Vandy sucks. But the ‘Dores did beat Top 25 Mizzou. Go figure. Last weekend, while the Cats were getting beat yet again by Rocky Top, Vandy laid down at Florida, zed to 56. Because the 4-5 Wildcats want to bowl, and don’t want it to depend on the season closer against arch rival, they have more on the line this weekend. Though I may rue the moment I type this: Big Blue.

Louisville @ North Carolina State. Respected Dave Doren’s Wolfpack had fashioned two 9-4 campaigns in a row coming into this season, when they were expected to be solid again, per guru Phil Steele. But injuries and whatever else might be in play have disrupted all that hope. Their only W in the ACC was by six points over hapless Syracuse, and their four Ls have been by 18, 21, 24 and 25. Louisville is all of a sudden a conundrum. Obviously considerably better under the new regime than last season, but ever wobbly. The nightmarish beatdown they suffered at Miami was like deja vu all over again. Can the Cards revive? Will they do the tighten up on Tobacco Road? In Coach Satt I believe. By dawn on Sunday, Fun is Bowling in this post season will be real for the Cards.

— Seedy K

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: What do we know so far?

Basketball

So, yeah, this time last year how the season was going to play out was pretty much already settled.

In week one, Duke turned Kentucky over under sideways down in the Champions Classic, and the throne was being assembled atop Mt. Zion, since the Blue Devils were a Brent Musberger Vegas deadbolt lock to capture Coach K’s 114th national crown.

UVa was coming off the biggest upset in the history of sports, the first #1 seed to lose to a #16, and Tony Bennett had secured the sobriquet as the “most nicest most decent guy to never even make it to the Final Four.”

How’s all that turn out?

Which is to underscore, that after Week I of College Hoops ’19-’20, we know nuttin’ honey.

Except this: Hoopaholics everywhere are in that euphoric state of “Basketball is Back.”

So whattaweknow, whataweknow? Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: What do we know so far? →

Louisville CardFile: Youngstown State

Basketball,

Coach Chris Mack reacted as good coaches with legit national contenders are wont to do, even after the Cardinals distanced themselves from visiting Youngstown State from the get go in a 78-55 beatdown.

OK, not quite from the absolute beginning, but close enough.

We’ll get to that in a moment. First to Mack’s opening foray.

Before taking questions in his post game presser, he advised that he was more than a little disappointed. Because the Cardinals gave up 19 offensive rebounds, 11 in the opening half. Which board work resulted in an almost unbelievable disparity in 2d chance points.

The Penguins offensive windexing resulted in their tally of 25 after errant shots. Compared to but 4 by the Cards. -21 in 2d chance scores is not a good thing.

What that stat also says to me is this, since the Cards won by 23: The University of Louisville has a legitimate chance of living up to preseason hype. U of L took care of biz in any other  number of ways, such that the statistical anomaly, bothersome as it is, didn’t matter.

 * * * * *

Here comes the first mention of the season of The Professor’s favorite homily.

You look good when you makes shots. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Youngstown State →

Louisville CardFile: Miami

Football,

I’ve been on a diet for several months now.

Eating healthy foods. In healthy portions. Exercising.

Avoiding that handful of chips, or that “you can have just one cookie.”

I get on the scale first thing every morning.

Slowly, and given that I’m staying the course, inexorably, I’m dropping the avoirdupois.

But there is a strange phenomenon that is unsettling. But must be accepted.

I’ll get on the scale one day and hit a new low. Then, the next day, even though I haven’t jumped the rails in any regard, I’ll weigh a couple of pounds more.

It’s inexplicable. Most vexing. But I haven’t used it as an excuse to head over to Bennie Impellizzeri’s for my favorite pizza.

I accept those “setbacks” as part of the process. I stay the course.

So that’s my perspective when considering Saturday’s horrid performance by the Louisville Cardinals in Hard Rock Stadium. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Miami →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XI

Uncategorized

Bottom line is I should have taken last weekend off. Like the majority of the Top 20.

But no, I stayed the course and suffered for it.

2 Ws. 3 Ls. 33-19 on the year.

Not to worry. I fired my entire staff, and am feeling rejuvenated with fresh input, heading into the most important weekend of the year.

For the first time in college football history, there will be two battles on the same Saturday in which both combatants are 8-0.

And the Louisville Cardinals take their first stab this year at bowl eligibility.

