It’s forty years and 189 miles as the cardinal flies from Knoxville.
246 miles if you’re going AAA TripTik.
Those are the baseline numbers.
Reality when it comes to U of L vs. UK: It’s so long ago far away the Webb Space Telescope can’t grab the image.
Since that magical day in the NCAA Regional in 1983, the “rivalry” reads 14 Cards, 30 Cats. Assuming my abacus is properly aligned.
Kentucky’s dominance and Louisville’s decrepitude were on full display Thursday night in a more Blue than Red Yum! Center.
The final: UK 95 , Louisville 76.
The Cardinals actually led at the first stoppage. Yet there was never a sense they had a chance to win.
Which is how down this program is. Even Denny Crum’s worst team — 12-20 in ’97-’98 — upset the Wildcats. In Rupp. Against a Kentucky team that won the national championship that season.
Thursday evening. No chance.
The game specifically turned in UK’s favor midway through the opening half. The Cards went 0/4 from the field. Kentucky hit seven FGs in seven attempts, going on a 10-0 run over 1:26. 15-1 over 2:32.
Cards called timeout, down 18-31.
They never got within shouting distance the rest of the way.
Kentucky tallied the final 7 and 14 of the last 16 netted before halftime, for a 20 point lead.
* * * * *
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield showed up. 16 points on 8/8 shooting. 11 rebounds.
Skyy Clark netted 20 with five assists.
Mike James never quits. He had 12 and 6.
Danilo Jovanovich scored his first points as a Cardinal, converting a +1.
JJ Traynor and Dennis Evans remained sidelined with injuries.
* * * * *
UK’s Antonio Reeves had 22 in the 1st in 9/10 shooting, 30 for the game.
Reed Sheppard went for 11/11.
That Wagner kid scored a deuce.
* * * * *
I’ve always found it fascinating, even when the Cards were filling Freedom Hall and the Yum!, how so many Blue fans scored tickets.
Thursday was the worst, as visiting fans easily outnumbered Cardinal faithful. During the 11:47 timeout in the second half, the gym reverberated with a Blue/ White call and response. With no counteraction.
* * * * *
Next: Virginia. In Charlottesville.
— c d kaplan
The problem with keeping Kenny is that half of the players will probably leave after this year and it doesn’t look like they’re going to get anybody decent to replace them.
We are on a collision course with a new coach. The only variable is time.
Hey, they won the second half. We don’t need another coach, we need GOOD players who give a s–t about being all they can be. Look at H-H. He cares about getting better.
Heird has done the program a terrible disservice. He has failed to step up and show solid support for KP as well as inform the fan base that the Athletic Department will assist in every “legal” way to rebuild this program-not just for the fans but for University and community pride.
So, whose job is it to obtain “good players”? And it’s obvious that with the players we have we should be a MUCH better team with more wins against awful teams. We have one of the easiest schedules in college basketball and still have a losing record.
Patience my man. Recall Mitch Barnhardt sticking w Stoops for years while he floundered . In time he built Kentucky football to a respectable level.
I don’t see any hall of fame coaches walking through the door. I doubt if KP is rejecting coaching the team recieves from Manning, Wagner, Smith and Gains. Surely one of them knows something about basketball.
Obviously, if loosing and failing to recruit becomes derigeur, you must move on but for this year keep the press on.
Speaking of all the blue in the Yum center, a few years ago at the UK game there were four young men in Kentucky blue sitting behind me. Was curious what they paid for those tickets which were excellent seats.
They said that these were their seats they used them for the UK game every two years and sold, all the other tickets on StubHub, probably made some real money.
Now those were diehard fans!!