Tough Lutz

Pitino needs to approach this loss the same way you approach a dead hooker. Find some way to rationalize it, destroy all evidence, walk away slowly, and NEVER speak of it again. Sports is a lot about confidence, and I hope the Cards don't think about this one too much lest they realize how truly horrible that exhibition was. Dwelling, however, is what I do, so here's some other thoughts on tonight's debacle...

* We were down three key players. That's how you rationalize it. But truth be told, for a team with only one real strength, DEPTH, that's no excuse against a middling Atlantic 10 team.

* Say a prayer tonight for the rotting corpse of what was once a proud Louisville defense.

* Can Samardo Samuels dunk? Do we know this for sure? Holy lord, even David Padgett jammed the ball occasionally and his knees were bionic silly-puddy.

* I confess. For one moment in the second half after consecutive threes by Marra I was convinced he was about to dominate and rain us threes to a victory. Didn't happen.

* If I were a Charlotte fan I would demand a life-size cardboard cutout of Bobby Lutz.

* Pitino seemed eerily tranquil on the sidelines. Maybe he was in the "I'm so pissed I'm calm" stage, but if there was any game primed for a senseless ejection, this was it.

* And finally, the "it" factor. Whatever "it" is, this team seems to lack "it" and I can't figure "it" out. The team is comprised of a group of guys that can't get enough of each other. Edgar Sosa claims it's the closest group of teammates he's ever had. There's a number of good characters; Sosa himself is hilarious, Siva seems to have a joy for life, and even walk-on Chris Brickley has an endearing goofiness. But it sure doesn't translate to the court. Whenever they step on the hardwood a switch goes off and everything becomes such a grind. No one seems to be having a good time playing together; there's individual effort, but no collective heart. Case in point? How about the lethargic trio of Smith-Knowles-Siva in street clothes on the bench. Being an injured starter is the easiest job in the world. You get real excited, hype up your teammates during timeouts, get a lot of camera time and receive gratuitous praise from the commentators. I'm pretty sure slouched, bored, and chewing gum isn't the image you want to project. It symoblizes the missing "it" factor for this squad. "It's" a cause for concern.

Paws off Patterson!

Reports today that stud linebacker Tim Patterson had committed to UK are 100% false, writes Jody Demling at the CJ. The Central high school standout is a lifelong UofL fan, and wants to see how the coaching situation pans out before making his decision. I love homegrown talent, and happen to love sacks as well, so I'm desperately hoping he anchors the Cardinal D in the future. Some developments in the next few days could have a strong influence on his decision. Getting sick of the puns yet? Yea, me neither.

Report: Strong to Louisville?

Charlie Springer at Card Game is reporting, via Tampa TV reports, that Charlie Strong WILL be the University of Louisville's next head football coach. However, I haven't been able to track down the story from any of Tampa's newstation web sites. His post here.

Updated from original version.

Gator Hunting

Normally I'm ambivalent about Florida football except for cheering the one quarter a year when their starters destroy UK (Yep. I'm "that guy"). But I'll be glued to the tube today watching their epic matchup against Alabama. Gator defense will be the focus for Cards fans wanting a sneak peak of what we're (hopefully) in store for. I've been perusing the Florida message boards a little this week. Should the Cards hire Strong, the overall sentiment is supportive, grateful for his years there, and realistic enough to realize he was leaving at some point. Kudos to Tom Jurich for going about it the right way. C'mon Charlie! Hurry up and beat the Crimson Tide, there's an important phone call waitin' for you.

Vote Angel, vote often

Per her twitter request, click here to vote Angel (top right) for WNBA image of the year.

Depleted Cards, continued

Add Jerry Smith to the IR. He is OUT for tomorrow's game against Charlotte with an Achilles' sprain, joining Peyton Siva and Preston Knowles on the bench. Color me concerned. The remaining Cards must be sharp to avoid another early season slip.

Damn you fat man!

