Tag Archives: Louisville Cardinals

Seedy K’s Takeaways: Iowa

Basketball, ,

Louisville 83, Iowa 97.

There are times when there is simply nothing you can do.

When a team runs into a foe led by a transcendent star who is executing a not-to-be-denied dominant performance.

Ask peacock Kim Mulkey and Britney Griner about Shoni.

We’ve heard oh so much about Caitlin Clark.

Too much? Actually, frankly, no not really.

She was described before the game as a cross between Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.

Who am I to disagree?

On the season, she’s hitting 58% from 25 feet and beyond from the hoop.

That’s absurd.

Sunday night, Clark historically went for 41 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists.

She was not going to lose this game. Continue reading Seedy K’s Takeaways: Iowa →

Seedy K’s GameCap: Ole Miss

Basketball, ,

“Hotty Totty! Gosh A Mighty! Who in the hell are we? Rim! Ram! Flim! Flam! Ole Miss, by Damn!”

Well, as you Rebs head back to Oxford Town, Hotty Totty This . . .

. . . Louisville 72, Mississippi 62.

Thus, with this disparate crew that took time to jell, Jeff Walz in his 16th season has the Louisville Cardinals headed to the Elite Eight for the fifth straight time and eighth time in school history.

Hawkeyes ahead. By damn.

 * * * * *

Hailey Van Lith got the full World Wide Leader superstar treatment on the TV pregame.

Then she scored the Cardinals’ first five points, and led the squad with 21. Also 5 boards, 4 assists.

And, when Ole Miss cut the lead to five in the 4th at 58-53, Van Lith shut the door, when she tallied in the paint for a 7 point advantage.

But, let’s be clear, there is only one choice for Player of Game. In this corner anyway.

Mykasa Robinson, come on down. Continue reading Seedy K’s GameCap: Ole Miss →

Seedy K’s Game Cap: Texas

Basketball,

Hook that on your home court, ye Horns.

Inside Austin City Limits, the final tally in the Round of 32 read: Louisville 73, Texas  51.

It wasn’t that close.

Top Ten early on, Jeff Walz’s Cards dropped out of the Top 25 early in the campaign.

Now, they stand among the Sweet Sixteen. Familiar territory.

Ole Miss, upset victor over Stanford, awaits surging U of L in the Seattle Regional.

 * * * * *

As is often the case during Walz’s reign, Louisville rushed out to a 7-0 advantage from the tip.

The Longhorns steadied. 16-16 after the 1st.

Then the hammer came down. The game turned. Continue reading Seedy K’s Game Cap: Texas →

Time Machine: Cards on 3/11

Basketball,

     Your everlasting summer and you can see it fading fast/ So you grab a piece of something that you think is gonna last/ Well, you wouldn’t even know a diamond if you held it in your hand/ The things you think are precious I can’t understand/ Are you reelin’ in the years?/ Stowin’ away the time

So we have arrived at Championship Week 2023, Championship Day, Part Uno.

New batteries in the remote.

Plenty of Vernor’s on ice.

21 games of interest, more or less, for those of us hoopaholics.

Before getting started, I thought it would be interesting to check how my Louisville Cardinals have fared on this date, starting with the beginning of the Denny Crum Era.

5-2, thank you very much. Including two memorable tilts, one a Top 5 of All Time, the other, one of the, uh, most disheartening.

Oh what a night it was such a night at Vandy’s Memorial Gymnasium on 3/11/72. Continue reading Time Machine: Cards on 3/11 →

Louisville CardFile: Virginia

Basketball,

As woefully different as this sad season has been than any other in the storied history of Louisville basketball, there’s one thing that just is the same as it ever was.

Tony Bennett turns whoever is sitting first chair on the Cardinal bench into a pupil.

Whether it’s Mike Pegues, or Chris Mack, or David Padgett. Even the HoFer Rick Pitino.

School was in session Saturday in Charlottesville.

The victorious Cavaliers had 25 assists on 29 made FGs.

