Suck on this, Greg Sankey.

There will be sixteen Round of 32 games this weekend.

Exactly half of the competing schools shall be double digit seeds.

Including Oakland — from Michigan Greg, not Cali — who beat your leagues most historical now hysterical program.

And one of them academic schools Yale, who upended Auburn, which I gots to mention, won your league’s tourney. Guess they care more about spring pigskin practice on the Plains.

Plus Grand Canyon, which is some sort of hybrid for profit, religious affiliated institution of higher learning with upper echelon level facilities and a rabid fan base. James Madison, named for Dolly’s hubby don’t ya know, which, by the by, has won more games this season than any team not named UConn.

Along with P4 late season overachievers Colorado, Oregon and surging NC State.

So, that’s a tally, Greg, of a #14, a #13, two #12s, three #11s, and a #10.

Greg, hear me now and believe me later, don’t fuck with the most perfect post season in sports. (Do not pardon my French.) Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Instructive First Friday →

Welcome to Clichés ‘r’ Moi.

Because, my fellow hoopaholics, This Is What It’s All About.

Yet again I pledge my absolute allegiance to Naismithius, the Greek God of Hoops.

On Thursday March 21 in the Year of Our Lord 2024, He the Grecian deity above all of Gods and Goddesses, giveth . . .

. . . unless, of course, you’re a Samford fan and know in your heart (as well as that of Gene Steratore) you got screwed on that clean block called a foul late.

OK, I cannot bury the real lede any longer.

I’m sure the crowd reading this shall join me in a hearty and explosive and schadenfreudian Huzzah, because . . .

. . . Oakland 80 . . .

Kentucky 76. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: A Blessed Day I →

The first player I approached when the squad became available after Kenny Payne’s revelatory time at the mic (more on that later) and the team photo was Curtis Williams.

“Just wanted to tell you how much I love having a guy from Motown on the team. I was born in Detroit too.”

“True?”

“Dude, that’s why I’m wearing my Lions ballcap.”

Nonplussed, Williams nods.

(Note: Probably, surely, more often than not Williams’ name in this space shall be hereinafter monikorized as CWill.)

After chatting about Caleb Cunningham and the Pistons one point loss to Miami in their opener, I asked Williams about the point guard thing.

If you readers will recall, in a recent post I mentioned how KP was forcing the wing to handle the ball more and learn to distribute it.

“Yeah, I think I’m getting better at it.”

“Are you embracing it?” Continue reading U of L Hoops Media Day Takeaways →

So, ya think that Nick Saban guy down in Tuscaloosa wishes he’d gone after the QB now calling signals in South Bend, instead of the one who did so last season?

Asking for Harvey Updyke.*

* Updyke is the rabid Crimson Tide fan, the owner allegedly of a hundred or so Alabama ballcaps, who poisoned the oak trees at rival Auburn’s Toomer’s Corner.

Tyler Buchner (+ Ty Simpson + Jalen Milroe) ≠ Sam Hartman.

Those heralded Dreamland ribs ain’t tastin’ so tasty these days.

 * * * * *

Speaking of QB dismay, ya think Tom Allen up in Bloomington is lamenting the departure of long gone Michael Penix Jr.? Continue reading Pigskin Pundit: 9/19 Edition →

What a revoltin’ development this is.

Chester A. Riley’s punchline is the first lede that came to mind, when considering how to weigh in on the weltschmerz Tilt-A-Whirl that is college football’s obvious money grab.

Another descriptor: Cockamamie.

That’s getting in touch with my inner Paul Shaffer.

I also thought of a 1962 Italian “shockumentary” that I thought was pretty cool when I was in HS. “Mondo Cane.” A Dog’s Life.

(I was better able to tolerate depraved and perverse as a teen. Not so much now. Enamored back then, I just watched a trailer for the flick, a smidge of it anyway, and found it pretty disgusting. Which was the point, but still.)

So, yeah. College Sports = Mondo Cane. Continue reading Whither (Wither?) College Sports →

You got to close the deal.

The Ville did not.

Their run to shake hands with John Beresford Tipton ended Saturday afternoon.

The locals, mostly former U of L Cardinals, led by a penny, 56-55, as the Elam Ending commenced.

First to 64 survived and advanced.

With the crowd at din level on the decibel meter, the locals moved to within a deuce of victory, on a couple Russ Smith FTs, a third chance follow by Chane Behanan and a Smith J. Countered by a lone Gutter Cat FT.

The Ville was close.

But no cigar.

The remaining possessions for the former Cards+ went like this. Four missed hoops, two turnovers. Continue reading GameCap: The Ville 62, Gutter Cats 64 →

In a late move, 2013 Final Four MOP Luke Hancock is now serving double duty with The Ville in The Basketball Tournament.

He’s now a player as well as a coach for the squad.

One must assume it was Earl Clark’s unavailability that was the catalyst for this move.

The presence of another member U of L’s national championship squad is sweet.

Whether he’s in hoops shape or not?

The Ville’s opening tilt is 7:00 PM Tuesday night in Freedom Hall. Tickets are available.

 * * * * *

Gratuitous non-sports plug ahead.

In a recent post, I mentioned I missed Manny Okorafor’s breakout game against that school up the road, because I was in Indy for a Tedeschi Trucks concert.

How good was that show?

Thanks for asking.

Click here for a link to my review.

You’ll be glad you did.

— c d kaplan

CAVEAT EMPTOR: This post contains hopeful news about U of L Men’s basketball. If that might cause indigestion, angina, severe anxiety toward your heirs and assigns, neuritis, neuralgia, lower back pain or psoriasis, consider yourself warned.

Jim Price was in the gym watching workouts and pickup games over the weekend, where he appears periodically even though he lives in Naptown.

As was Chris West, a member of the ’86 national championship squad.

At some point, he looked over at Gym Eyes, and they talked about how different summer practice is this year from last.

Way more talent.

More basic skills.

How the players go  through drills full speed, instead of “loping.”

He is, I’m advised, “impressed.”

The squad, I’m told, goes at each other hard, and with physicality. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Gym Report →

Is that about a generic a title as you can find this side of Glorious Editor’s “XXXXday Afternoon’s Cardinal News & Notes?”

Correct answer: Oh yeah.

Sometimes there’s simply nothing pithy to say.

 * * * * *

Trentyn Flowers did not make the cut for the US Under 19 national team.

It is really cool to see he is grateful for the experience, though surely disappointed not making the squad.

It is my understand that Card assistant Nolan Smith was out in Colorado Springs last week, just to check on the Cardinal prodigy.

I learned a couple things. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: Wednesday Edition →

This shall be blissfully brief.

A proverbial quick read.

Tuesday evening at 6:36, this historically horrible season for the University of Louisville Men’s Basketball team ended in an appropriately ignominious manner.

Such that I simply am not going to print out the final score.

Nor offer insight or explanation.

I considered various and sundry ways of expressing how I feel right now. And giving one guy’s take of an overall perspective of what happened over the course of the campaign.

At this time, I demur.

Perhaps I will in the future.

Perhaps not.

It’s time to take a break and just kick back from this.

As a hoops junkie, I’m locked into the rest of the season. I love March Madness.

I understand that many are not. We each make our choices.

Go Cards!

c d k