Highlights from Louisville-DePaul

Eight!

Sights and sounds and kid's first game at Louisville-DePaul

Pitino postgame: "We can become a good basketball team, once we get healthy"

*On Siva -- "Peyton's hurt, but Peyton goes down... I've been coaching too long, but I've never seen a man fall down as much as Peyton Siva. He averages, no lie, 15 times per game, he's down on the ground. Against Connecticut, he set a world record. he comes out of his shoes, he falls down. We finally realized why sometimes he dribbles off his foot: he's got size 13 1/2 shoes. For a six foot guy, that's a little large. His feet are pretty big."

*On when Rakeem Buckles will return -- "I have no idea. This doctor who did the surgery on Rakeem Buckles is one of the premier doctors in the nation. But he must have trained under Ronald Reagan, he's so conservative." (cue laughter)

*On the challenge of playing at Notre Dame -- "We're working on it now... Tom's probably the most powerful ADs in the business. We're going to play them, we're just working on rescheduling [the game] right now. At the Yum Center." (cue laughter)

*On the effect of injuries -- "Defensively we have to get better. We were playing terrific defense. Terrific defense. Now we're letting teams shoot too high a percentage. We had people in the thirties, people in the twenties three-point wise, but injuries can do that to you. Injuries can really affect your defense.

"...We've lost the best players on our team. Gorgui's one of the top two 5 men. Preston's the top 2 man, best player on the team. Rakeem's the best 4 man, and Swop never played. So we'll losing the best players. But the guys filling in, they're trying their best."

Louisville sticks to the script (more or less), deposes of Depaul 61-57

So... Louisville barely beats Depaul tonight, coming close to flirting with disaster by losing to the lowly Blue Demons, but in the end you gotta consider that we were extremely short-handed, ravaged by injuries, and hey, a win's a win. I mean come on, we almost started Tim Henderson but went with Mike Marra instead, who was good for his usual 2 of 10 shooting performance, and yet we're still standing here tied for second in the Big East so we oughta just be grateful for this latest mark in the win column, right? Hello?

Well, that was my stab at a feel-good postgame narrative for this game. But we all know how hard it is to make merry after almost losing to Depaul at home, even with injuries depleting our roster. Suffice it to say we'll have to play a lot better when we head to South Bend on Wednesday. If past is prologue, it'll be us against Planet Ireland again.

Still, there were good things we saw tonight and can rally around, even if they didn't crystallize into the type of dominant performance for which we were hoping. Kyle Kuric padded some mega-sweet offensive numbers to lead the Cards -- 19 points on 6-9 shooting including 3 three-pointers. That we've come to expect that type of shooting performance out of Kyle 1 out of every 3 games or so shows how far he's come from last season, when 22 points against Syracuse represented a miracle. These days, 18 or so points is pretty standard fare, even when every single basket comes out of that left corner.

Peyton Siva played one of his better point guard games, dishing out 8 assists and turning over the ball only once. He still make you scratch you head sometimes -- why shoot that three toward the end with a full shot clock? -- but his highlight reel of passing tonight was spectacular. Also, the sight of him hobbling off the court after the game might have sounded alarm bells, but it scores just how hard he's going at it out there, playing through pain, trying to lead. Just an image that's staying with me at the moment.

(Of course, if every sign of injury translated into leadership points, this team could conduct a training seminar. And Gorgui Dieng would give the lecture on "create your own rules." Coming to an office park near you)

Chris Smith, who has been fighting major funk as of late, scored 10 points on 3-6 shooting, including 2-4 from beyond the arc. So that's good.

Maybe the most encouraging factor to take from this game is that the Terrence Jennings renaissance continues. TJ was good tonight for 10 points, 9 boards, 3 blocks. His is the best mid-season redemption story that I can recall since T-Will figured out how to dominate without scoring midway through his junior year. Rumble young men, rumble.

Here are the stats. A win's a win, right? Even against Depaul. So go Cards.

Forget football, TIM HENDERSON is starting against Depaul

I've completely lost the pulse of this UofL bastketball team. I know we're depleted, but Rick Pitino is just now tempting the basketball gods with this move.

Walk-on Tim Henderson will be joining the starting lineup against Depaul, according to Rick himself (which is occassionally suspect) this afternoon. Rick, do you even remember Russ Smith, the combo guard that you recruited and played major minutes last game? Elisha Justice? The player you decided to contrive a nickname for all by yourself?

For those of you that may be saying, "Relax, it's Depaul", I'm not in the mood. For one, we're not good enough to be playing cutesy games with our opponents at this point in the season. Two, even against Depaul, I think a "Siva-Henderson-Smith-Van Treese-Jennings" lineup is probably outmanned, yep, even against the worst team in the Big East.

