#5 Comes Alive: Cards power past IUPUI 90-60

For the first 20 minutes it looked like Louisville was in store for more of the same. They were in fairly comfortable control, but IUPUI was lingering and the Cards were struggling to find a rhythm. Another win but another week of doubts and slights seemed likely. But then a different team came out of the locker room in the second half, and they surged past the Jaguars with their best offensive showing of the season.

And they still shot piss poorly from 3! Every game it's as if another light bulb comes on. Tonight it was Gorgui's post-game offense and running the fast break full speed. If the shooting bulb come on next, this team can really shine as it enters the meat of the season.

Good tuneup game. Lots of positive signs. We'll go over tomorrow. Go Cards.

Dequan Ivery

Charlie Strong announced today the 17th commitment to the Cards 2012 recruiting class: defensive tackle Dequan Ivery out of Lake City, Florida. Evans is a 3-star prospect and the big boy checks in at 6'1'', 310 lbs. And even better, shows that Charlie Strong appears to have his mind 100% on his future and the task at hand at Louisville. Welcome aboard, Dequan.

Beware Alex Young

He's 6'6'', 212, and a potential NBA first-rounder. Alex Young, IUPUI's talented swing man will be a real test for what has thus far been a stellar and stout Cardinal defense. He's scoring almost 19 points a game and can get to the rim with ease.

The Cards struggled to corral Vandy's John Jenkins last time out. Tonight they have another opportunity to show they can shut down elite players. Step one, don't let this happen to you...

Bowl Game Info and Other Goings On

As we all know by now, our beloved Cardinals will be playing the N.C. State Wolfpack in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, NC. The basics:

Date: December 27, 2011
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Charlotte, N.C.
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
Founded: 2002
Payout: $1.7 million per school minimum
Teams: ACC vs. Big East
Title Sponsor: Belk
Television: ESPN
Attendance: 60,000 fans on average
TV Viewership: 25 million households

Tickets can be purchased directly from Ticketmaster, but I highly urge everyone to purchase them through UofL Athletics. When the media reports the number of tickets sold, they usually refer only to those purchased through the schools. Additionally, for those of you that have a Cardinal Athletic Fund account, you get two priority points for each ticket you order through the school.

As for hotels, I recommend staying downtown if you can. The Marriott, Holiday Inn and Hilton are all great choices. All three are within a few short blocks of The Epicentre, which is an entertainment complex not unlike 4th Street Live! here in Louisville. That's usually not my scene, but for a bowl game, well, I can put up with just about anything for two or three days. These hotels are also all about half a mile from the stadium in case you need to, you know, not drive after the game.

I'll have a game preview as we get closer to Christmas. Right now Vegas has the game as a pick'em. I do know that NC State has had a season similar to ours (started out alright, kinda stunk, pulled it together at the end), so I'm interested to evaluate their team to see how we match up.

-A week or two ago, Coach Calipari put a poll out to Big Blue Nation in which he intimated that UK, because of the additions to the SEC, may need to drop either Indiana, Louisville or North Carolina from their schedule. Of course he added the caveat that they have no other options but to drop one of the three, so they can't choose one of the cupcakes. IU is the clear favorite at the moment, and I'm all for it. I'd love to add IU as an annual game. UK, drop 'em now.

-I found out about this web site via the Twitterverse. You tell it what music you want to listen to and it gives you drink recommendations. I think it would be better if you told it what you had around your place to drink and it gave you appropriate music, but it's still pretty cool. Hopefully they can get more than one song per artist, but I like where it's heading.

-Speaking of Cal, I heard he and Pitino were in the same gym tonight scouting Derek Willis. Apparently they talked for a minute and the conversation was sooo awkward. XOXO Gossip Girl

-We've got IUPUI tonight at 7 p.m. and Fairleigh Dickinson this weekend, which means we're having a homecoming week of sorts. David Padgett is an assistant coach for IUPUI, and Chris Brickley is an assistant coach for FDU. George Goode currently plays for the FDU Knights after finishing up his undergraduate eligibility at UofL. There are also three players on the IUPUI squad that played H.S. basketball here in Louisville: Lyonell Gaines (Eastern), Ian Chiles (Ballard) and Donovan Gibbs (Iroquois).

