Presser recap, no blog-ah edition

Seton Hall switches between zone and man-to-man defense quite a bit. Not surprised by the success of his former assistants like Kevin Willard, very proud of them. Russ starting last game was "situational", said doesn't really matter who starts, except for Gorgui, who is essential. Herb Pope a great weapon off the bounce, not a traditional post-forward. Chris Smith has been fine, steady all year long. Russ Smith is the comedian on the squad. Team wouldn't have had the player's only meeting if Richard Pitino hadn't suggested/made them after Providence. Chane can be careless, but as he develops, will become a triple-threat player. Peyton Siva making jumpers doesn't help the offense necessarily, "but it helps him" i.e. defense, confidence. Siva "shoots the ball great in practice". Does not read blogs, does not know how to read anything on the web. "Wants to know how Demi Moore's doing." If Van Treese comes back, it would be in March. Wayne Blackshear "an accident waiting to happen"; also suffers from stomach viruses, "always something" with him.

Getting to know the incredible Herb Pope

Tomorrow Louisville goes up against Herb Pope, one of the best power forwards in the conference if not the nation. Here's a few things about the young man...

* Oh, for starters, he's back from the dead! In a chilling but ultimately happy story, in April 2010, Herb Pope collapsed while climbing stairs on the way to a weight session. No breathing. No pulse. He was clinically dead.

Quick action by Seton Hall's head trainer, Tony Testa, who defibrillated Pope and administered CPR, gave Pope the precious minutes he needed until he could reach the hospital. It was discovered that he suffers from a rare condition in his right coronary artery that blocks the flow of blood to the brain.

His life was saved, and with proper treatment, he has been able to continue his basketball career. But if you squint at the image, you can read the Seton Hall press statement that, thankfully, never had to be issued. It pronounced Herb Pope dead.

* Favorite candy is Skittles.

* Oh, did I mention he's cheated death twice! On March 31, 2007, Herb Pope and a friend were leaving a house party when another man demanded that Pope & Co. give him a ride home. They refused, and a fight broke out. A friend of the instigator pulled a revolver and shot Pope five times; two slugs to the abdomen, one to the wrist, one to the shoulder, and one to his buttocks. He survived the ordeal by fleeing into the nearby woods, drenched in blood.

* He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result, and has learned to cope through extensive therapy.

* Is averaging a double-double; 16.1 ppg and 10.3 rpg.

* Is presently a fringe-second round NBA draft pick.

Cards turn 100 and Louie's deranged uncle

Louisville Cardinals basketball turns 100 years old today and the Courier Journal has a banquet of coverage to commemorate the milestone.

A special by C. Ray Hall on the origin story here, photo journal of iconic images here, legendary coaches here, epic comebacks here. Just tons of great stuff, kudos to the CJ staff.

However, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get this image of the Cardinal mascot out of my nightmares. The hauntingly bulbous eyes are enough to chill Edgar Allan Poe, but it's the jacket and bow-tie that really send it to another level. He's psychotic, but he's proper.

Did children run screaming from this thing in the '50s?

Seton Hall morning links

Road trips to Seton Hall have been spelled disaster for UofL since joining the Big East (see Jan. 21, 2010 and Jan. 19, 2008). But UofL may be hitting the road at the right time to change this dynamic. After getting off to one of the best starts in school history, the Pirates have come crashing back to earth, dropping the last 3 games including a 55-42 debacle against Notre Dame. The scenario for the Cards is much like our previous two, we'll face a team starving for a win. Louisville needs to remain hungrier.

Some Seton Hall Pirate info...

* The Star Ledger examines how quickly this season has turned south.

* Most of the Pirates' woes come from a deficiency on the glass.

* Senior point guard James Theodore says he bears the responsibility for righting the ship.

* A blogger's perspective on the state of the season.

Quentin Snider gets a number

Last night Peyton Siva gave us reason to re-excite over point guard play in the present, and today came more news that hints towards an exciting future for UofL floor generals. Scout released its 2014 player rankings, and Ballard High School's own Quentin Snider was named the #9 point guard prospect in the class.

We've learned not to get too excited until a player actually laces 'em up and hits the court, but with Terry Rozier making waves, and Snider right behind him, the future at point guard looks bright. So cross your fingers extra hard. Now uncross them. 2014 is aways away and that's a long time to cross your fingers.

Some strange stats

* UofL was outscored 40-22 in the paint. 24-10 in the first half.

* 6.4 seconds. The time it took for Villanova stud Maalik Wayns to pick up his 3rd and 4th foul in the second half to send him to the bench.

* 11. The margin the Wildcats fell behind in Wayns' absence.

* 1-10. Jared Swopshire's 3-point percentage on the season before hitting the dagger with 1:12 remaining.

* 34-23. The free throw attempt margin in UofL's favor. Zip it Cards fans! (How bizarre was that? For those that didn't catch it, ESPN analyst Bob Wischusen briefly lost it when UofL fans were roundly booing the refs, in his opinion, undeservedly. He said something like "Louisville fans need to zip it! And zip it now!" It was said with malice, like he turned into a principal for a moment before regaining his composure and going back to generic announcer-speak. Hilarious.

* 20 for 26. Louisville's performance at the FT line in the 2nd half.

Quote of the Day

"I think when you play Louisville, you look like you aren't making the extra pass; they are better than anybody at that. If you watch us at one end and them at the other, we are not as pretty as them."

-Villanova coach Jay Wright. No one's prettier than you, Jay.

"Wake up number 37"

Mothman Prophecies. Anyone? Bueller? The most important figure in Gorgui Dieng's impressive stat line (12 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks) is 37. As in minutes played. For a center.