I'm fully throwing my hands in the air and just watching from now on.

**UPDATE**

That last sentence is untrue, I'm going to be opining the shit out of the remainder of the season.

The counter-thingy sucks, and other thoughts on the DeMarcus Smith announcement

I hereby revoke my earlier kudos to the new CJ format, and the counter that lets you know how many others are viewing. Because if you're like me, you just watched a computer screen "think" for 10 minutes before Jody Demling informed everyone via Twitter that DaMarcus Smith is heading to play football for Central Florida. Then I watched a "thinking" computer screen again, as the tally rolled back all the way down to zero. Actually, that's not true, I clicked out before it reached zero, but the drama was ruined nonetheless.

And it sucks. It really does. And not just the counter thingy; Smith was dyed in red from the crib, showed his loyalty during our darkest of Kragthorpian nights, and described himself as being "starstuck" upon meeting Coach Strong. Part of me does feel robbed; robbed of the chance to see a local talent become a local legend.

Here's a couple more thoughts on the matter...

* DaMarcus Smith must be a good poker player, because he did keep things pretty close to the chest. Every other Louisville commit in the area was in attendance (again, according to Demling twitter, not the actual...fe...ed). I had convinced myself a jovial C-A-R-D-S chant was in the works, but alas...

* Expect a slight "controversy" to emerge, with larger-media-than myself making some hay over whether Charlie is favoring his Florida players. I do have it on good authority that it's been a topic in the UofL locker room before.

* Speaking in completely objective, non-nativist fashion, I do think Teddy Bridgewater is a better prospect. Both he and DaMarcus have electric arms and both are terrific athletes, but I've seen DaMarcus in person and I don't believe that he's any bit over 6'0'' tall (he's listed as 6'1'').  And I like my QBs like I like my strippers, tall, lean, and capable of throwing a 60-yard spiral from their knees.

* I doubt that there's many of you out there, but anyone suggesting that DaMarcus is "scared to compete" or any other such nonsense needs to stop. He chose the school where he will have the best chance to showcase his talent. End of story.

* I do have to wonder if Charlie Strong might be slightly relieved. For a man who walks on the Ohio River, and not because of the pollution, it must be at least some relief that a QB controversy between a national stud and a local stud has been quashed.

* For awhile I had convinced myself that this was a Brian Brohm-Michael Bush situation, where both could co-exist and flourish alongside one another. But the truth is, it's not that. Both are true QBs, and there's about as much chance of seeing me suit up as the Raiders next stud running back as there is for DaMarcus or Teddy.

Okay, slightly better chances for the latters, but it's still slim.

It's a decision. One each player made that was the best for his future. Both have been complete-class-acts throughout this process.

So the least we can do is to reciprocate as fans. With Teddy B., we can do so by not haunting him with what-ifs during every interview he may do.

With DaMarcus, we can do so by sending him our fondest well wishes, support, and following from what will always be his hometown.

Watching DaMarcus Smith's Announcement...

Kudo's to the new CJ format, because their live-announcement features a counter-thingy where you can see how many other Cards-obsessed folk are shirking work to see where D.Smith goes (why is our nation's unemployment so high again?)

But since we're 2500K and counting, and my feed is cutting out, I'm wondering if they should have chucked the counter-thingy and just sprung for more bandwidth...

Either way here we go...

**UPDATE**

Dammit it all! He's UCF.

Kenny tweets some awesome news

Per Mr. Klein:

UofL will honor its 1986 NCAA Championship team on Feb. 12 & wear retro uniforms that day against Syracuse

You can go ahead and book yourself a February 13th post titled: Why aren't these just our jerseys all the time?

They couldn't...could they?

After helping the Providence Friars get over the hump to notch their first Big East win in ages, I'm wary of any "winless in X number of games" teams the Cards go up against. So, cue the next matchup against the Depaul Blue Demons, who got waxed last night by Notre Dame 83-58.

Unlike Providence, who had been competitive in most of the matchups during their long drought, Depaul has been getting slaughtered in almost every Big East contest, only losing by less than 9 points on one occassion (a 3-point loss to WVU). I'm not sure if that makes me more nervous or less.

Without Knowles, Gorgui, and Buckles, we're starting to run out of enough warm bodies to get even the simplest of jobs done. For a team that relies on its chemistry, we're running low on the basic chemical catalysts.

A slipup against the Big East cellar-dwellers could derail the entire season. And I've seen enough from this program over the last decade to recall that nothing is impossible, both good and bad.

