Transparency: I left the Yum! at halftime. Partially because of exhaustion. I had some minor surgery last week, and wasn’t able to exercise for a few days, and had trouble sleeping. When I finally got back to the gym Sunday and Monday, I overdid it. Partially because it’s really hard to tell a whole lot, so overmatched were the Young Harris Mountain Lions tonight.
So, I’m writing this on my desktop at home while watching the second half on a laptop.
One thing is clear beyond any other takeaway.
Which we know from seeing those walkovers in the Bahamas.
Louisville will shot threes.
A lot of threes.
A whole lotta threes.
At this moment at the keyboard, there’s a timeout with 15:11 left. The Cards are up 72-37. After leading 63-27 at intermission.
The Cards are 28/53. (52%) 17/39. (44 %)
With 21 assists on those 28 FGs.
The Cards played with a lot of energy in the first half, though frankly it didn’t seem like quite as much as their summer sojourn to the islands.
In the second half, any edge the Cardinals played with was left in the locker room.
Reyne Smith can really shoot the ball. I didn’t see him miss during warmups. He’s 5/6 4/5 with the Cards up 81-37.
Louisville defense needs work.
The Cardinals, for obvious reasons, really didn’t run many sets. Mostly just moving the ball, cutting, passing, looking for the open man beyond the arc.
Terrence Edwards had 22 in the opening stanza. Hasn’t scored in the 2d. (He finished with 24.)
* * * * *
Some off the court newness.
One of the student managers holds up a whiteboard during timeouts and play which reads: “3 Kills/ 0 Stops.”
Update: Smith just hit another triple. All of the Cardinals have connected from long range except James Scott, Kader Traore, and Frank Anselem-Ibe and the walkons.
During pregame warmups, the assistants were actually out with the team, working with the squad, pushing them.
Before the game Pat Kelsey walked out with all the assistants, immediately going to greet YH coaches and the refs.
There’s a fan sitting just behind the railing next to the TV cameras, who puts a 3 sign up after every made Cardinal trey.
The introduction video was blessedly short.
* * * * *
All of which meandering this and that is to say this.
It’s a new dawn.
Cardinal hoops is going to be fun again.
We aren’t going to really get a sense of how successful PK’s first team will be until Morehead State, well actually Tennessee. Perhaps later.
Given the gauntlet the Cardinals face, we will surely have a sense of it by New Year’s evening. At which time, U of L will have played the Vols, IU, Ole Miss, Duke, North Carolina and UK.
* * * * *
Final: Louisville 106, Young Harris 59.
Louisville took 56 threes. They netted 24.
In the first season they were allowed ’86-’87, Denny Crum’s Cards took but 127.
The most U of L has ever launched in an entire campaign was 906 in ’04-’05.
The surest bet in the entire BetZoneDraftWager Universe is that number shall be surpassed.
If you were expecting more than this rambling bit of not much, sorry.
I’ll do better.
I expect the Louisville Cardinals shall also.
— c d kaplan
Take care of yourself. Your elliptical will always be there. I missed a chunk of the first half…down the street listening to Diane Rehm interview Joan Baez. Great conversation but no 3s made.
The Cards…not as sharp in the second half as the first…great energy…shared the ball…rained 3s.
I look for improvement after each of the first 5-6 games and likely more.
great shooting and finding the open man passing in half 1 ; not so great work on D boards and no apparent rim protector, and with the no low post/post-up in the low paint, not getting the draw fouls on offense, or draw charges on D; Look forward to exciting brand of “make the opponent try to keep us with us ball”