Let’s go. And don’t be telling me how I only choose easy games to predict. Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XI →

Louisville CardFile: Miami

Basketball,

With its way-easier-than-the-final-score-indicated 87-74 evisceration of Miami Monday night in Coral Gables, the Louisville Cardinals ended the Carl Spackler jinx.

So they’ve got that goin’ for them. Which is nice.

Assistant coach Luke Murray’s dad is finally off the schneid. He showed up at several Cardinal games last year, but U of L dropped them all.

To consider last evening’s affair from a golfing perspective, as as a looper like Spackler would, I’d say it was like match play and the Cards were up 9 and 8, but they continued playing and ended 3 up.

OK, enough Caddyshack silliness.

Two men down, with plenty of stuff to still work on, U of L opened the campaign with a decisive conference win on the road. Always a good thing. Even if the foe is as mediocre as Jim Larrañaga’s Hurricanes.

 * * * * *

So, let’s talk about the Card’s heralded feature attraction, Jordan Nwora. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Miami →

Hoopaholics Gazette: Let’s Get This Party Started

Basketball, Uncategorized,

Hoops tips tomorrow.

Can I get a witness?

So, what you’ve happened upon here is the first edition of what I intend to be regular looks throughout the season at the world of college basketball.

The focus: My beloved University of Louisville Cardinals. Along with observations on those squads representing institutions in this vicinity, which is the epicenter of the sport. I’ll also provide take a gander at the national scene, as I see fit.

My intention: This will be a prediction free zone. No projected NCAA seedings or Final Four participants. It will be totally subjective, generally devoid of analytics, self indulgent, obsessive, and full of all the abundant expertise that can be provided by the last man cut from the J.M. Atherton High School Rebels jayvee team back in the days of yesteryore.

Let’s have some fun.

You got questions about hoops, or important life issues, you’d like for me to address, I’m at your service, maybe. Write me at contact@seedyksports.com. I might answer them. I might not.

Ted Valentine, the guy with the big whistle whom the Cards get right from the start in Coral Gables, toss up that rock, let’s get hoopin’.

 * * * * *

I guess the Cardinals is the place to start. Continue reading Hoopaholics Gazette: Let’s Get This Party Started →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week X

Football, Gaming

Here’s what I learned from last week’s college football results.

Other than, that is, the cream is starting to rise to the top, other than fanbases are trying to figure out how their faves can capture that magic number of six victories and whether they want to and can afford to pack up the camper and drive all the way to the Great Northern Plains during snow season to watch their teams battle on blue turf in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, other than I’m truly grateful that Scott Satterfield is the coach of my school.

I learned that Mizzou’s terrible loss in NashVegas to Vandy was no fluke. They were blistered by the Cats. I learned that Scott Frost isn’t quite the pigskin prestidigitator the Husker Nation thought he’d be. At least yet. Also that Mack Brown can still coach.

SMU, North Carolina and Louisville were victorious as I predicted. Nebraska and Missouri were not.

3-2 on the weekend pushed me to 31-16 for the season. Which brings us to a curious Week X, during which the following noteworthies will not be playing: Louisville, Kentucky, Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota and Oklahoma.

It just seems odd, doesn’t it, that all those schools — and I’m sure there are others I’ve missed — are taking the same Saturday off at the beginning of November?

But there will be battles, and I’m here to advise which teams shall prevail.

The winners:

Kansas State @ Kansas. It is the cockamamie nature of the sport that this 117th edition of the Sunflower Showdown kind of all of a sudden has a bit of luster to it. At least pour moi, and I’m the one sitting at the keyboard. It’s not 1987 anymore — Tell me about it — for that’s the year KU entered at 0-8, and K State at 1-7. Rock Chalk Jayhawk has been inarguably the worst P5 team in the sport for years now. Maybe decades. Oh for the halcyon days of program breaker extraordinaire Charlie Weis. Then along came Grass Eatin’ Les Miles, whose charges won at Boston College, almost beat the Longhorns, and bested  Texas Tech last weekend in a battle of b-ball powers, young and old. Cranky ol’ Bill Snyder finally stepped down in the Other Manhattan, in somewhat of a snit since the school didn’t name his offspring to replace him. Instead the powers that be wisely selected four time FCS champ at North Dakota State Chris Kleiman, who already has a Sooner scalp on his totem pole of Ws in his first season in purple. Despite a post upset Oklahoma letdown, the gang dressed Princely wins.