Fat jerk and Kansas coach Mark Mangino has obligingly resigned his post. This gums up the works for those that want to see Charlie Strong stalking the sidelines of the expanded Papa next season. The Kansas City Star lists Strong as a target, and cites a source that says he would be interested in the Jayhawks. Louisville still makes more sense geographically, and we still have master salesman Tom Jurich at our disposal, but we need to recognize that Charlie Strong is a hot commodity right now and get it right.

(Hat tip: Tom Heiser at the CJ, who provides a good summary of the situation, except for getting Mangino's name wrong)

Frosh

None of the new players capitalized on their expanded opportunity on Wednesday night. Buckles did not score and only snagged two rebounds. Marra fared a little better, with 6 points, 4 boards, and 3 assists. But he's still turdpopping from behind the arc, and had some of the worst passes of the night. Stephan Van Treese had the best performance, flashing game in the final minutes, but long after the contest was competitive. Someone's gotta step up; for himself if he wants to play this season, and for the team that sorely needs another weapon. The lineup will be pared down after this month. Unless the freshman show marked improvement, I think Pitino will be calling the numbers of more experienced, known quantities like Swopshire, Goode, and Kuric.

The Birds

This little icon the CJ is using to symbolize our coaching search is scaring the hell out of me.

Impact Name Alert

He may not be the best player on the court tomorrow, but he's definitely going to have the coolest name. Keep an ear out for An'juan Wilderness, the 6'6' combo guard for Charlotte. A top 100 recruit out of high school, the junior has had an underwhelming career thus far, slowed by stress fractures and other lingering injuries. He averages about 8 points a game, but has been lauded for his intensity. He was described by Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery thusly:

"Wilderness, he was toughness. He's a junkyard dog. He just went and got baskets."

I. Love. College. Basketball.

It don't matter if you're black or white

It was inevitable. With Charlie Strong being the focal point of Louisville's coaching search, sooner or later talk would turn to his interracial marriage, cited by Strong himself as a reason for the time it has taken to be offered a major head coaching position. Tom Jurich addressed the topic in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel today, and the good news is, Jurich said that Strong's marriage "doesn't bother me one bit". Attaboy, Tom. I will in no way propose a truce with the bloated self-parody that is UK athletics, but with Ron Cooper, Tubby Smith, head-coach-in-waiting Joker Philips, and possibly Charlie Strong, some of the redneck stereotypes about our state should soon disappear into a black hole. Errr. Collapsed star.

Krag's Anatomy

I'm pretty sure I know what female body part was referenced in the now infamous insult that was overheard by Mrs. Krags. But how funny would it be if it was actually something unexpected like, "Kragthorrrrrrpe! You fallopian tuuuuuuube!"

Players' coach?

We'll delve into this in greater detail later. But forgotten amidst inept playcalling and senseless press conferences, the first indication that Steve Kragthorpe was bad news was his label as a "players' coach". The term can mean a lot of things, but the result is almost always the same; penalties, lack of discipline, and overall sloppiness on the field. But in the words of Mark McGwire, I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm more interested in Charlie Strong's reputation and coaching style. Here's a snippet from an ESPN profile that's well worth the read...

Strong is always looking for ways to motivate his guys. He challenges them publicly, makes sure they’re well aware that somebody’s pushing them on the practice field and will occasionally go out of his way to talk up an opposing player on offense.

Sounds a little Pitino-esque, doesn't he?

Jerry

Sharpshooter, captain, and loyal teammate Jerry Smith broke out of his slump last night, leading the Cards with 17 points. I don't want to be a downer, but I think most of that was fool's gold. He was only 1 for 3 from beyond the arc, the rest of his points were off drives to the paint. For most players that would be a good thing, but not for a struggling sharpshooter that's blowing past slower, shorter, Stetson guards. I'm not sure how much that'll translate to the Big East. I'd trade all those drives for a few more threes. However, I was very encouraged by the rest of his play; he had 5 assists and 4 rebounds, and his attitude is tremendous.

Hodgepodge

UNLV knocked off a solid Arizona team in overtime last night They're ranked in both polls, so you can be a little more at peace with our loss there. Phil Fulmer has been interviewed for the UofL coaching job. Who knew? Brad Kragthorpe plays in his last game as Trinity's QB on Saturday. Be kind everyone. Future UofL walk-on Elisha Justice has started his senior season red hot. He had 37 points, 12 assists, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals in his first scrimmage on Saturday. And last but not least, Charlie Strong Charlie Strong Charlie Strong.

