There is only what is and that’s it. What should be is a dirty lie.
Lenny Bruce was a wise man.
The Louisville Cardinals “should” have built on their somewhat deceptive 11 point halftime advantage and “should” have won their 11th in a row.
But there’s only what is and that’s it.
As happened with the Cards last ten game win skein, it died in McCamish.
That game in ’20 ended 59-64 favor of the Ramblin’ Wreck.
Saturday afternoon’s was 70-77 favor of the far more assertive Engineers.
* * * * *
What happens in the euphoria of a winning streak, damn the analytics that U of L would be favorites in the rest of their regular season games is you still gotta play better than the other team. And score more points.
The last eight minutes of the Wake Forest game was obviously a harbinger.
It’s not like the Cards have all of a sudden turned into a bad team. They’re still really solid.
But depth. Not having it really. Lack of an inside presence. The reality that Uncle Mo doesn’t suit up for you every game. And that old bugaboo, the law of averages.
They sneak up just when you’re not ready.
Louisville wasn’t ready.
* * * * *
The first half score really wasn’t indicative of what was actually happening.
The intense Cardinal D of the winning streak wasn’t in the gym.
U of L had nary a single offensive board in the opening twenty. Thus, no second chance points. GT was +7. As well as +6 in the paint.
Coming out of intermission, Tech tallied on four of the team’s first five possessions.
Then the Cards committed a turnover on an inbound after a PK timeout.
It appeared U of L hit the wall. The good juju was nowhere to be seen when it mattered.
When Tech was coming, actually after they had taken control — with an iron grip because Louisville couldn’t get a stop — the guys in red missed 5 straight charity tosses.
At the moment when they could have let Georgia Tech know they weren’t going to let it slip away, they didn’t deliver that message. Slip sliding away it went.
J’Vonne Hadley fouled out. James Scott and Reyne Smith had four. Chucky Hepburn, three. Too much reaching. Too much letting their man get by them.
* * * * *
Though Hepburn and Edwards did some scoring, and Scott some window cleaning, the guy who through the telly screen seemed to bring it with a winning intensity was Kader Traore. For most of the affair anyway.
He hurled himself on the floor to win a key 50-50 loose ball, flinging it to Hadley for a breakaway deuce in the 1st for a 33-25 lead. In the 2d, he rebounded his own miss, netted a follow deuce when the Cardinals still had the lead.
Ten points and 8 rebounds in his 21 minutes of action.
* * * * *
All that aside, U of L simply couldn’t get a stop, enough stops when it mattered.
It happens.
Flush with a ten game victory streak, it still appeared inevitable — in this corner anyway — that U of L wasn’t going to win out, regardless of the quality of the opponents.
I’m bummed.
You never want the loss you “know” is coming to come today.
It did.
The sky’s not falling.
Beat Boston College.
— c d kaplan
Did Reyne and Chucky get married? I didn’t know. I guess Reyne is the female being as they took Chucky’s last name.
Comma or & omitted. No annulment needed
Not that I’m aware of. Typo. Now corrected.
Making sure you catch it before those, ahem…folks on that OTHER site do.
😉
One is reminded of the 1980 and 1986 championship teams. Both lost games on the road in early February. Can they run the table again? Highly unlikely with road games at NC State, Notre Dame and Va Tech. And don’t forget the next game is on the road at BC.
I hope they can win enough to get a good seeding in the ACC tournament.
As for the game, I got concerned early in the 2nd when they got sloppy with the ball and Chucky had multiple unforced TOs. That was as alarming as it was unheard-of. Hoped it was just a momentary aberration, but alas…it was not. Texted a certain group of fools I belong to my concern about the sloppy ball handling at 5:04 PM. The D definitely wasn’t what it has been. Another wiff at the FT line (for a good FT shooting team they sure can land some clunkers in some games), and the body language and facial expressions from the head coach on down took on a deer in the headlights look. Oh well. Shit happens.
Yeah, they were just out of sync. Not that good to be able to overcome the things that just kept happening. Let’s hope it’s just an early February blip. Lots of similar results today. Iowa State losing big at home. Kansas blowing a 21 point lead. Oklahoma crushing Vandy. SMU smashing Stanford like we smashed SMU. Mizzou battering Mississippi State. It’s that time of year.
I felt confident first half , 2nd half put Relics ,Duke the DJ playing some good tunes while I grimaced 2nd half.So another reason for the music,what is the announcer who constantly said Louieville, got old quick.
On to the next game they will be fine.
Hardly a reason for concern – College basketball having a seriously down year and anyone can beat anyone- no need for hand wringing – If I’d ask you guys on December 8 after 3 straight losses dropped us to 5-4, if you’d be happy on February 2 for Cards to be 16-6 & 9-2 in ACC – you’d have asked me what I’d been smoking – a question often posed‼️ I do think I saw the National Champion yesterday – and I’m sure I’ll get brushback but 3 peats in the same year in Super Bowl & NCAA seem clearly possible – GO BIG EAST – the UCONN HUSKIES
I had totally bought into this team. I thought the energy was boundless, the free throw shooting had steadied, rebounding was a joy, this team loved winning and the turnover issue was resolved. “Joe, I say it ain’t so”. And I guess PK ain’t the second coming of DC, when in-game wizardry is required.
The sting of defeat was internally felt, and I enjoyed every painful moment. Why? The Cards are competitive, they are winning and they are once again relevant to big time college baketball.
The news is we have a team which believe will come back when they get down. That keeps it fun.
No news on the return of Waterman?