Knowles goes down, Gorgui still down

I don't like change much, so I've been struggling with the new CJ online format, but I was able to gather that Preston Knowles has a badly sprained hamstring and will miss at least the Depaul game on Saturday. Here's how it happened...

Knowles was trying to make a defensive play, blocked the ball with his foot and landed on the ball and pulled his hamstring.

What is with all the injuries from slipping and falling on basketballs? You'd think they were playing with a live grenade coated with banana peels. Pitino also said Gorgui Dieng isn't "anywhere close to coming back".

This has been the most bizarre season I can remember.

'Canes not exactly thrilled with Charlie Strong's success

And I guess I wouldn't be either if I just saw so much talent plundered from under my nose. Here's some of the choicer comments from the Miami Herald after B.J. Dubose became the latest Miamian to join the Cards...

Is Louisville where everyone goes when they cant read or write? Wow. I thought it was a University.

Louisville??? What a joke. UM or Louisville. There seems to be something more to this strange story. Dubois might want to talk with Big Alan Baily as why he may have not developed to his fullest potential. The former UM coach he had that is now at Louisville is somewhere in that discussion

Good luck to louisville next year in south florida. Golden will have a full year to get his game on. It's no surprise that Dubose would switch. Manny gave us a head's up on him feeling the "pressure". Enjoy the cold weather and dont wander too far away from Louisville. You'll wind up in a deliverance sequal.

Grades are an issue for Dubose. Kid is dumb as a door nail. Its debatable if he even qualifies at Louisville and thats saying something. If you cannot qualify at Louisville you should kill yourself now

yep, if you cannot qualify at Louisville, you should kill yourself. That, or enroll at Gainesville U. What a stinkhole backwater that place is.

Louisville seems like a holding cell for under achievers and the illiterate. I'm glad this kid didn't work out. He didn't impress me and isn't worth the scholly. He never should have wasted people's time

Quote of the Day

"We're not going to become them, they're going to have to become us."

-Charlie Strong, on his heralded freshman class

Davis to Illinois and we can (just about) put a bow on this

Louisvillian, former Cat-commit, now Illinois-bound tight end Jon Davis is taking his talents to the Big 10.

Now, all the Cards are waiting on is to see if running back Andrew Buie will flip his West Virginia commitment to Louisville at 2:00. So hold the champagne, but if he does, pop a slightly-nicer bottle of champagne.

The Cards have already landed an embarassment of riches in this class. Coach Strong, you may want to begin those contract "enhancement" talks right about now.

But, wait a few, because The Man is due for a presser at 3:00. Link here.

**UPDATE**

Buie picked WVU (who re-announces for the school he was already commited to?), so go ahead and pop the original, moderately-priced champagne.

Pebble meet shoe

Eastern High School stud Jon Davis is set to announce his decision at 1:30, though Demling and others are indicating that the wind is blowing towards the Fightin' Illini. It would be a bigger blow to UK, where Davis was originally commited, but he'd still be a nice addition nonetheless.

But the real sticker would be losing DaMarcus Smith, Derby City's own stud quarterback. He was originally set to announce his decision between UofL and Central Florida on Friday, but again, Demling reports that he may be announcing today, and that it looks like we may be trading talents with the Sunshine State.

I'm still holding out hope, but losing Smith will undoubtedly lead fans to follow the careers of both he and Teddy Bridgewater very closely, and it'll be the proverbial "what if" that will follow them both.

This topic will get longer treatment at a later time, but Charlie Strong is right. You have to try to get as much skill to your school as possible, and you cannot worry about hurting someone's feelings by recruiting other talented players. I like homegrown talent as much as anyone, and crave DaMarcus Smith suiting up for the Cards.

But we're fishing in the deeper end of a bigger pond now. That fact will help salve the sting if DaMarcus Smith does become the fish that got away.

Surprise!

Reports are trickling out that impact defensive end BJ Dubose has switched his commitment from Miami to the Cards. Yoink! This would be the proverbial "surprise" signing of the day, and this year, the football gods seem to be smiling on the Cards.

This is the old release about Dubose from MaxPreps when he originally commited to the 'Canes...

Despite holding offers from more than 17 FBS programs, Northeast (Oakland Park, Fla.) defensive end Bryant "B.J." Dubose verbally committed to the University of Miami on Sunday, according to the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. Dubose, a three-year starter for the Hurricanes, has been one of the top defensive players in the state for the past two years after totaling more than 100 tackles and 23 sacks throughout both seasons.

