Tag Archives: Louisville Cardinals

U of L CardFile: Bellarmine

Basketball, ,

So, what is there to be learned about the Louisville Cardinals from this one, an easy 100-68 victory over perhaps the least good team of the Scotty Davenport regime at Bellarmine? Minus one of their best players at that.

U of L was also short-handed.

Before tip, it was announced that Koron Johnson was not going to play because of a shoulder injury. He, of course, Louisville’s PG#2. Which role was filled by Terrence Edwards Jr.

And that Kader Traore is going to be out for awhile with a broken arm.

So, that’s never good any time, especially three games into the season for a still coalescing contingent. Especially for a team that plays fast paced and needs lots of interchangeable parts to maintain the zest.

Any other negatives, before I move on to a number of heartening developments? Continue reading U of L CardFile: Bellarmine →

U of L CardFile: Stanford

Football, ,

In moments like this, Denny Crum had a go to line.

“We didn’t have a healthy respect for our opponent.”

The University of Louisville Cardinals obviously did not for the Stanford Cardinal.

Singular 38, Plural 35.

More often than not, you get what you deserve.

Like Saturday afternoon in Silicon Valley.

Stanford persevered. They deserved to win.

Louisville did not. And didn’t.

 * * * * *

When considering why games are won and lost, a factor always to be considered is statistical disparity. On occasion they are dispositive of the outcome. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Stanford →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XII

Football, Gaming, ,

The explosion was not quite as bad as what happened about 500 yards from my hacienda on Tuesday afternoon.

It was earth shattering. Almost, literally. Now know what it feels like when bombs are going off nearby. Very scary.

As for last weekend’s pick, let’s call it a self imposed implosion.

Not scary. But not good.

My first more-Ls-than-Ws slate of the year.

I was due for a let down. Still hurts, because . . .

. . . as a University of Louisville diehard I should have remembered the ever present and egregiously frustrating up and down trending arc of one Scott Satterfield, who now roams the sideline in his vizor at Cincy. Why did I pick the Bearcats as faves to visiting West Virginia?

I haven’t the slightest idea. Or excuse.

. . . for Georgia, which fell to the Kiffins, I have a theory. Carson Beck was worried about financial woes, when he discovered it was going to cost him $900 or so just to change the oil on his $300Large Lamborghini. He was obviously distracted. One less designer hoody.

. . . which seems a similar problem for Vandy QB Diego Pavia, what with the lawsuit he filed against the NCAA because his JUCO days count against eligibility, diminishing his NIL opps, should he decide to enter the portal after one season in NashVegas.

Oh these college kids and their financial advisers.

West Point and the IU Cignettis came through.

Harsh Truth: 2-3 for the weekend. Woe is me.

48-19 on the season. Still great.

This week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XII →

CardFile: Tennessee

Basketball,

Louisville 55, Tennessee 77.

Reality check.

The Volunteers on the second Saturday of November 2024  are . . .

Stronger.

Tougher.

Quicker.

Better coached.

More talented.

Simply better. At this juncture, significantly better.

It can be posited, and I am doing just that, this was a far more valuable experience for U of L than another walkover against North Tennessee A&M.

Better for the team. Assuming as I do that this group is mature enough to use it as an important lesson on what it takes to win at the highest level of college hoops.

Better for Pat Kelsey and his coaching staff, assuming as I do that they are astute enough to use it as an important lesson on what it takes to win at the highest level of college hoops. In planning. In strategy. In understanding the level of talent necessary to get from the portal and prep ranks.

Better for the fan base to understand that the Cardinals return to the upper echelon is a marathon not a sprint. Continue reading CardFile: Tennessee →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: 11/07

Basketball,

Trying to be more clever than I oughta in my Pigskin Prognostications this week, I made a historical mistake about Greek Mythos. About Sparta and Troy and that Wooden Horse, and who was zoomin’ whom.

Which a more knowing reader than I called me out on.

Good on him. Or her, whichever applies.

I’m getting to hoops, but I’m a wordy guy and it’s a long winding road, and I’ve got time because I rescheduled my HVAC appointment ’cause the guy was running hours late. Stick around, we’ll get there.

After a couple of minutes and a few added seconds of research, I relearned that the whole Trojan War brouhaha started when Paris of Troy charmed Helen, while she was betrothed to Menelaus. Who was the King of Sparta. Hubby didn’t take kindly to that.

Or, somethin’ like that, if my reading comprehension of Mr. Wiki is correct.

What I did learn of peripheral importance here is that, according to the various chroniclers of said conflict, neither of my personal favorite Greek GodWarriors — Naismithius and Bronconagurskius — were hidden in that horse. Probably a good thing, given there probably wasn’t any sort of bathroom facility inside said wooden trap.

Which senseless riffing leads me to what I am not going to do as an entry to chatting about Michigan basketball coach Dusty May. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: 11/07 →

CardFile: Morehead State, Part I

Basketball,

Coming out of the 7:50 timeout of the 2d, James Scott lifted to receive a direct side inbounds pass for a slam. Followed by a Cardinal steal and a Khani Rooths fast break jam. Southpaw, from the Brooklyn side. Reyne Smith netted a triple after a Kasean Pryor block. Another U of L pilfer led to a Terrence Edwards +1.