"You are most welcome" -Aragorn, before the battle for Helm's Deep

This post is for commenter Mrs. Legolas, who has called me out for my inner-nerd and requested to keep on keepin' on with the LOTR stuff..

For non-nerd, the once and future king Aragorn welcomed the brave Elves who honored their sacred oath to come to the aid of Men before the Battle of Helm's Deep when things were most bleak. They were rescuers to what was thought to be a kamikaze mission.

So in that vein, I'm a little nonplussed by the collective yawn and snark from some Cards fans with the news that the Big East will add five new teams to our own depleted ranks; Boise State, Houston, UCF, San Diego State, and SMU.

In my mind, Boise State and Houston are coups. UCF solid. SMU, eh, and San Diego State I know nothing about. But Navy is predicted to join the pack soon, and I approve that message as well.

What do you want, Cards fans? We missed out on the Big 12, so we need to start encouraging the best developments for our future. You think Syracuse and Pitt were better opponents than Boise State and Houston?

I'm thrilled by this news. I don't know what the future holds, but at least this is a viable conference again.

???

Loyal readers know how much I hate these things. This was my "challenge" to access my email account today after accidentally typo-ing in my password. What is that? Elvish? First one to correctly spell this gets to drive me home in the new VolvoS60 on January 7th if the Cards lose and I drink too much. Or if the Cards win and I drink too much. Basically, you get to drive me home.

Tuesday scattershot

* This rain is starting to drive me a little stir crazy. So much so that I fell for Greg Scruggs' little Twitter prank last night when he was talking about Strong meeting with the team to deliver some bad news. Yes, I should have known he was joking. It is Scruggs after all. But still, not cool Greg.

There's no denying the rumors are heating up a little too much for Cardinal comfort. Message boards from Texas AM are claiming that Charlie Strong will interview. And last night Nick Coffey from theCardConnect tweeted that Strong would not be made available to the media today, with the clear insinuation being that he doesn't want to be forced to lie about it (though, Strong has made clear he was eager to hit the recruiting trail the moment the season ended, so that would be an easy explanation). But either way, it's getting nervewracking. The Texas AM opening was the only one that scared me when it became available. They are going to the SEC, it has talent-rich Texas at its recruiting disposal, and could presumably make Charlie Strong an extremely wealthy man.

Stay on top of this, Mr. Jurich.

* DeJuan Wheat emailed me back! He said he read the interview we did and was really pleased with it and even linked it on his own website. Whew. If DeJuan was disappointed with me I would be destroyed, and if he ever sued me for misquoting or something, I'd probably end up volunteering to represent him in court. If you haven't already, you can read our interview online here, but you really should pick up a print copy, there's a pretty slick illustration of Wheat accompanying the print version.

* I rewatched the Vandy game and I think I owe Kyle Kuric an apology. Kuric played poorly, but no where near "the worst game of his career" like I originally exaggerated. He did a lot of good things. He led the team in scoring, shot 6-11 from the field, and pulled down 5 boards. The seven turnovers were grossly out of character, but there's absolutely no way we win that game without him. Sorry, King. Please don't banish me.

* But speaking of turnovers, I normally don't want to agree with Jimmy Dykes, but he was spot on with his constant harping about Louisville's in-bounding woes. Four times the Cards couldn't get the ball in from the baseline; it was really embarassing. Eventually they just resorted to chucking the ball past midcourt and having Peyton Siva chase it down. I admit I had never noticed this being a problem in the past, but some shrewd old-timers I talked to claim it has been a problem for Pitino teams his entire career. Let's work on that this week, fellas.

* There was a great article in the CJ today about Chane Behanan's maturity and how he responded in clutch fashion after blowing the would-be game winner. Overlooked however, is how big he was on the last play of the game. Vandy threw a perfect heave and Chane had to go full extension to get a finger on it to knock it away. If he were one inch shorter, that was a fairly easy layup and the game goes to double OT.