The 6-foot-5, 237-pound standout, who was named the Sun Sentinel's Broward County Defensive Player of the Year this season, had a stellar senior year for the Hurricanes in which he totaled 60 tackles, 11 sacks and one interception, while leading them to their best season in almost 30 years. Dubose's efforts helped Northeast finish 9-4, before losing to Cypress Bay, 27-21, on the final play of the Class 6A Regional final. Dubose gives Miami its 16th overall commitment from the Class of 2011.

Dubose's size and athleticism should give him the chance to play early for the Hurricanes. He chose Miami over LSU, Iowa, Michigan, Louisville, Nebraska and West Virginia.

**UPDATE**

No longer rumors, he's a Card.

The Mack truck and the big boys filing in

Mike Romano, Aaron Epps, John Miller, and big Ryan Mack have faxed over their paperwork. That's about 1120 lbs of beef added to the offensive line, and much needed, as they'll step into the shoes of a slew of departing seniors.

**UPDATE**

Jody Demling does not include Mack in his list of official UofL signees, but Rivals is still showing him as having signed his LOI. We'll keep you posted, as Mack is, pardon the pun, a big one.

**UPDATE II**

He's a Card.

Eli Rogers and Calvin Pryor too

Competition for the receiver positions and the secondary is going to be fierce next season.

Now we need the beefcakes.

Gerod Holliman highlights while we wait for more news

Let the madness begin

Signing Day is finally here, and months of work from Charlie Strong and staff will hopefully come to fruition. Louisville is poised to make program history today, so stay tuned as we react to the info as we all get it from Jody Demling.

The Cards are off to a solid start this morning, already receiving LOIs from Gerod Holliman, Andrew Johnson, Terrell Floyd, Central Hardin kicker John Wallace, Devante Parker, Jamon Brown, Jalen Harrington and Mike Romano.

There's a lot to be excited about in that list, but I'm fully pumped for the Devante Parker era. Our receivers are going to be deadly fast.

Louisville has "zero interest" in Ricardo Ledo

At least according to Jody Demling, who tweeted that tidbit moments ago. UofL was thought to be one of, if not the frontrunner in pursuit of the scorer's commitment. Very strange indeed, wonder what they know that we don't.

Headscratchers

The way we were playing, by no stretch of the imagination did the Cardinals deserve to be in the game, let alone winning it. When Preston Knowles can't hit a jump shot and Siva cannot handle the basketball, you'd think the Cards would have lost by 30 on the road against a quality opponent.

But there we were, with under 5 minutes to play, with a lead. Had Chris Smith's wide-open trey to put the Cards up two possessions gone in, I fully believe we would have won. But if wishes and buts were candies and nuts...um, I forgot how that ends. Anyways, let's start with Mr. Smith...

? In just a couple of games Chris Smith has gone from Mr. Reliable to Mr. Invisible. He was 2-8 from the field last night, and made some questionable plays on both ends of the court that cost his team. His saving grace is that he is still a productive rebounder, the best of our guards, pulling down 7 yesterday. But we've read so much about how Smith worked hard to fix his broken jumper over the summer, his recent struggles with his shot are making me nervous, making me wonder which player is the real Chris Smith.

? Peyton Siva's 8 turnovers were bad, but I was most perplexed by his terrible decision when the Cards were down 3 with time running down and he inexplicably picked up his dribble a little past midcourt. It threw the entire possession out of whack, he had to be bailed out, and instead of a 3 the Cards had to settle for a Jennings layup with just a couple seconds left and hope for a miracle. Not sure what he was thinking there.

? With Siva struggling, I thought for certain we would have a Bullet appearance. I wrote a couple days ago that I wanted to see more of Russ Smith, but I didn't think it would result in never seeing Justice play again! My bad, Bullet. If nothing else, Justice has shown to be capable of running the offense and taking care of the ball. He seemed the logical choice to sub in in the first half when the Cards were hemorrhaging turnovers.

? Kyle Kuric going 1-3 from the free throw line. I know his 91% for the season is a little inflated because he doesn't go to the line all that much, but he's still a fine FT shooter nonetheless, and clanging his first two was a surprise. Plus, with Pitino yelling to him to relax and calm down, it's the first time we've ever seen the unflappable Hoosier show negative nerves during a game.

? I'm not sure which one of these is weirder, Preston missing 3 consecutive clutch shots or the Cards snagging 4 consecutive offensive rebounds. Either way, it was some strange play.

? Jennings post moves. They're seldom pretty, but last night they were effective. And Jennings was the heart and soul of the team last night, a thought that would have been unimaginable a month ago.