After years of watching Samardo Samuels, Terrence Jennings, and David Padgett, it's such a welcome luxury to have a big man pull down double-digit rebounds that routinely eclipse his scoring (even Padgett, for all his prodigious talents, only averaged 4.8 rebounds a game his senior year). Maybe we've been spoiled, myself included, because I confess to some consternation in the first half watching Gorgui play soft; Nova guards were going to the rim with too much confidence and, on a couple possessions, Dieng appeared to only make the smallest of efforts to contest a shot.

It's a trade-off, pure and simple. As satisfying as it would be to watch Gorgui monster sky for every block and swat balls into the 10th row, I understand the value of picking his spots. It's not a stretch to say that Gorgui is the indispensable player, there's no one on the team that can even remotely do what he does.

And I still think Dieng is an effective defender, even if not a dominant one. Last year, going up mostly against Terrence Jennings, Villanova's Mouphtaou Yarou scored 18 points and snagged 11 boards. Last night against Gorgs? 10-7. We need to be more understanding of the long game approach to playing, well, a longer game.

Head above water and kickin': Cards down Villanova 84-74

The silver-lining of having your back against the wall is that you learn the fight or flight reflex for your squad earlier than most. This team is still fighting.

It felt like a Big East tourney game; meaning, it was strange. A bridge shutdown kept many fans from making the opening tipoff, UofL's number one priority from the scouting report keep Nova off the free throw line quickly flew out the window, both teams were saddled with dumb, self-inflicted foul trouble, and the ESPN announcers were berating the unruly Louisville fans for booing the referees. It was weird.

To me, the most important stretch of the game was the first minutes of the second half when the Cards erased a 5 point deficit and sent Maalik Wayns to the bench with his 4th foul. Till that point, the game was beginning to resemble a movie, a horror movie, that we've seen before. But tonight the script deviated; is was Peyton Siva that led the way back; he flashed a perimeter game (at one point described by the announcer as "silky" that nearly made me faint) and commanded the game with poise (5 assists, 1 turnover). Peyton Siva's performance was the most encouraging sign for these Cardinals not only making the tournament, but making a run in the tournament, that we have seen in a long time.

The rest of the game was a blur of scrappiness; I need to rewatch this one to figure out what truly transpired. Chane sat out much of the game for picking up dumb fouls, but there was a stretch in the 2nd half when he dominated. I can't remember Gorgui taking a shot yet he finished with 12 big points. Kuric and Chris Smith disappeared for long minutes only to surface like submarines to torpedo in 3s. Jared Swopshire nailed the coffin shut. Like I said, it was weird.

But, however it happened, the fact is that the Louisville Cardinals are back to .500 in conference play and are hitting the road with more than a modicum of momentum. Most importantly, they look to be having fun again, and as a result, the fans have reason to smile as well.

Ready or not...

Here's a link to the article that's stoked the beehive, once again. As predicted by most, the Big 12 is meeting today to discuss further expansion, and UofL appears to be in the driver's seat for if/when that happens. It's exciting, of course, but like many I'm experiencing expansion fatigue. Why didn't they add both Louisville and West Virginia on the last go around?

This news was clearly leaked, as the article names "two high ranking officials" from the Big 12 just hours after the Big East announced Navy as its newest member. I recognize that the Big 12 is the most advantageous place for the Louisville Cardinals, but more than anything I just want this to be over with. Anywho, here's the money quote...

While conference officials stressed that no decision is imminent-and there is some opposition to moving beyond the current 10 member institutions-two schools are at the top of the list, should the league make a move. 

Louisville, which the Big 12 considered adding last year, is the likeliest choice, according to people with knowledge of the talks. And Brigham Young, another university the conference has considered, continues to be a possible target. One official said the league was open to adding just one institution. The Big Ten made 11 work for a number of years, the source told The Chronicle.

Sheldon Rankins come on down

We are exactly one week from Signing Day and Charlie Strong & Co. are working down to the wire.  Yesterday came the good news that Sheldon Rankins, 3-star defensive end from Covington, Georgia, has committed to the Cards. There was humorous story about Rankins going to the bathroom and pulling a UofL hat from behind the pull chain, and then coming back out and blowing away the other offerees from UNC, Florida State, UK and others. Something like that.

Rankins' commit is good news for the Cards because it solidifies the defensive line position in the class. Recently two recruits, Dequan Ivery and Pedro Sibiea, have wavered on their commitments. Next Wednesday will be tremendously exciting.

There's everything to like here. 6'3'', 260lbs, 4.6 speed(!). Rankins had this to say yesterday...

I am the newest Louisville Cardinal. I have been quite fond of them for a while, even before I made my official visit. And yes, the visit reassured me. Certainly Wake Forest made a strong push. But [Louisville coach] Clint Hurtt was down today and said I am their defensive end. I am the guy they want. I love the coaching staff, the players, the campus, and the city of Louisville. To me, it’s a home away from home.

You won't regret it. Welcome aboard, young man.

JayVaughn wears his war wound like a crown. He calls his child Jesus.

Nova is famous for small ball, but the key matchup will be between two highly-touted freshman power forwards, Chane Behanan and JayVaughn Pinkston.

Pinkston's is an interesting story. There was lot of hype surrounding the McDonald's All American's arrival to the Wildcats last year, but JayVaughn was suspended for the entire season after being involved in a brawl outside of a frat house. He was booted from the team and from campus and had to get a 9-5 job hauling boxes at a warehouse to pay for an apartment until he could rejoin the team. Now he's back, humbled, and playing damn good basketball. He's the current Freshman of the Week honoree for the Big East after logging two straight double-doubles, including a 23 point 11 rebound performance against Seton Hall. He's scored in double figures in 5 of the last 6 games.

Chane Behanan is also coming off his best game of the season. It should be a good battle on the blocks tonight.