* I wanted to go into this on twitter yesterday but thought better or it. I'm really getting sick and tired of the annual groanfest after the BCS bowls are announced. It's as if we are continually surprised every year to learn that the whole thing is a farce. Unless the national public makes itself heard by not watching these games, nothing will change. And if we are not willing to do that, let's stop bitching about it.

College football is a beauty pageant. The season is a fun, wild, vicious beauty pageant, but a pageant nonetheless. It's a sport without a true national champion by any sane definition. Period. Pageant is a fun word.

* The new rankings are out and the basketball Cards are up to #4 in the Coaches Poll, #5 in the AP. There has been doubt expressed by some about the Cards quality, most notably Jeff Goodman, and the worthiness of that ranking. Goodman actually dropped Louisville a spot in his ballot after the Cards two quality wins over Long Beach State and Vandy. Listen, I'm all for eliminating preseason rankings if that's the way to go, but as long as they exist, you can't go around making your own rules. The Cards keep winning, and as long as they do, you can't drop them. As the Cards get healthier in the coming weeks, that ranking will be validated.

* Like most across the Commonwealth and country, I watched the UNC-UK game on Saturday and came away impressed with both teams. I admit, I'm becoming increasingly terrified for the Dec. 31st showdown. Without substantial improvement from the Cards on the offensive end, it could possibly be ugly. Last year the Cards struggled mightily against the length of the UK defenders and this year they've got even more wingspan. Better break out those practice brooms.

The only UK flaw I can see is lack of depth and no true "go to" guy. Other than that, Cards need to flat out get better for this one to be close.

* But speaking of UK, John Calipari is getting increasingly loonier. I think he's in a "big blue bubble" and his behavior is getting odd. He's threatening to cancel the UofL-UK series, turning to "fan polls" to influence his scheduling and then claiming Cards fans are skewing the results, and now is claiming the UK fans could be entering a "hostile" and "violent" environment in Bloomington. What?

And that's been my whole distaste for Calipari to begin with. It's not really even the cheating. It's his entire bearing and demeanor. He gives these weird press conference where he simultaneously has an air of frustration, faux-humility, cockiness, and attempts at comedy. And now add non-stop drama to the equation and they are kind of uncomfortable. He's already become a parody of himself. And I know, so has Pitino, but somewhere in there Rick still has an affability to all his BS, while Calipari just leaves you feeling kind of uneasy and slimy.

* OK, that's all for now. Stay dry. If you'll forgive me, I've got fake Texas AM message board profiles to update to throw them off the scent.

Louisville Road Trip: Ultimate Top 5

It's blogging challenge Number Two, ladies and germs. As part of this competition, Big East/Volvo will be asking all 16 representatives to drive back to their respective alma maters (in a new VolvoS60) to attend a game and soak in/blog about the experience. But first, they've asked us to pick the Top 5 must-dos for whenever we return. I think it's also a slight hint towards me from the competition organizers, since I still live in Louisville, to get out into the larger world and achieve something. Eh, not my style. I likes what I likes and I likes me some Louisville.

But I understand the gist of this challenge. What are the must-sees, the denouments, the haunts and dives that embody the Cardinal experience? It's a very interesting and important question. And after much rumination, Mr. Red's Top 5 must-sees for the Louisville Cardinal...

1) THE GRANVILLE INN

Like most of my nights in school, it begins and ends at the Granville. Located in "Old Louisville", the historic Victorian neighborhood that abuts the UofL campus, it has served as the watering hole of choice for students and regulars since the dawn of time. It is alarmingly and wonderfully no-frills. Just dark lighting, formica tables, and TVs tuned to the Cards. The wait staff can be endearingly surly and is headlined by the tattooed and lovely redhead Liz, who you'd be tempted to fall in love with if you weren't so afraid of her. The bathroom is single toilet, cleaned once every lunar eclipse, and lacks any mirrors. You look up out of habit to where a mirror should be, and the wall stares back at you mocking your vanity: "Get back out there, you look fabulous!"

