Ready or not, here we come: Cards dispatch Fairleigh Dickinson 80-58

A Fair-leigh easy win (hap tip Jason the Barber at CTs). Despite another slow start out of the gate the Cards were never really tested at the Kayefseum this afternoon, opening a sizable lead and coasting the rest of the way. The usual suspects did their work and then lots of subs and some unusual lineups were experimented with.

The book is closed on the early season. The Cards are 9-0 for the first time since '97. And though our early season tests were not as premium as they looked to be preseason, Louisville still notched quality Ws over Long Beach State, Butler and Vandy. The roster is beat up, but the record is unscathed. It's important to remember that the early season "bad loss" has been a staple of the Pitino Era, and it was only this group of bruised up Cardinals that managed to find a way to win from the start.

There are still plenty of question marks, but my heart tells me this is a team that's ready for more elite competition, and in fact will benefit from it. I like the Cards we're holding.

VillenHD presents UofL-IUPUI highlights

A George Goode dunk to get your juices flowing

I hope he has a lot more of these in his career. Just not today.

In their own words; Boise State fans on the Big East

No doubt about it, the Boise State Broncos were the crown jewel of the recent Big East expansion. It's all about football, and no school has created its own name brand and defended it as fiercely as Boise State. And no program has rankled and threatened to crash the BCS party over the last decade more than BSU. Now they've forced the issue, and I was curious about the fan reaction to the maneuvering.

Here's a good article from a Boise State blogger (the fact that they have one is positive sign) and a thoughtful comment section about the positives and negatives to the move.

Fairleigh Dickinson puts its pants on just like the rest of you--one leg at a time. But once its pants are on, it makes gold records.

No sugarcoating this one. Tune up season is almost over, and the Cards need to cruise tomorrow, to build on the second half momentum from last game and prove they've got the right stuff heading into the heart of the season. Memphis and UK are right around the corner.

It should be a cakewalk. Fairleigh Dickinson is a 1-7 team from the Northeast conference with losses to St. Francis, Stony Brook and Lehigh on its resume and plays no one taller than 6'8''. Yes, they have the capable former Card George Goode on the roster, but all the Goode's in the world shouldn't be able to make this a game. C'mon Cards, flash that killer instinct tomorrow. Three things I want to see most...

1) Close out D on the 3. Most people were agitated by Louisville's poor long range shooting last game. I was most concerned by how easily we gave them up. IUPUI was draining its looks and they were far too open. Got to close out the perimeter.

2) 20+ forced turnovers. They should be able to do it against this team. The Cards are beginning to run the fast break impressively, and it would be nice to see it early and often tomorrow.

3) A large round of applause for George Goode. He was a great teammate and wonderful utility player during his time at UofL. Let's give him a warm welcome home.

Big East basketball nuggets

* Marquette's junior center Chris Otule suffered ACL damage to his right knee chasing down a loose ball against Washington in the Jimmy V Classic. It is yet to be determined whether it will require surgery, but a season-ender would be a huge blow, literally and figuratively, to perhaps the hottest team in the Big East right now.

* Illness has swept through a Notre Dame team that is desperate for a few days rest after lumbering to a 5-4 start. Every active player has missed time or been slowed by sickness this season.

* St. John's is reeling. After several high-profile recruits failed to attain eligibility (sarcastic sympathies) and Coach Lavin missing time while battling prostrate cancer (my for real, legit sympathies) the once-promising season for the Red Storm is spiralling out of control. And today it was announced that highly-touted guard Nurideen Lindsey will transfer at the end of this semester. The defection leaves the Johnnies with only six scholarship players heading into conference play. Yikes. On their bright side, the St. John's rep is kicking my butt in the voting. Let's do something about that. VOTE! And if you already have, tap whoever's in the cubicle next to you and tell her to do likewise.

* Big East game of the night tonight is Harvard-UConn. We'll find out whether those Hah-vad Bahneys ah is wicked skilled as they say. Should be a good one.

Congrats to Cardinal honorees

I hope Teddy Bridgewater has a trophy case on his Christmas list because the kid is already racking up some hardware. Yesterday TB was named a freshman All-American by CBS Sports and today he was announced as the Big East Rookie of the Year in the league awards. Hopefully soon he'll be adding Belk Bowl MVP to his resume.

