Tag Archives: Kentucky Wildcats

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: It’s That Time of the Season

Basketball, ,

Ah yes, it’s that time of the hoops campaign.

Woe is Me season.

Expectations shattered. Fans on the precipice of the dark place.

How did we lose to that team? Wasn’t he supposed to be a Big Mac Super Sized Superstar, what’s the deal? Can’t anybody shoot? Why is everybody standing still? We can’t we guard anybody?

And it’s not just in my neck of the woods. Down the road, you know over there a little ways to the east, both the coach and fan base are on suicide watch. Outscored 0-7 at the end against Tom Crean’s Bulldogs, they lost on an open layup after a fumbled pass on an inbounds play with one tick of the clock left.

Just to the north, coach is under a little pressure. Can we stay hot seat?

But it’s not only around here, there’s The Sky is Falling ennui up, down and all around the Land of Hoopsylvania. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: It’s That Time of the Season →

Hoopaholics Gazette: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

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Oh my, 2021 is so close now, I can almost smell the fresh air.

Of course, the new year won’t really begin until the morning of January 20, but just the psychological relief of the calendar flipping at midnight tonight is welcome.

As Seger said, turn the page.

 * * * * *

We’ve all got our own this-couldn’t-have-happened-in-any-other annum moment. Here’s mine when it comes to hoops.

I’ve mentioned that Wildcat Willie is the only ardent Big Blue supporter among my coterie of close hoops crazed pals. We all need at least one, right? He’s the fellow I’ve referenced regarding the Rex Chapman game. How, flush with victory, he turned into and a bulging eyeball, projectile spitting, venom spewing Ralph Steadman caricature.

Such a gracious winner!!!

He was among us in our email thread, after the Cards escape over Arch Rival last Saturday.

During which exchange, he revealed that he found himself rooting for the team in white. Continue reading Hoopaholics Gazette: Looking Back, Looking Ahead →

Louisville Card File: Kentucky

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Louisville 62, Kentucky 59.

Despite the braying of the nation’s college hoops cognoscenti, this game meant as much to the U of L Cardinals as it did to the reeling 1-6 Kentucky Wildcats. True.

I mean, you know, if not this year, when?

Louisville 62, Kentucky 59.

This one will surely gain some sense of beauty in the years to come, as memories fade. It was, let us be frank, not a very well played game. It shall not be used as an example for basketball aesthetics.

But was it tense?

Duh. Of course. It’s the Cats vs. the Cards. You’ve heard it, “Throw the records out the window.”

Hoops of the highest level? Uh, no. Not close.

Except in the eyes of the winning beholder.

Louisville on offense was . . . Continue reading Louisville Card File: Kentucky →

Remembrances of The Rivalry

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The thrill of victory.

Knoxville. Forever and always Knoxville.

Three national titles notwithstanding, the most endearing five minutes in the history of Louisville Cardinal hoops were the OT beatdown in Stokely.

My favorite memory of that moment — other than the victory decades in the coming — is ever stoic Rodney McCray, victory secured, standing on a chair, facing U of L fans, leading the C A R D S cheer.

Listening on the floor model radio with my dad in ’59, as ten-loss U of L shredded #2 UK by 15 in the regional semi, then coming back the next night and dispatching #8 Sparty.

Watching with Doc as Denny Crum’s worst team (12-20) pulled it out against #4 Kentucky in Rupp. Continue reading Remembrances of The Rivalry →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: New Favorite Player, Rescheduling Curiosities ++

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If Naismithius is still in charge of college hoops — Lord help us, if he isn’t, and has completely turned the reins over to Coach K — the University of Louisville Cardinals will return to the hardwood Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin against the B10 Badgers in a makeup tilt.

It’s apparently taken awhile for the moment to come to fruition. (Keeping fingers crossed, it actually does.)

Early last week, before the original schedule date of the anticipated ACC/B10 matchup, but after it had been postponed because of COVID in the Cardinal program, I heard an interesting rumor from pal, Cheesemaker.

The Wisconsin alum told me he was hearing that the game was rescheduled for last Saturday, a couple of days after the original one, and on the same day as U of L’s football game with Wake Forest. Had I heard anything, he inquired?

I had not. And, never did. I called him back and in the usual dismissive manner we long time buddies converse with each other, admonished him that the rumor was obviously false.