They boast the best burger in town. Which I know, I know, is as ubiquitous as the "World's Best Cup of Coffee". But to paraphrase Jim Calhoun, "Take a bite, then get back to me". I don't know what they do to it, but I suspect it's what they don't do to it that's the key. It has an elegant simplicity: 1/2 pound of juicy groud beef, hand-crafted patties, never frozen, a toasted sesame seed bun, fresh fixins' and a mountain of fresh cut fries or onion rings served at a ludicrously low price.

And check out this beer fridge. It's an antique Bevador; it's 7'6'' and weighs-in at over 1,050 lbs. It has delved out more happiness over the years than Santa Claus. They claim it's the oldest, continuously operating beer fridge in the country and that fact makes me immensely proud for some reason.

I suspect Granville hasn't changed much over the years, but one of the biggest was when the city's "No Smoking" ordinance was thrust upon it in 2005. Till then, a heavy layer of smoke hugged the Granville ceiling, one that forced you to squint to see the TV and made for some interesting smells in March when folks wore the same unwashed t-shirts for the entire tourney run; it was one of Granville's trademarks. Now, that's been replaced by the "Timeout Dash" where nervous gamewatchers sprint into the winter night to puff one down during commercials. Frankly, I preferred the old smoky romance. But the view of the TV has never been clearer, the burgers never juicier, and if the lack of second-hand smoke keeps me alive a few more years, I'll be happy to spend them enjoying the Granville.

2) THE ALI CENTER

Muhammad Ali belongs to the world, of course. But he belongs to Louisville a little more. The city's patron saint is still a presence in the community; he maintains residency and shows up at basketball games from time to time despite his failing health. The legacy of "The Louisville Lip" was made permanent here in November 2005 with the opening of The Muhammad Ali Center, an $80 million dollar museum and cultural center on the bank of the Ohio River (legend has it after returning home from the Rome Olympics, Ali threw his gold medal into the Ohio after being denied service at a local restaurant because of his color).

The Center is a state-of-the-art gem. It has equal appeal to boxing historians (scads and scads of memorabilia from Ali's illustrious career. You can sit in your own private booth and watch any and every Ali fight at your leisure) or those that are merely curious about this curious and unfathomable man, his larger-than-life persona, and the impact he has had across the globe.

I can't say it any better than The Greatest himself:

To make America the greatest is my goal
So I beat the Russian, and I beat the Pole
And for the USA won the Medal of Gold
Italians said "You're greater than Cassius of Old
We like your name, we like your game
So make Rome your home if you will"
I said I appreciate your kind hospitality
But the USA is my country still
Cause they waiting to welcome me in Louisville

Louisville will always be Ali's home. It's must see for all Cardinals; the greatest museum of awwllll tiiiiime.

3) Troll Pub Under the Bridge

This Cardinal list is like a Cardinal marriage; it requires something old, something new, nothing blue and something borr...well, it's not a perfect metaphor. But the something new is certainly Troll Pub Under the Bridge.

To understand you have to understand the impact that the new KFC Yum! Center (or Kayefseum as I call it. It's catching on...slowly) has had on downtown Louisville. Gone are the days when the Cardinals played in venerable Freedom Hall, a splendid basketball venue but a two-hour chore for the legions of fans to get in and out. Now with the new $250 million dollar basketball arena in the heart of downtown, every game is an event.

It has transformed the surrounding urban environment and dozens of high-quality restaurants and pubs have sprung up to serve the thirsty fans. My favorite is Troll Pub Under the Bridge, which is nestled right in the shadow of the Kayefseum under the 2nd Street Bridge. I don't know what it is about walking down stairs to get into a bar that drives me to hysterics, but it does. I've always had an affinity for basements, caves, bunkers and the like; if I were a creature in Tolkien's Middle Earth, I'd certainly be a Dwarf.

So it's extremely satisfying for me to bound down the stairs before or after a Cards game, or any time at all for that matter, and enjoy the dark, modern atmosphere of exposed brick, polished wooden tables and flat screen TVs playing any and all games. It has a wonderful beer selection and slightly more upscale pub fare at a reasonable price.