A quick word on Teddy. Bridgewater made at appearance at the Kayefseum last night and was brought onto the court to be interviewed during an extended timeout. I'm consistently blown away by Teddy Bridgewater, not only when he cleats 'em up, but when he speaks off the field as well. Lots of the same adjectives are tossed around when talking about Teddy; you can expect to hear unflappable, calm, poised, mature and soft-spoken come up. But I think that CL Brown of the CJ hit it on the head best when he called him an old soul during a radio segment.

I always remind myself that a year ago the DaMarcus Smith v. Teddy Bridgewater debate was a hot topic around these parts. And at the time if I had to make a choice I would have put myself in the camp of the local kid. But after some questionable decisions and a Brandon Bender later, and boy was I wrong. I don't want to besmirch DaMarcus, because all indications are he still plans on joining the Cards next season (though barring injury I can't imagine him getting any snaps at QB1). And I don't know Smith at all, though I have seen him in person a few times and follow him on Twitter. And let's just say I don't think "old soul" would be the first words that spring to mind when talking about DaMarcus Smith. I hope he has a long and productive career as a Cardinal, but I can't express how happy I am with how our quarterback situation played out.

Also, three other Cardinals were honored. Adrian Bushell and Hakeem Smith were named 1st Team All Big East, and Dexter Heyman to the 2nd Team. How does Dex fall? He was the anchor and unquestioned leader on the best defense in the conference. And Butch Jones was named B.E. Coach of the Year. I also have some beef with that. I could understand if Cinci had gone to the Orange Bowl, but they didn't. Charlie Strong and the Cards were predicted to finish 7th in the league and they tied for first. And apparently they did so without the best coach of the year and only 2 first team conference players. Strange.

But alas, congrats to all the Cards honored. Next year let's make it a clean sweep

Trust Strong

Charlie Strong has put to bed rumors that he is a candidate for any other coaching job other than the University of Louisville. And he is pleading for Cards fans to take him at his word. From the CJ's coverage:

“What our fans have to understand is you have a coach and we’re trying to build a program, so when all the noise in the system and all the rumors start, just don’t even focus on it,” Strong said. “Don’t even turn your attention to it. Nothing is going to happen.”

Strong is again trying to demonstrate to all of us that it's okay, this time around, to believe that their head coach genuinely wants to be here, is focused only on developing the program here, does not see the job as a stepping stone (or as he called it, "training ground") for other head coaching positions, and that he prizes his loyalty to Tom Jurich who gave him his shot.

That Cards fans become such nervous nancies every time a high profile job opens up is understandable; we've played the jilted lover role too many times. But Strong wants us to believe that he's different, and even voiced frustration that he has to declare his love and loyalty time and again.  I was struck by this quote in particular:

“At some point, just trust me,” Strong said. “I’m not looking for a job. I have a job. I’m the head coach at the University of Louisville.”

We're trying, Charlie, we're trying. Altogether now: "In Strong We Trust."

CJ article here.

Top Performers

5) Russ Smith. 12 points and only one turnover. Young Russ performed his primary function to be a shot of offensive adrenaline when the scoring gets stagnant. Also keyed my favorite sequence of the game when he stole the ball two straight times and forced a jump ball. Still can't figure this kid out.

4) Peyton Siva. Appears as if he is taking to heart Rick Pitino's teaching that he doesn't have to score to be a great point guard. He dished 8 assists and that number could have been much higher if the Cards weren't so abysmal from beyond the arc.

3) Rakeem Buckles. It was really great to see Buckles back on the court. Scored 3 points and 4 boards in limited action, but he did prove he wasn't afraid to get into the post and mix it up. Rock has done the physical part of his rehab, the rest is going to be mental. Looked promising in his first minutes back.

2) Chris Smith. 19-5-4-2. That's about as impressive a stat line as it gets for Chris Smith. He seemed everywhere on the fast break and got most of his points through sheer hustle and focus while finishing at the rim (Swop could take some notes). Also played great D.

1) Gorgui Dieng. I still think he holds onto the ball too long when he receives it, but at the rate he's improving, it may not matter. The Gorgui monster flashed an offensive array in the post the likes of which we haven't seen since Samardo had that one good game. He's still learning, but he's learning at a tremendous rate and once he starts playing with his natural instincts rather than having to process the game cognitively, he's going to be a real force.

#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. Ivery 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