Tag Archives: Chane Behanan

Louisville Card File: Miami

joaniecardIn my excitement over Louisville’s W last night in the balmy clime of Coral Gables, its 4th W in 5 road encounters during its inaugural ACC season, I forgot to stay tuned to WAVE3 TV for Kent Taylor’s piece on ’86 Cardinal star Billy Thompson.

That the station should run a where-is-he-now? segment on the fellow, who led that team to the school’s second national crown, is timely and germane, given the disturbing dynamic playing out this year between a portion of the U of L fan base and senior forward Wayne Blackshear.

Thompson was generally considered the best player in the land, coming out of high school in Camden, N.J.. He announced his college choice on national TV with Al McGuire. The Red & Black faithful had extremely high expectations for Billy T. Which started to wane, during his rookie season, even before he missed a breakaway dunk in the national semis against Phi Slama Jama, a non-score which far too many fans ridiculously felt cost the Cards that game.

Thompson was inexplicably reviled for his “underperformance” the rest of his career. Until, that is, he kicked it in gear midway through his senior campaign, paving the way for that NC2A crown. I specifically remember one fellow who sat behind my father and me at Freedom Hall, who, full of vitriol, as if Thompson was playing bad on purpose just to piss him off, never let an opportunity pass to loudly spew his venom toward BT.

The same type of thing is happening in this, his senior season, to Wayne Blackshear. He obviously is not meeting the expectations of many Cardinal fans, who seem to relish every chance they get to express how little Blackshear does for this team, how “awful” or “horrible” he’s playing, what a “non-factor” he is.

It all seems misplaced to me. Continue reading Louisville Card File: Miami

Thursday’s Thrashings: Chane, Teddy, Hoops & That Derby Thang

reporterI have a sad vision.

Of a community center basketball court somewhere in the greater Cincy area in, oh, 2029 or so.

A fortysomething father walks in with his young son. A pick up game is going on. There’s a burly guy, 6-5 or so and 50+ pounds overweight, dominating play on the court.

Father: “Whoa, would you look at who is out there?”

Son: “Who is that, daddy?”

Father: “Chane Behanan, son. Won a national championship at Louisville back in, I dunno, 2012 or so. Heck, son, best I recall he dominated the boards in the second half of that title game. Outrebounded the whole other team, Michigan, I think.”

Son: “Did he play in the NBA?” Continue reading Thursday’s Thrashings: Chane, Teddy, Hoops & That Derby Thang

Year of the Cardinal’s Bumpy Landing

cardsThis is the way a magical Flight of the Redbird ends, not with a bang but a whimper.

* * * * *

Before one of Louisville’s exhibition basketball games — one of those actually designated so, not one of the spate of them since the “real” season began — I was chatting up a fellow long time fan about the state of Kevin Ware.

While our mutual love for the Cardinals is deep and true, we rarely agree about any specific. But, that night, he offered of Ware, “I just have a feeling it’s not going to be a good end for him at U of L.”

I felt compelled to agree. Continue reading Year of the Cardinal’s Bumpy Landing

Louisville Card File: Missouri State (Very Cool Video Included)

dunikcardThe Boom came early.

A tick over two minutes into the tilt, the Bears led 4-3. At which point, they would have been best advised to find the nearest bomb shelter.

But, Mizzou State did not bunker down.

The Boom ensued.

Russ Smith FT. 4-4.

Montrezl Harrell second-chance deuce. 6-4.

Russ Smith jumper. 8-4.

Wayne Blackshear trey. 11-4.

Rebound follow deuce by Mangok Mathiang. 13-4.

Terry Rozier second chance jumper. 15-4.

Chane Behanan slam. 17-4.

Terry Rozier snow bird after stealing inbounds pass. 19-4. Continue reading Louisville Card File: Missouri State (Very Cool Video Included)

Louisville Card File: Western Kentucky

dunkcardIt was right about this juncture last season when Cardinal fans began questioning Kevin Ware.

After an underachieving freshman season, during which he averaged less than five minutes of action, played in only 20 of the Cardinals’ tilts with a 1.0 ppg average, and registered more than twice as many turnovers (21) as assists (9), an uptick was expected.

It wasn’t happening.

Teammates continued to extol the awesome game of his on display in practice, but it wasn’t making the trip from the Yum! on Floyd to the Yum! downtown.

It seemed inevitable that he would be no factor as U of L was striving for a national crown.

Then came the shift. Continue reading Louisville Card File: Western Kentucky

Louisville Card File: Missouri-Kansas City

dunkcardA few years ago, I started taking piano lessons..

Not long afterward — I still hadn’t even learned all the major chords yet — I ran into an acquaintance, Pete, who has serious chops on the 88s and gigs around town regularly. He’s a pro.

He looked at me, and advised, “Here’s all you need to know.

“Inversions.”

You know like the advice Mr. McGuire gave Benjamin Braddock in “The Graduate”

“I’m just going to say one word to you. Listening? Plastics.”

Like Braddock, I didn’t have a clue what Pete was talking about. But, had Benjamin followed that advice, he’d be a rich man today, whether he and Katharine Ross were still together. I have also come to understand the importance of inversions when plunking about on my Young Chang.

Yes, sports fans, Cardinal fans, I’m about to talk U of L hoops, and trust you’ll soon understand the relevance of my extended prelude. Continue reading Louisville Card File: Missouri-Kansas City