Trolls opened only recently, but it has a perfect location and a unique environment that make it a landmark-in-waiting. When Mr. Red's great grand-daughter is competing in this contest in 2082 for Volvo's brand new HoverVolvS60, I'm quite certain Troll Pub Under the Bridge will be on her list as well.

4) The Louisville Volvo Dealership

Oh, you think this is a pandering pick? I can assure you it is not. I've made it a point to stop by Ye Ole Volvo Shop on my way home for the better part of a decade. Very friendly people there, nice smelling building, fresh coffee. It's a treat.

When there be sure to talk to Lisa or Kev. They're always asking me weird stuff like, "Sir, are you actually looking to buy a vehicle?" or "Excuse me, do you know who ate all of our complimentary fritters?" Great sense of humor on those two, they love me. So make sure you check it out next time you're about town and tell them I sent you. That eyeroll he'll give you is sooo Kevin.

5) The KAYEFSEUM

The hour before tip off is a nervous time for me. Not only will I be obsessing about the game and its matchups, etc., but I'll be anxiously looking at the clock, hoping beyond hope that one of my acquaintances will give me a ring with the sweetest seven words in the English language: "Hey, you wanna go to the game?"

Basketball tickets are premium around here. You have to remember that Louisville, and Kentucky at large, has no professional sports. So all of our pent up sports passion is expended on our colleges; and more pointedly, our college basketball. Our passion has come at a price; season tickets for the Louisville Cardinals are among the most expensive in the country (UofL basketball is consistently one of, if not the most profitable programs. Doesn't happen in a vacuum).

Tickets can be hard to come by. But the secret weapon in the impoverished Cardinal fan arsenal is that Louisville is probably the biggest little town in America. It remains the consummate "Six Degrees of Separation" city where everyone knows someone you know who knows someone you know. And every impoverished Cardinal worth his salt has one or two connections, a few coals in the season-ticket-holder-fire, if you will.

So you sit and wait, decked out in your game-ready gear, prepared to jump out the door at a moment's notice. It may seem extreme, but if you've been to the new Yum! Center, you'd understand. It's the finest basketball facility I've ever set foot in. The UofL Basketball Hall of Fame greets you upon entry, and everywhere about are the most plush amenities you can imagine: bourbon bars, vodka bars, restaurants serving everything from hot dogs to gourmet spread (the hot brown bites are a personal favorite). The history of Louisville basketball is literally written on its walls. And for nighttime games, looking in from the outside, the place practically glows and radiates with, as the late legendary UofL announcer John Tong would say..."The thrill and excitement of college basketball!".

Thankfully, ticket anxiety will not be a problem for me when Big East/Volvo generously sends me to the game against Notre Dame on January 7th. I won't have to travel far cause, like I said, Louisville is my home. Places like these are the reason why.

NO! SLEEP! TILL CHARLOTTE!

Belk Bowl bound. It's official. The Cards will be playing against NC State on Tuesday, December 27th in Charlotte, NC. All in all, a nice destination and one Louisville fans should be able to travel to in droves. We'll provide ticket information as it becomes available.

Beef + Belk's = 2012 Oranges. The train is a rollin', but gotta make a little stop through Charlotte first. Go Cards.

VillenHD presents: UofL-Vandy Highlights

Yea, I don't think he's going anywhere for awhile

Photo of Charlie Strong snapped a second after Peyton Siva's game-winning layup (h/t Preston Brown).

Cards grind their way home; top Vandy 62-60 OT

I've never seen a Pitino-led team struggle to put the ball in the hole this much. At times it's painful to watch, and looks nothing like the fluid barrage of threes and dunks that are the hallmarks of Rick Pitino's offense. It's almost unrecognizable. But then you see the team dig deep, you see the will to win take over, you see the scrapping and clawing on defense and then it becomes clear. Yep, same old Cardinals.

Louisville had no business winning this game. The defense failed in its primary task of slowing John Jenkins, Vandy's sensational scorer. But they kept forcing turnovers. Kyle Kuric had undoubtedly the worst game of his career. But then he rose from that impossible place deep in the corner. Chane Behanan failed to deliver the game winning layup in regulation and should have crumbled like a freshman. But then he remembered he's a little more country than that, shook it off, and delivered in clutch fashion in OT. Peyton Siva is going through some serious pains with his perimeter game, perhaps the worst of his career. But then he remembered what he does best and did it when it mattered the most.