Stetson Summary

Solid win. Turns out that Stetson is one of those old school, slow it down teams. They weren't very good, but it was still a good experience to play a different style. After the frenetic UNLV game I was wondering if Louisville even ran a real offense. In a strange way, it was fun to watch them force production from their half court sets. Other thoughts...

* Congrats to Jerry and Edgar for joining the 1,000 point club. I always link the two seniors together, it was cool they achieved the honor on the same night. Here's the complete list of members (scroll up).

* Edgar Sosa was player of the game, and is player of the season thus far.

* Is there drug testing for college coaches? Stetson coach Derek Waugh. Good lord.

*Great game from Terrence Jennings. Logging 4 points and 5 boards in limited action, he brought good energy to the court. He plays like he's 6'10''. '

* Reginald Delk also played well. Is there a starting spot for him? Knowles back to sixth man? Thoughts?

* The team has no leader on offense. If I were Pitino, I'd have every game of David Padgett's senior season playing on a loop in Samardo's dorm.

* That UofL ad where the blond coed stands in front of a blue backdrop and says "my university is probably not the one you're thinking of" is the worst. What's with the inferiority complex? If you don't want to be called little brother, stop acting like little brother.

* I'm officially a Pitino-coached fan. I now spend a good portion of each game muttering about deflections and challenged shots.

Coach Charlie

The media is abuzz with Charlie Strong to Louisville rumors. I think it's partly because these headlines just write themselves. If he's hired, brace yourself for a nonstop onslaught of articles with titles like "Strong Leadership", "Strong Move", "The Strong Survive", "55,000 Strong" etc. etc. Pat Forde and Brian Bennett have pegged Charlie as the clear frontrunner, with an interview possible as early as this Sunday. If you want a sneak peak of how Strong handles himself at a press conference, fast forward to the :38 second mark to watch him field questions during Florida's media day.

Freedom Hall-idays

The last December in Freedom Hall. December has always been my favorite time of year to go to UofL games. The nonconference games are against weaker opponents, so wins and highlight-plays are usually plentiful and the crowd is generally more amiable than for the pressure-packed games down the road. All in all, a fine atmosphere to enjoy some basketball around the holidays. It's one I'll certainly savor this final season.

It's not all nostalgia, though. This team needs to get better in this next month. Several people have commented that the margin of error is smaller for this team since it lacks lottery-level talent. I concur. And with injuries to Siva and Knowles, there will be opportunities for players to step up and showcase their abilities. Pitino indicated yesterday that Mike Marra may be the biggest beneficiary, and should see the floor a lot tonight. Hopefully the relaxed and jovial atmosphere of Freedom Hall at Christmas time will help calm those jitters.

Mad Hatter

Keep an eye on Stetson guard Tyshawn Patterson tonight. The true freshman out of Orlando is averaging better than 15 points a game. In high school he won the Florida state championship, was named to the All-State team, shot 57% from the field while averaging 18 points, four steals, five assists and four rebounds. Playing without perimeter stopper Preston Knowles, someone's going to have to step up on D.

Recruiting Rap

The first step in rebuilding Louisville football must be taken on the recruiting trail. Jody Demling pens a nice article analyzing the fallout of the Cards' vacancy. Here's what Tom Luginbill, director of recruiting for Scout.com, had to say about the possibility of a Strong administration...

That would make a big splash. Most important for me, that would mean you are bringing in somebody from the elite recruiting machine in college football. Now don't kid yourself — Florida has so many advantages. … But he has made so many inroads in the state of Florida and the Southeastern part of the United States. The best players are coming from that region.

Things will have to happen quickly. The Cards have 17 football comittments, most 3-star players or better, that need to be shored up. If Strong could bring a couple of recruits with him from the sunshine state, we could really have something in next year's class. Don't get me wrong, rebuilding will be a long, hard process. How this recruiting class is handled will give us an early prognosis of our progress.

