At halftime, after an 18-2 Blue Demons surge, the Cards discovered themselves  down an incomprehensible 16 points, I pulled out my media guide.

I’ve long had a go to defeat when it’s come to what’s the worst Cardinal out of the blue L in the modern era. Wanted to check the score and season.

January 30, ’95.

U of L 69, Towson State 81.

It has been supplanted.

It does not get any worse than Saturday. Against a truly not very/ any good 1-7 team. Which lost six of those tilts at home.

Louisville 68, DePaul 75

The nightmare grows more gruesome. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: DePaul →

What a difference a decade or two or three plus an annum or two make.

On January 30, 1985, Virginia Tech led by one Dell Curry — you may have heard of his son — bashed an eventual 19-18 Cardinal team in Freedom Hall, 81-61.

Then U of L turned the Hokies into bird cage fodder. Winning 11 straight.

Then during Denny Crum’s first losing season in ’90-’91, VT beat the Cards twice, at Freedom Hall  and then Cassell Coliseum.

After which blip in the Cardinals domination, U of L prevailed 17 times in a row.

28 0f 30 over a long long period of time.

Louisville fell Sunday afternoon, 68-75, for the third time in a row. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Virginia Tech →

You’ve got to pick up every must/ You’ve got to pick up every must/ You’ve got to pick up every must/ ‘Cause it’s the Season of the Cusp

Apologies to Donovan.

Every reasonable person I spoke with before this Crosstown Rivalry game was of the like mind.

It was one Kenny Payne had to win.

He did.

At 4-3, Louisville has matched its victory total of last year.

It remains a Season on the Cusp.

 * * * * *

It was simply another odd game. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Bellarmine →

There is simply no way to make sense of what transpired at the Yum! Sunday afternoon.

An eventual 90-84 Louisville escape.

Against New Mexico State, Ken Pomeroy 250th best team in the land playing without its star, the Louisville Cardinals did not make a field goal in its first nine attempts, until JJ Traynor finally put in a follow with 12:48 left in the 1st.

It cut the Cards disadvantage to 5-9.

U of L never led before intermission, behind several times by 10, but cut the deficit to a deuce at the break.

Louisville took a lead for the first time scoring first after the break.

The Aggies immediately answered.

Cards again went ahead. Another immediate answer by State.

It happened twice again, where U of L only led until the end of the next NMS possession.

The visitors kept U of L measured the rest of way. Most of it anyway.

With 1:18 to play, after a shot clock Aggie layup, the Cards were down 8, 65-73.

In my notes, I jotted, “Worst home loss of my lifetime?” Would have been. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: New Mexico State →

The kid just made the shot.

Guarded closely, falling backward, falling sideways out of balance, he found the net.

It happens.

Skyy Clark could not have guarded Max Abmas any better than he did. The Longhorn didn’t get by him to the rim. The Longhorn didn’t draw a foul. The Longhorn had to go MIchael Jordan to net the game winner.

It happens, damn it.

Texas 81, Louisville 80.

 * * * * *

I would never have thought for a moment that I’d be writing this Sunday evening about “but for” moments.

Not before tipoff.

Not when Texas ran out to a 16-7 lead.

Not after the Cardinals turned it over thrice in the last 1:38 of the opening half. Each resulting in a Texas tally, and three point intermission deficit. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Texas →

Final Score: Louisville (2-1) 61, Coppin State (0-4) 41.

At halftime, the Cardinals led 32-21.

At 9:56 U of L fashioned its biggest lead of the season, 17-11.

The Cards led by double digits even though they were -2 on turnovers, outscored in the paint 6-14, outscored on 2d chances 2-6, and outscored off the bench 5-10.

At halftime, Mike James had 10, Tre White 9, and Curtis Williams 5 though he was only on the court for 5:37. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Coppin State →

Here’s what I know:

The University of Louisville Cardinals won their season opener over Maryland Baltimore County.

Cards 94, Retrievers 93.

Here’s what I don’t know:

How they did it?

Here’s how confused I was.

With :11 to play, Tre White drove the hoop, was forced too far underneath, and threw up a wild layup attempt.

Which didn’t come close.

The official box score says he got the offensive rebound.

That’s not what happened.

I was sitting fifteen feet away. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: UMBC →