They had no business winning the game. Hustle and will, however, can cover a wide variety of sins in college basketball. Maybe it's true that Rick Pitino has lost a step. His gameplan last night was mightily flawed, and the fact that Tim Henderson was playing crunchtime minutes served as a reminder of his recruiting failures in the recent past. But Pitino gets his teams to play tough; he gets them to buy in and believe.

The Cardinals are struggling in many areas. They're grinding. But they are grinding hard.

Other thoughts...

* Oh Russ Smith. What can you say, really? He's quickly becoming the most polarizing figure on the team. I still don't know what to make of him. His first step is beyond quick, faster then anyone I've seen including Peyton Siva. That foul though. When he fouled out of the game he looked like me was trying to get called, he was playing ludicrously aggressive defense on Vandy's best free throw shooter. I think Russ Smith can get better, but he's got a screw loose somewhere that I'm not sure is fixable.

* Chane Behanan, welcome to the warm embrace to the bosom of Cardinal Nation. Chane came up big throughout the game last night, I loved his confidence and his clear desire to make an impact. I felt terrible for him after blowing the would-be game winner; he crumbled to the floor and even admitted after the game that he felt like crying when he got to the sideline.

Could have fooled me. Because he came into the OT with a fierce intensity, a look on his face that he was determined to make up for his mistake. And did he ever. He came up large in the extra period, even knocking down two clutch free throws which is not in his wheelhouse. Instant fan favorite.

* Gorgui needs to start exploding to the basket and dunking the ball. So many times he'll get the ball in good position but will hesitate for a moment, the defender will set in, and then Dieng will make a move and try to place the ball in the hole. It reminds me of a QB that is overly guiding his throws rather than just cutting it loose fluidly. Until he works that out, he can start by just going up immediately and strongly to dunk the ball. Samardo got labeled with the dreaded "below the rim player" mark of death. Gorgui isn't that at all, he's an explosive athlete. It just looks like he's thinking too much when he gets the ball in his hands.

* Why isn't Peyton Siva driving full bore to the basket to either lay it in or create the basis of our entire offense? Our halfcourt can spin hideously out of control for 39 minutes but when there's like 16 seconds left and Siva is calmly dribbling at the top of the key, it's like, "Don't worry, he's got this".

* Not a strong performance from Kyle Kuric by any stretch. I've never seen him struggle that much. But all is forgiven and forgotten after that clutch 3. I have no idea how that shot doesn't hit the side of the backboard, let alone go in.

* What an atmosphere at the Kayefseum. Never bet against the Cards when they're at home and the fans have 4+ hours of downtown carousing to prepare. New rule.

* For whatever reason, that felt like the second, unofficial beginning to the season. It just got real.

Strong rumors and a Vandy prediction

Am I nervous? Sure. It's part of the game. At least part of it when Louisville football is experiencing success. Charlie Strong's name has already popped up and been thrown around by schools like Texas AM, Penn State, Ole Miss and Illinois as a target for those in the market for a dynamic coach with championship pedigree and a track record for quick turnarounds. And I promise you this, no one knows. Probably not even Charlie Strong has sat down and figured out precisely what he wants from a career trajectory standpoint. I do think the fact that UofL appears to have a special leader in Teddy Bridgewater (and talented frosh all over the field) belies (eh? ehh?) the idea that he's ready to take on his next challenge. It's just too hard to get the kind of momentum, the train moving if you will, to leave until this object comes to rest.

But truly, no one knows just how long Charlie will stalk the Louisville sideline or even if he's the kind of man that would relish the challenge of rebuilding a Penn State, the proud but tortured program that can still fill a 108,000 stadium in the blink of an eye. Or if he's the kind of man that wants to build his own program, who strives to create the next perennial power from his own will. No one knows. Am I nervous? You bet. But am I thrilled that I'm nervous? You bet.