Dunlap DUI

Charlie Strong is having a busy week. Not only is he the center of swirling rumors about the Louisville coaching vacancy, he's preparing for a small matchup against Alabama this Saturday for a chance to play for the national title. That job got a little harder at 3:25 this morning, when star defensive end Carlos Dunlap was arrested for DUI. According to ESPN...

Officers found Dunlap's car stopped at a green light. They approached the car and found the suspect slumped over in the driver's seat," Kameg said. "He appeared to be asleep. The car's windows were cracked so they attempted to wake him up. They talked to him and he would only open his eyes for a few seconds and then fall back asleep."

Sure, we've all been there, but nevertheless this is bad timing on Carlos' part. Dunlap is a huge piece of Florida's defensive scheme, and he's put Urban Meyer and Charlie Strong (who recruited Dunlap) in a hard spot. Ultimately it's Meyer's call whether or not to suspend him, so I don't think this should have much significance for Strong's viability for the Louisville job. Given his desire for a high character coach, however, I suspect Tom Jurich is following the situation carefully.

Hatter History

Cards take on the mighty Stetson Hatters tomorrow night. How'd they get the nickname? According to their website...

The unlikely combination of a famous hat manufacturer and a university produced a novel nickname for Stetson University. The athletic teams are called "Hatters," reflecting the university's association with John B. Stetson, maker of the well-known Stetson hats. It all began in 1883 when Henry DeLand founded the DeLand Academy. Three years later, after a disastrous freeze affecting the citrus industry left DeLand in financial distress, Stetson, who had a winter home in DeLand, became interested in the school. At Deland's request, Stetson was made chairman of the Board of Trustees in 1889 and the university was renamed in his honor. Stetson University fielded the first football team in Florida in 1901. The name "Hatter" was used then and is still in use today.

Depleted Cards

Peyton Siva and Preston Knowles are OUT for tomorrow's game against Stetson. Siva is battling a wrist sprain, Knowles an injured thumb. Cards should still take care of business, but it may be closer than expected.

I'm in the wrong business

Don't give Kragthorpe too much credit for going out classily, he had 4.45 million reasons for his cheery disposition yesterday. That's the amount to buy him out of the two years left on his contract. And I don't doubt his concern for his assistants (the reason he cited at the press conference) but that's also why resigning was never an option. In this economy numbers like that are scary, especially when budgets are being cut across the university. But you have to grit your teeth and do it; if Strong is indeed hired, and the expanded Papa is sold out for kickoff next season, that money will be recouped quickly. But whoever is hired, the details of the contract will surely be interesting. Shouldn't there be some sort of performance clause?

Brian Kelly, R.I.P.

Cinci coach Brian Kelly seems poised to take the open, coach-killing, position at Notre Dame. There's plenty of Louisvillians that know what Bearcat fans are feeling right now, and here's a free tip, choose your next coach very, very wisely.

For the life of me, I cannot understand the psychology of these coaching "upgrades". Rather than stay at Cinci, become a legend, and play in a BCS bowl every year, Kelly will go to South Bend and likely suffer the same fate as Charlie Weis (who's really let himself go lately by the way). I know, I know, money is the obvious answer. But Cinci would also make Kelly a very rich man, and it's not like these guys are living a rapper's lifestyle anyways. You also have to wonder if watching this unfold is affecting Tom Jurich's thinking. He mentioned in his press conference that a key criteria for the next coach is someone that "wants to be here".

So long and thanks for all the fish

The much ballyhooed Wildcat venture into the Ville has come and gone. With practice attendance at 4,000 and game attendance at 15,000, I think it's safe to say that Cal's dream of eradicating UofL basketball is a little behind schedule.