Obviously, some of these resulted from matadorian lack of D by the hapless Cards, but Bennett’s teams have done this year in and year out to even the more stalwart of U of L outfits.

Sixteen year senior Kihei Clark netted a trey nineteen seconds into the tilt on the Wahoo’s opening possession.

The Cardinals were never close the rest of the way. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Virginia →

Louisville CardFile: Virginia Tech

Basketball,

Señor, señor, do you know where we’re headin’?/ A Road to Hope or Armageddon?/ Seems we’ve never been down this way before/ Is there any truth in that, señor?                                                                                                                              — After Bob Dylan

A Senior Night quite unlike any other.

Oh for the nights we would have stood and clapped forever.

For Wes.

For Grif.

For Russ.

But distant memories now, from long ago, far away.

But a home game too much like most all the others this campaign.

Cards fall behind.

Lulls in the game when the gap could be closed but isn’t. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Virginia Tech →

Louisville CardFile: Georgia Tech

Basketball,

There is little to say.

Nothing really.

Which is why I sat and stared at this page which remained blank for hours.

Louisville 67, Georgia Tech 83.

Unlike most of Cardinals’ many losses this season, points off turnovers was not the significant statistic.

That was only -5.

Points in the paint. 28 Cards, 40 Yellow Jackets. -12.

Points beyond the arc. Cards, 12. (4/17). Yellow Jackets, 36. 12/29. -24.

Fast break. Cards, 6. Yellow Jackets, 16. -10. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Georgia Tech →

Louisville CardFile: Duke

Basketball,

Given that there is an adjustment period at the beginning of every game, how the opening played out in this one is not especially unusual. Or disconcerting. To me anyway.

Louisville started out focused, energetic and hot.

Especially El Ellis who had 11 already at the initial media timeout, on 4/4 (3/3) shooting. He also had a sweet drive and dish on the Cards’ opening possession, his second in consecutive games. JJ Traynor made a sweet move for the delivery and the hoop.

The Cards lead moments later blossomed to 18-9.

The Blue Devils then steadied, running off 13 in a row.

They kept the Cards measured the rest of the way.

Some garbage points at the end, when Kenny Payne emptied the bench, made the final a somewhat deceiving 79-62.

 * * * * *

Louisville’s play of late in microcosm was on display in the 2d at Cameron Indoor from opening possession until the 13:41 mark. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Duke →

Louisville CardFile: Clemson

Basketball,

Might it have been a bit “classier” had El Ellis just dribbled out the clock at the end instead of heading uncontested to the rim for an exclamation point 360 windmill slam, after Brad Brownell had cried “uncle.”

Of course, it would have. Maybe.

But, ya know what, in this dastardly campaign of little return, let ’em vogue.

Louisville Cardinals 83, Clemson Tigers 73.

U of L’s fourth W of the campaign was by double figures as an 11 underdog.

 * * * * *

Clemson was forced to call a timeout with 7:31 left, after a six point Cardinal run gave U of L a 66-52 lead.

Then the Prilosec™ moments. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Clemson →

My Feelings After Cards Won ’13 NCAA

Basketball, ,

The 2013 NCAA National Basketball Champion Louisville Cardinals will be honored Saturday night at the Clemson game. This is a piece I wrote in the immediate aftermath of that title. It includes a couple stories oft told before and after. (Frankly not sure how the Jerry Lee anecdote is pertinent. Sorta made sense at the time. To me. Verbosity über alles.) I am intent on leaning into these emotions during this current season of woe. Remembering I only wanted one.

Omne trium perfectum.

If we are lucky as we slip into our dotage, if more synapses stay connected than not, we’ll remember salient moments, significant snippets of dialog from yesteryear.

A cunning retort. A pithy aside. Legit advice that resonates.

A life changing admonition. A homily to guide. A comforting whisper, such as the one that really should begin this piece, But first, as if to illustrate, a moment of insight into celebrity. Continue reading My Feelings After Cards Won ’13 NCAA →