Switching to basketball, when tipoff in the biggest game of the new season is 4 hours and 45 away, but happy hour is only 45 minutes away, the more I think about it the more I think this game will be decided in the post. Vandy's guards arguably outclass ours, but it's mostly a wash. Someone in the Gorgui/Chane/Swop trio needs a big performance.

For this one I expect it to be Swop, who is playing with great confidence right now and has a versatility to his game that the Commodores cannot match. I like Swop to lead the way in scoring with 16 points while chipping in 7 boards and I'm calling this one 66-58 Cards.

Three other things.

* I really want to see something encouraging from Siva tonight. He's the man, he's gotta be. But he's struggled with injuries and inconsistency thus far. A 2:1 assist to turnover ratio would be a good place to start. 3:1 would be a great place.

* Double digit turnovers. The only fear with Pitino's defensive style is that it works wonders against the weaker teams, but the more talented are able to handle the pressure fairly easily. Vandy is something in-between in that regard. They're a talented team but one that struggles with pressure. Multiple turnovers tonight would be a positive sign that our early defensive prowess is not a mirage.

* Aggressive Kyle. Chris Smith picked up the scoring slack from the perimeter last game. Tonight he'll be tied up with the toughest defensive assignment, so Kuric needs to show aggression. No more 6 shot attempts bullshit; King Kyle needs to assert himself.

Alright, that's all I've got for this one. Enjoy it, it's gonna be a great atmosphere on the town tonight. Full recap tomorrow, when we also put all our hopes and dreams into UConn football. Lord, I need a drink already.

Did Mr. Red interview DeJuan Wheat?!?

Oh you better believe it. In addition to repping in the Biggest Fan of the Big East challenge, I'm also contributing to the "The Paper", Louisville's coolest and fastest growing alternative-publication. You definitely want to check out my first piece, an interview with DeJuan Shontez Wheat. We tackled all topics ranging from his current activities and charitable work to Beau Zach Smith.

You can pick it up at any of these fine locations or just click here. This one was definitely a red-letter day in Mr. Red's little red book of Cardinal red awesomeness. Give it a read. Go Cards.

Remembering Howard

Lots of Schnellenberger stories being told this week as the coaching legend heads into retirement. Here's Mr. Black's recollection of the Schnellenberger Era, first posted way back in 2009, and one of the first for our brand new website...

I love Howard Schnellenberger. I love him because my father and his tailgating friends revere him. I was a kid when he was here so I have few direct memories, though I do recall looking through Dad's binoculars and seeing the man with the white mustache, the tie and blazer and the trademark pipe, pacing the AstroTurf sidelines at Old Cardinal Stadium. But I know Schnellenberger from the stories and anecdotes and imitations of his baritone voice -- how he addressed every player by number rather than name ("get in theeerrreee, forty-threee, and show 'em what you're maaade ooof"), how he threw the football downfield every play after an opponent's turnover because "that's how you kick a dooog when he's dooown," how he never wavered, but repeated his declaration over and over (and over) that "We are on a collision course with the national championship. The only variable is time."

Why bring this up now? It's a new football season and the home opener is this Saturday, which means that the Schnellenberger stories will be in full flourish. Stories about Howard -- and every football fan from those years has them -- are one of the ingredients that gives Louisville tailgating its distinctive flavor. I love hearing them, partly because the gruff Howard impersonations are so funny, partly because they connect me to an era when everything surrounding the football program and its head coach was unprecedented, foolishly optimistic, possible.

My favorite Howard Tale is known as the Rolling Stones story, originally attributed to former U of L linebacker and DeSales high school grad Mark Sanders. The story goes: some time in the '80s, football practice at Old Cardinal Stadium started late because the Rolling Stones were in town and tuning up for a concert that night. Schnellenberger, predictably enough, was upset that things weren't running on schedule. He confronted the first person of the Stones' entourage he could find. "Hey Theeerrreee, Hippie Boooyyy," Howard thundered at Mick Jagger while jabbing him with his finger, "Get Off My Damn Foootbaaall Fieeeld!" Jagger was left speechless, and Schnellenberger returned to his players and assistant coaches, probably ready to call security, never realizing he had assaulted a rock icon. Not that he would have given a damn had he been so informed.