It's Over

Regular citizen Steve Kragthorpe is speaking to the football team right now. When he's finished, his time at the helm will be over, officially and symbolically. Those expecting fireworks at the press conference today saw about as many as were set off at the Papa this year. In other words, it was pretty uneventful. Despite the best attempts of the Louisville press corps, Kragthorpe stayed classy, did not take the bait, and also revealed a personal side amidst the many cliches; he disclosed that his wife is dealing with an illness that will influence his future plans, and he spoke warmly about watching his sons play football. I think it's fair to say we never really got to know the man at all, and there are many reasons for that. The fans, in my opinion, continue to be portrayed somewhat unfairly (was the booing at the Murray State game really that bad) but I'm willing to let that go at this point. Kragthorpe placed his removal in the context of the industry, just the cost of doing business in the cutthroat world of college football. Several times he likened the situation to that of Mack Brown or Jim Bower, solid coaches that nevertheless received a constant barrage of criticism. Such a comparison is a little generous, in my opinion, Kragthorpe never even achieved the modicum of success necessary to point the finger at "unreasonable fans". Overall, however, a nice farewell address by a nice man that was a very poor coach at Louisville. We'll take a deeper look at the Kragthorpe Era, its significance, and where we stand going forward tomorrow. Good luck in your future endeavors, Mr. Kragthorpe. On to the future. Go Cards.

Redman comes through

A lot of planets are swirling in Cardinal Universe, but there's always time to laud the successes of former players. Former QB Chris Redman filled in ably for an injured Matt Ryan and led the Falcons to a 20-17 victory over the Bucs on Sunday. Redman's rollercoaster ride back to the NFL is well-known around these parts. It's great to see him doing well. Here's how tight end Tony Gonzalez described Redman's performance:

He was tunnel vision out there. There was no need to go out there and try to pump him up. He’s been around a long time. He’s a veteran quarterback. He’s been in this situation before. I think he showed that he knows what needs to be done.

I'm pretty sure that "tunnel vision" is a bad thing for a quarterback, but I'm going to set that aside and appreciate the spirit of the sentiment. Kudos to Mr. Redman for getting it done on the big stage.

Final Kragthorpe Press Konference...

...is scheduled to start in a half hour. Charlie Springer entertains the possibility that Krags may go out with a loud bang by unloading on the fan base. Charlie's suspicion (if not really a prediction) could turn out to be true. This final press conference will be the last opportunity for Krags to let loose on any lingering frustrations, place some of the blame where he thinks it belongs, convey to the fans how little we understand about recruiting, offensive play-calling, communication skills, 1st downs, bowl games, 3rd downs, winning and losing, 4th downs. Think he will?

I don't. For all his coaching faults and ineffectiveness, Krags seems a decent enough guy personally and should know that the professional thing is to go out quietly. Besides, he's getting paid his full contract... two more years of full salary essentially to do anything he wants except NOT run our football program into the ground. In this era of unemployment and hardship, that's not a bad deal. I think he knows that and should go out with class. Hope I'm right.

You can quote me on that

While we're waiting for Steve Kragthorpe's 1:30 farewell press conference, here's a few more quotes of note...

*  "If they hire me, they hire me."

That's Louisville head coach prospect Charlie Strong on the speculation swirling about him taking the position. I don't want to read too much into one blurb, but you think that sort of directness may be found refreshing after three seasons of confusion and vaguery?

*   "Like I said, we do dumb things."

That's Coach Cal, expressing shock over the Patterson-Cousins-Harrellson stomping on the Cardinal logo. Right, because denigrating the logo of a rival isn't forseeable when holding an open practice on their court. But as we learned from the Camby incident, plausible deniability is Cal's MO.

*  "I think it's a great job. I really do. But there's a lot of great jobs out there. There's a lot of great jobs out there."

That's Tom Jurich on the UofL position. Far be it from me to give Jurich advice on how to make a coaching pitch, but I hope he sells us a little harder than this. Doesn't exactly make you want to break out in the UofL fight song, does it?

* "They lost their dearly beloved Steve Kragthorpe. CBS covers the situation here, but the most interesting part may be the quote that “(He) just didn’t seem like the right fit from day one.” Even when firing coaches, little brother has to find ways to imitate us. Cute."

That's Will Lentz at KSR, bringing the UK-UL rivalry to inane new lows. Laying claim to a line of generic AD-speak as a point of pride? Wow...just...wow.