Well, here’s what happened on Saturday, just prior to the Cards’ kickoff with Wake. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: New Favorite Player, Rescheduling Curiosities ++ →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XIV

Football, Gaming,

Oh, Pauline, you never warned me about the perils of predictioneering in a pandemic.

I mean, a little but not really. Not enough to keep me from taking a Pasadena until times are more settled, as would have been prudent.

After a fashioning a perfecto in Week XII, the buzz dissipated quickly. Should have figured, Week Unlucky XIII.

Florida won. Indiana won, but lost catalyst QB Michael Penix, who tore an ACL for the second time as a Hoosier.

Louisville fell in Chestnut Hill, Michigan allowed the Nittany Lions their first W of the season, and the Quack got lost in the fog, which didn’t hamper the arch rival Beavers in the Game Formerly Known As The Civil War.

Oklahoma/ West Virginia was a DNP.

Two up. Three down. One nolo contendre. (Actually that’s a specific legal term of art, which really doesn’t fit what I mean. But I loved the rhythm of those three short verbless sentences.)

For the year, I stand at 41-24-5.

And, mask in place, asocially distanced, I forge ahead.

This week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XIV →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XIII

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Last weekend, the University of Louisville Cardinals skunked Syracuse.

I too threw an ofer. Five correct, zero incorrect.

The Cards’ foe was hapless.

I’ll admit for the sake of transparency, that at least several of my predictions were gimmes. Bama over the Cats. Buckeyes over the Hoosiers. But Boomer Sooner was not the lock they now seem in retrospect over the Cowboys.

And Cincy did its best late to outwit itself, but still hung on for a win at Central Florida.

5-0 for the weekend. 39-21-4 on the year.

To satisfy, or at least feign an attempt to mollify, my naysayers, I’m adding a special bonus pick this holiday weekend. Six picks for the price of five.

The Winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XIII →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XII

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Here’s what wishful thinking got me last time out.

Nuttin’, Honey.

If I’ve learned anything in this the most strange annum of my long lifetime, it should have been that it ain’t ’93 anymore. And that Boston College, feisty former future Fighting Irish Star QB at the helm or not, was going to trap this year’s Notre Dame team.

So, I got that one wrong. Which I supposed was going to happen, but hey.

I did predict that the Cats would survive Vandy. Big Props to both Kentucky and the Commodores. The former for declining the penalty UK received when sweetly honoring its lost OL coach; the latter for the team’s display of affection and grief.

Nebraska afflicted the Nittany Lions with their fourth L of the season against zero Ws. Indiana continued on its roll. And shorthanded U of L fell to Virginia.

4-1 on the weekend puts me at 34-21-4 on on the season.

This weekend’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XII →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XI

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The COVID continues to dow what the COVID does.

Six games on this week’s slate have been postponed or cancelled. Including a trio in the Southeastern Conference. I’ll be surprised if there aren’t more between now and kickoffs.

Strange times, these. In case your mind has been elsewhere and haven’t taken notice.

As for events actually on the gridiron, last week proved yet again that the Greek God of Pigskin BroncoNagurskius giveth, and he taketh away.

The Trojans of Southern California needed to come back with two TDs in the final three minutes plus to survive. More important, to get my day off correctly.

What goes around, comes around. Notre Dame prevailed in 2OT, thereby bookending the day with my only miscue.

In between, IU continued its improbably successful season. Florida upset Georgia. Louisville at Virginia was a DNP.

3-1-1 moves my numbers for the whole campaign to 30-20-4.

Praying no more games get postponed or cancelled, here are this week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XI →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week IX

Football, Gaming, ,

Oh, this season is so so so strange.

Badger QB RFr Graham Mertz has the game of a lifetime in his first start, comes down with the COVID, then the whole program shutters for a time.

Southern Miss fired Jay Hopson after an opening game L to South Alabama, naming Scotty Walden interim coach. Then Walden catches the COVID, then announces he’s exiting Hattiesburg — right in the middle of the season — to coach FCS Austin Peay. After sufficiently quarantining we have to hope.

What. Is. Going. On?

Meanwhile I was 3 up, 2 down last time out. Coastal Carolina, Ohio State and Louisville won. Iowa State and UK lost.

On the season, 23-18-3.

This week’s picks: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week IX →