Which sequence continued with two more Smith bombs on fast breaks to push the Louisville Cardinals’ lead over Morehead State to 90-42.

The twentysomething woman in high top black Chucks with red socks in the front row of the big money courtside seats fell back in her cushioned chair, waved her hands with no mas gestures toward her pal beside her, and screamed, “It’s too much.”

Which, all context considered, it was.

The raucous crowd of a legit 12,000 plus — which may turn out to be the smallest of the season — a ready for magic throng had been singing the body electric from the intros, and at that juncture went . . . I dunno how to describe it . . . ballistic . . . apoplectic.

Had the gym’s transformers blown it would not have been a surprise. Continue reading CardFile: Morehead State, Part I →

Hoopaholic’s/ Pigskin Gazette/ Palaver: 11/04

Basketball, College Sports, Football, ,

Random inconsequential arguably interesting bits of irrelevant anecdotia about intercollegiate hoops and pigskin, presented in random and confusing order.

Every once in awhile even an inveterate it-was-better-back-in-the-day guy must admit that some things are sweeter nowadays.

Like how on a whim I can purchase Baskin Robbins Chocolate Chip ice cream at the Dirty Krogers just a couple blocks away. (Which frankly is not good for my waistline or cholesterol count.)

And like, oh, the beginning of the hoops season.

Once upon a time, it always commenced the first Saturday night of December.

There’d be an apéritif the weekend before, the frosh vs varsity game.

So, celebrate with me that the real deal starts this very day. First Monday in November. Which is, no calculation necessary, a whole month ahead of back when. Continue reading Hoopaholic’s/ Pigskin Gazette/ Palaver: 11/04 →

U of L CardFile: Clemson

Football,

U of L Coach Jeff Brohm displayed an interesting trait above others as his solid but not especially great career matured when he was roaming the sidelines in NW Indiana.

His usually undermanned Purdue Boilermakers would out of the blue fashion an upset against a top-ranked team when it was unexpected. Several times.

In his final season at Purdue he did it twice, vaulting his underdogs to the conference title game. Minnesota was Top 25 and went down to the Boilermakers. As was Illinois.

In the ’21 season, that Brohm trait was even more prevalent. Purdue beat Michigan State 40-29 when Sparty was #5 in the land. More impressive was the 24-7 beatdown of Iowa in Iowa City when the Hawkeyes were ranked 2d in the country.

So, maybe it shouldn’t have been such the surprise when the meandering Louisville Cardinals captured their first victory ever in Clemson, S.C. Saturday night.

Still the 11th ranked Tigers had won 22 straight night games in Death Valley, and were rollin’.

But, “Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death . . .”

Ye should fear no evil and all that. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Clemson →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week X

Football, Gaming, , ,

It was with a wry smile that I reacted to the recent news of changes to this year’s WSP, World Series of Prediction.

The organization that rules said premier of postseason events, CPPPPOCE (College Postseason Prediction Playoff Oligarchical Council of Elders) has in their wisdom decided to stay in lockstep with the CFP, expanding from 4 contenders to a dozen.

Why I greeted the news thusly should be obvious. Another 4-1 weekend — Pitt, Texas, IU, U of L right, UK wrong) propels me to 43-12 on the campaign.

Glossy.

In former years, with that record I’d easily be in the Final Four (for the first time I feel compelled to share), competing with only three others. Now there shall be twelve of us, and as it has been said, on any given weekend . . .

Given that I’ve just about lapped the field in the SM-NM Region (South Middle-North Midwest), known among us as the Big Mid, I’m pretty much assured a first round bye.

Absent some meltdown of Seminolian proportions, of course.

But, it’s still early.

Maybe baby come back next week, and I’ll be on a losing streak.

This week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week X →

U of L CardFile: Spalding

Basketball,

I chat hoops often with a long time pal. (Against whom as I advise him periodically I had my greatest scoring game ever, albeit it came centuries ago in Biddy Basketball.)

We work out at the same place, and we’re both hoopaholics.

He knows the game. He played a role of some consequence on Seneca’s ’63 state title.

(Though not quite as significant a contributor as Westley Unseld or Mike Redd.)

Anyhow yesterday morning in advance of Pat Kelsey’s last tuneup  as man in charge, before the real deal starts next Monday against Morehead State, Jon and I were chatting about the new Cardinal coach.

“He’s going to learn a lot this year.”

Which I hadn’t really thought of as he meant it, but is true.

Coaching game in, game out, season in, season out at Winthrop and Charleston, dancing with powers like Alabama but once a year is a different deal altogether than facing Tennessee, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Duke, North Carolina, Indiana and maybe Gonzaga on the hardwood . . .

. . . before both of the CFP semi finals in Pasadena and New Orleans have finished on the first day of 2025.

Which I thought of last evening in the Yum!. When it was apparent immediately in the Cardinals’ 99-54 rout of undermanned, undersized Spalding that the game plan was significantly different than it had been a week earlier against Young Harris. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Spalding →