Virginia @ North Carolina. Is the much chattered about ACC Coastal now a meme? I don’t know. I’m not really sure what a meme is, other than something millennials talk about all the time. I’m a lot of things, but no millennial. What that conference division is though is this: C R A Z Y. Two schools are 3-2 in the conglomeration, two are 2-2 and two are 2-3. Only Georgia Tech seems a non contender. I even read somewhere how a wag spent a bunch of time figuring out how the six could end up in a tie. All of which wackamundo is why I’ve put this otherwise mediocre battle on the board, Preseason favorite UVa has lost three of four and has a hobbled QB and star defender who will sit the first half. Mac Brown’s Tar Heels famously bested South Carolina and Miami to open the season, then fell thrice in a row, and have won 2 of their last 3, beating rival Duke last time out. The game’s at Kenan Memorial in Chapel Hill, allegedly one of the most bucolic venues in the land. Baby Blue becomes bowl eligible with a W.

SMU @ Memphis State. I am so so very sure that, by the end of Game Day, which will be broadcasting, I suppose, from Beale Street, we will have had plenty enough of Rendezvous rib adulation, shots of Sun Studio and, of course, the gratuitous reverence for Elvis. (If they’re really cool, they’ll set up at Graceland. Or, inside 706 Union Avenue.) The over/under on mentions of Colonel Tom Parker is 2. Take the under. Then, making a day of it, ABC Prime Time will be televising the AAC battle from the Liberty Bowl. Herbie won’t even have to fly to get there. SMU, as we know, remains among the nation’s undefeated. The Tigers have dropped only one, but barely escaped Tulsa last time out. Looking ahead, were ya, M State? It’s frankly hard to pick against the home team in what will surely be a tight game. But the image of Dana Kirk still gives me the creeps. The Tigers pull a Darius Washington at the end, missing a FG to lose. (Forgive the hoops references, simply can’t help myself.)

Oregon @ Southern Cal. How dysfunctional must it be in the offices of the Athletics Department at the University of O.J. Simpson? Plenty, it would appear. Coach Clay Helton was atop the Dead Man Walking list to start the season. His Trojans are 5-3 overall, but a heady 4-1 in league play and tied at the top of the South with the Utes. (Who themselves have a big one this weekend at UDub.) Helton is still believed to be a goner after the season. Unless, one must surmise, he guides his troops to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl. After that opening L to Auburn, the Quack have not been bested, though last weekend they escaped because Washington State’s Mike Leach appeared to have left his meds back at the team hotel. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a Duck fan. It’s too late to stop now.

Georgia vs. Florida (Jacksonville). Does it get any more SECish than this annual neutral site brouhaha? The World’s Larges Outdoor Cocktail Party. (Guess they’ve never been to the Kentucky Derby.) UGA XXXXXXXXVVIII. Gator Chomp. #6 in the land vs. #8 in the land. I swear, Brad Nessler’s going to sound like Verne Lundquist.  Or Lindsay Nelson. It’s Bronconagurskius’s game day decision. Florida’s only blemish: LSU. Geogia’s only loss: South Carolina. Ouch. Kirby Smart’s made some not very smart in game decisions. Dan Mullen still has his detractors, though this year’s contingent has “overachieved.” Now with but one L apiece in the conference’s Eastern Division, the winner becomes the fave to play the Bayou Bengals or Crimson Tide for league crown. Will the fans be rabid? Nah, game doesn’t really mean much. Yuk, yuk. Gators.

— Seedy K

 

Louisville CardFile: Bellarmine

Basketball,

Highly regarded Louisville’s hard won 75-65 exhibition W over Bellarmine was, at the very least, bracing.

It took an 11-3 run at the end to provide distance from the Norris Place visitors.

Given how good the crosstown DII power traditionally is under Scott Davenport, the victory was certainly revelatory for the Cardinals, as well as a testament to the Knights stature.

And, given that two definite Cardinal vet contributors — Steven Enoch and Malik Williams — and probable eventual go to PG David Johnson didn’t play, the game results could be considered a throwaway. At the very least, perspective, as it usually is when it’s still October, is required.

Frankly, there are a several concerns that have gnawed at me as the season dawns.

Is Jordan Nwora really the best player in the ACC, and one of the five best in the land? How will he handle that hype?

Is Louisville legitimately one of the major Final Four contenders, and how shall the team and the coaching staff handle those expectations?

Who will evolved as point guard?

Which of the freshmen are ready to contribute?

As expected, none of those questions were answered in full with the season opener a week ahead in Coral Gables.

But there is a bit more clarity. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Bellarmine →