Fear and losing in Las Vegas

The basketball gods saw that November was winding down, and the month could not close without an early season loss from the Pitino-led Cards. The fact that the loss wasn't surprising, however, does not make it less disappointing. There certainly were some things in this game to worry about. Still, the manner in which a team loses can be revealing; the heart that the Cards displayed fighting back from a 19 point defecit shows that Pitino won't be building this team up on a foundation of sand. After a loss like this, though, Pitino should have no problem reminding the team that they have a long way to go. Frankly, because they have a long way to go. Other random thoughts...

* Did I miss the memo on the dial being turned up on the UNLV rivalry?? That place was rocking. Great experience for our freshman before they go a couple rungs deeper into Hell on January 2nd.

* Stat of the game? Only ten assists for the Cards. Way too much one-on-one for this team to be successful.

* Remember when Francisco Garcia would gesticulate wildly, calling the team together at every whistle to make sure they were all on the same page? I sorely missed that watching the Cards stumble their way into a 19-point hole.

* Samardo Samuels stinks. There, I said it. Furthermore, the team is so drilled to "pound it inside, pound it inside" that the offense is stunted trying to work him the ball. Once he gets it, it's not coming back out. He does his bullish move towards the basket before flailing his arms at first contact, hoping for a foul. His defense is soft, his rebounding is paltry, and his on-court attitude is bad. What's worse, he's going to have to make me regret every word of this rant if this team has any hope of matching last year's achievements.

* Rock Buckles! Do we have a more polished Ellis Myles on our hands? I can't wait to watch him develop over the next month, gaining confidence against some weaker opponents. I think he could crack the starting lineup by the UK game. I hope so, because as noted above, the team needs some frontcourt toughness.

* The words "poise" and "Sosa" can now appear in the same sentence together, without being accompanied by the words "disturbing lack of".

* The Versus commentator's claim that he copied the famous towel-chewing of Jerry Tarkanian when he was a coach was either a really lame lie, or a really disturbing truth.

* I hate to say this because Jerry Smith is my favorite current Cardinal, but Sosa-Knowles-Delk-Buckles-Samuels may be our best starting five. C'mon Jerry, let's go!

* Remember this image for when the Runnin' Rebels visit the Downtown Arena next year.

"meow, prrr"

Yesterday at UK's long-awaited practice at Freedom Hall, players Josh Harrelson and DeMarcus Cousins "stomped" on the Louisville Cardinal at center-court. Am I angry? Hell no. Just more reason to look forward to our showdown with the pussycats on January 2nd. Ask Miami what happens when you stomp on our bird.

The Airing of Grievances

It's good to be back in The Ville. My apologies for missing out on the real holiday celebrated on Saturday. Since Mr. Black blew my cover, I was off checking up on a certain defensive coordinator. He's perfect for us; an authoritarian and perfectionist, Mr. Strong told me, "Get the hell off my lawn!" several times.

I didn't even need to hear the news of Kragthorpe's firing; the air just smelled sweeter, more competent. I've watched a replay of the Jurich press conference, and would like to echo some of Mr. Black's initial thoughts. Removing a head coach is a somewhat-somber time, especially for Jurich, who put a considerable amount of his reputation on the line. I wasn't expecting cartwheels on the way to the podium, but even so, I was surprised by his demeanor. He looked shaken, like he had his dog put to sleep that morning or something. He clearly is still wounded, going out of his way to comment on the fracture with the fans several times. Most pointedly, he sarcastically answered Rick Bozich, correcting him that the fans started turning on Kragthorpe during the first game, not the second, when the Cards were winning 73-10.

This is a tad bizarre, right? The Louisville sports scene is a unique little universe with its own oddities, so sometimes I have to remind myself that an athletic director taking repeated shots at his fans isn't normal. That having a "one man search committee" where that one man resents his own fanbase is a bit peculiar. Suffice it to say that those hoping to hit the reset button on the relationship with our immensely talented but surprisingly sensitive AD are going to have to wait. It's Festivus season, so bring out the aluminum pole and let's have an Airing of Grievances so we can all move on. Charlie Strong can perform the Feats of Strength. Hopefully the next press conference will be a much more joyous occassion.