Coping With These Cardinals

A pal once dubbed me a Not So Accidental Tourist.

Our families were traveling together in Spain. In Granada we’d visited the Alhambra, and were walking back to our hotel after having dinner at a restaurant in a nearby neighborhood.

Night had fallen, and we didn’t know the exact route and were sort of wandering about to get our bearings. I, among us, got nervous with the unknown. Even though the area was safe by all accounts.

I like to know what’s ahead. At every moment.

Not a great character trait. For too many reasons to enumerate.

Spent too much of my life worrying about what might happen, instead of just diving in.

Which is not an especially healthy thing for a hoopaholic diehard who for way too long now has allowed the athletic performance of 19 year olds dictate my sense of well being.*

*I’m getting better now mired in my dotage. But I’m far from cured.

So, as heartening as recent evidence would indicate the future of my beloved Louisville Cardinals will be, I’m having trouble diving fully in.

Is it a mirage? A fever dream? Is another significant guy gonna blow out an ankle?

Having trouble fully realizing after each of the recent skein of victories that this is where my team is now?

That they’re, dare I say it, good.

Yet . . . yet  . . . what about those blowouts early on?

Reticence is still afoot.

So, when the commentariat, excitement cranked to 11 as well it should be, starts talking, oh, “Final Four,” I retreat.

Just win the next one.

Yes these are heady times in The Ville.

But my stomach remains in turmoil.

I stare at the screen after we’ve closed out Pittsburgh, and need a few minutes to fully believe and comprehend that  this band of warriors has done it again.

All the while yelling as loudly as I can without alarming my neighbors, “I looooooooooove the Louisville Cardinals.”

Not saying I doubt any of what’s happening. Alright, yes, maybe that’s what I’m sayin’ here.

Finding it difficult to be impressively sanguine.

That the Cards are on the cusp of being nationwide again.

 * * * * *

OK, more than enough about me and my neuroses.

As for what’s happening, here’s a quote from a national hoops scribe, describing a former multi-time national champ, which has seen recent hard times, but now seems to be moving beyond.

The beauty of what XXX has quickly built at XXX is in the unselfishness of his team. The XXX don’t seem to care who the leading scorer is each night, but just about everyone in his rotation has the confidence to take a big shot.

The quote is actually about Arch Rival. Mark Pope. Kentucky. Wildcats.

But so too Pat Kelsey, Louisville, Cardinals.

Here’s the list of U of L’s leading scorers during the current six game winning streak.

Florida Stat: Reyne Smith. Eastern Kentucky: Terrence Edwards. North Carolina: Chuck Hepburn. Virginia: Kader Traore. Clemson: J’Vonne Hadley. Pitt: Reyne Smith.

You know there are those puzzles on the comic page. View this list, and decipher a pattern, what’s next?

Terrence Edwards, you got next. Or is it Noah Waterman, even James Scott?

There’s been a different leading scorer in each of the last five Cardinal Ws.

It may have happened before. I’d look it up, but it’s way way way beyond my pay grade. Let alone my abilities.

But this I do know. It’s very very cool.

For the season, CH is leading scorer at 15.1, followed by RS (13.5), TE (13.2), Kasean Pryor at 12.0 and JH at 11.6. JS and NW are both at 6+ ppg.

All of which hierarchy is subject to change. Which is also nifty.

 * *  * * *

Also trending: U of L in the analytical rankings.

Upward.

NCAA NET: #36. Up three spots from last week. It’s the most important of all the analyzers. The Cards in Quads I, II, III and IV are 3/5, 3-0, 2-0 and 4-0. The losses are to schools ranked #2, #4, #13, #22, and reeling Oklahoma at #47.

Ken Pomeroy: #35.

Bart Torvik: #33.

At Bracket Matrix, a compendium of all the “bracketologists,” Louisville is a solid 9 seed.*

*Before the season began, I believed a .500 record was doable, making the tourney, top end. And now this. My heart’s too weak. 

It’s comforting, if not fully so given how I fret, that objective observers are accepting the Cardinal ascendence.

I’m looking forward to getting there fully.

For now: Beat Syracuse.

— c d kaplan

 

25 thoughts on “Coping With These Cardinals

  1. KSR says we will not lose another ACC game. I don’t listen to them but heard this from a friend who is a Kentucky fan

      1. I’ve been around. Nothing has changed. I just don’t post on the Chron anymore. Retired.

  2. Let me advise those who are weighing in at my site who are usually at the Chron. Welcome. There are rules here. No feuds. Just fans talking sports. With decorum. I control this one and will not tolerate nastiness.

    1. WHAAAAAA?!?!?

      Lol

      Actually that’s good. That’s why I retired from the Chron. Grew weary of the vitriol.

      What about hilarity, random ribbing, and nonsense? I realized the only thing I missed about being on the Chron was giving Seedy the business. 😃

      Is silliness allowed here?

      1. Quoting a friend who shall remain anonymous. I apologize for sullying these pages through reference to that evil entity.

  3. It was good to see Kasean Pryor in attendance. Perhaps he hasn’t been mobile enough to travel since his injury? Anyway, nice to see he is still around. I keep thinking of what could have been if he had stayed healthy. With so many other pieces performing so well, what if?

    I relate to your use of boring for Tuesday’s game, we were so much better than them it was boring. Here is wishing for more boring games. This group isn’t letting up when ahead, not letting the opponent back in the game can look like a yawner. Who knew?

    Go Cards! Ls up!

    1. Yikes, I thought I was on the Syracuse game comment thread. Oh, well, par for the course for absent-minded me lately.

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