Full post here.

Rock to hold the 5 down, Chris Smith lookin' to shutdown, Cards fans gonna party up downtown

Rick Pitino had a fairly routine press conference this afternoon. In it he indicated that Rakeem Buckles will likely be back by the time the Cards tip off against IUPUI on December 7th. He also revealed that Buckles will be used to backup Gorgui Dieng at the center position. It's a little surprising to hear about heretofore true power forward, but I suppose that's what happens when you have a blue chipper like Chane Behanan playing and practicing at your position.

Either way, Buckles will certainly add a versatility to the Louisville post, and imagining the different lineup scenarios is pretty exciting; can't wait to see him back in action.

Chris Smith answered questions after coach, and said he will be given the assignment of matching up against Vandy's 6'4'' guard, John Jenkins, averaging over 20 points a game. A daunting task, but also an opportunity that Smith said he's relishing, the chance to showcase his abilities in front of the numerous NBA scouts expected to be in attendance. I love the moxie from Smith, and feel this is perhaps the perfect matchup for him the game after he came through big time on the offensive end. Anything that pushes Smith towards accepting his leadership role is a good thing.

And finally, ticket or no ticket, I suggest heading downtown tomorrow night for what will certainly be an electric atmosphere. A Friday night game, a ranked opponent, many fans not going home at all after work and hitting the town at 5:00, the lights of ESPN, and the unquenchable thirst of the UofL faithful will make this a night to remember. Sure glad we didn't build the damn thing at the Fairgrounds; these city planners really were on to something, after all.

Daily UConn-Cinci check-in

UConn continues its aggravatingly soft-spoken approach to the final game of the season. Coach Paul Pasqualoni gave some extended thoughts on Huskie football, and sounded more like a man reflecting upon the season than one preparing a balls-to-the-wall effort to reach bowl eligibility. But the link is worth a click just for the awesome graphic the Courant has that provides all the roster info for both teams, starters and backups, in a readable, user-friendly way. Pretty slick.

The sports headline for the Cinci Enquirer, an article titled "Can UC Be More than a Stepping Stone for Football Coach?" belies* supports the notion that the Bearcats might be a little distracted this week. Unfortunately the second article talks about how Saturday is Senior Day for UC when 21 seniors will be honored and how they are thrilled to be back playing at Nippert Stadium after a 71 day absence. Nauseating.

* Damn. It's one thing to misuse a word. It's another to realize the word means the exact opposite of what you thought it meant. My apologies. Where's Tom Heiser when you need him?

So for the record...

be·lie

1.

to show to be false; contradict: His trembling hands belied his calm voice.

2.

to misrepresent: The newspaper belied the facts.

3.

to act unworthily according to the standards of (a tradition, one's ancestry, one's faith, etc.).

Synonyms 1. refute, disprove, controvert, repudiate, confute, gainsay.

Antonyms 1. prove, verify, support.

Necessity is the mother of invention

Better late than never, but it's still a postive sign to read the article in today's CJ about how Rick Pitino is modifying his practices to avoid injuries. Granted, the move is largely just about arithmetic; the Cards can't suffer this rate of attrition without fielding a "Hoosiers"-like lineup of four players by Christmas.

But still, it's tough to teach an old coach new tricks, so in that respect, I applaud Pitino for being able to adapt. It was an interesting read, largely because the players discussed how the practices aren't any less intense, just different. Gone is the typical full court press throughout practice, as is the typical "lay it all on the line" approach to playing full contact with reckless abandon.

I like this, and not just the thought of Siva and Justice wearing MMA headgrear in practice. I particularly like the emphasis it places on half-court efficiency. Full court pressure will always be the trademark of Pitino Ball, but I'd trade 2 or 3 turnovers a game for better half court execution. Unfortunately, Rick indicated the change of practice tactics is merely temporary, saying "I can't take injured players and run them hard. They've got to come along slowly."

But if the Cards keep winning, and keep getting healthier, I'd like to see this become the new status quo. I'm sure Rick Pitino will be gratified to have my input.