Cards... win? 60-51 over Seton Hall

My original thought for this post, clocked in somewhere early in the second half as Louisville dominated, was to write that the Cards' victory was powered by a first-half offensive explosion as impressive as any this year. As the second half progressed, I figured I'd tone that down a bit, so was going to describe a win that exposed many of the lingering weaknesses of this team, but also showed off vast improvements. Somewhere between turnovers 22 and 23 or a failed inbounds play, I realized I was going to have to trash that one too. With five minutes left, that familiar pang of dread having returned, I wondered, are we going to choke this up?

We didn't. The Cards won. I think.

Let's keep things in perspective; the fact that we beat Seton Hall on the road tonight is without question a positive. In terms of season dynamics, this team desperately needs victories to allow it to build momentum, especially heading into an even more difficult stretch of conference play. Louisville won the game tonight and that does mean that we have now won three in a row. So that means we have momentum. Right?

Might as well also be honest. The victory was reassuring in that it sustained a possible trajectory toward making the NCAA tournament. It provides zero confidence for any aspiration beyond that. Had Seton Hall shot free throws the way other teams have against us, they would have won.

Gorgui Monster provided the difference with 11 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks, and perhaps most importantly, 38 total minutes logged. Russ and Chris Smith provided the offensive firepower with 14 and 11 offensively. Save for that ghastly three-pointer, Chane played powerfully, pulling down 12 boards and scoring 8 points (too many turnovers though).

Unfortunately, Peyton Siva took a step backwards. Having played much better recently, tonight he turned over the ball 7 times officially -- though anyone who watched counted more than that. Peyton did score 9 points including a few sweet long-range jumpers, but 4 assists, more foul trouble, and unsteady with the ball down the stretch does not inspire confidence. We have to keep rooting for Peyton to rediscover his happy thought.

Stats here.

If I'm Rick Pitino (and I'm not; he doesn't blog), I'm thinking the team I saw tonight might get me into the Big Dance but they wouldn't survive the first round. And I don't know what the reception would be if I (Ricky) were to check out of the first round of the NCAA tournament for a third season in a row. Assuming we make the tournament.

But Rick's famous for the team he fields in February. Tonight was the last game of January. So here we go.

A victory is what was needed and a victory is what we got. The Cards should take appropriate satisfaction and move on. They have one week until they play next, against Rutgers. They must get better. Go Cards.

VillenHD presents UofL-Villanova and other morning bites

What has been going wrong for Seton Hall lately? Just about everything. Kevin Willard had this to say after their last defeat: "We have a lot of ‘I’ going on right now. I think we’ve all forgotten what got us to how good we were playing and we have to get back to that." And he's right. The Pirates managed only four assists in the loss against Notre Dame; point guard and team leader Jordan Theodore logged only one. That's doody.

And the indestructible Herb Pope has also been laboring lately. He was 2-16 from the field last game before fouling out. Pope has a propensity for nonsensical fouls, perhaps he and Chane could have a gentleman's agreement to allow them 7 apiece.

But I hope the Cards aren't hitting the road with a false sense of confidence. This is an opponent with the scalps of UConn, West Virginia, Wake Forest, and Providence on its tournament resume. Kevin Willard knows the UofL system better than anyone, and it's an arena where the Cards have struggled in the past. We'll certainly be facing a desparate and dangerous team.

Be sure to check out our live-tweet of the action tonight (is "live-tweet" redundant?).

Here's some videos to occupy your time as we count down to tip.



And does anyone remember this being in Jerry Smith's arsenal? Badass.

Presser recap, no blog-ah edition

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

Getting to know the incredible Herb Pope

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

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

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

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

* Favorite candy is Skittles.

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

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

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

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

Cards turn 100 and Louie's deranged uncle

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

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

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

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

Seton Hall morning links

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

Some Seton Hall Pirate info...

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

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

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

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

Quentin Snider gets a number

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

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

Some strange stats

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quote of the Day

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

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

"Wake up number 37"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ready or not...

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

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

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

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

Sheldon Rankins come on down

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pre-game: Villanova at Louisville

One swallow doesn't make a spring, but I think many of us in Card Nation were able to enjoy our bourbons and beers following UofL's victory over Pitt last Saturday. It was the most complete game we've played since Memphis, and the first time in a long time that our players looked like they were having fun out there. Here's to hoping the mirth & merriment continues tomorrow night when we host the Villanova Wildcats (7 P.M. on ESPN).

Villanova coach and perennial "Mommie Likes" candidate Jay Wright has his Wildcats at 10-10 (3-5 Big East). Coach Wright's style is well-known at this point: Playing with three or four guards at a time, the Wildcats like to run and gun. Despite being 225th in the country in FG% (.422), Nova averages 73.6 points per game. (Their poor FG% may also explain why they are 7th in the nation in rebounds per game. Someone's gotta collect the bricks.)

As much as I enjoy a fast-paced game, I think this is one Coach Pitino wants to slow down. For a guard-heavy offense, Villanova isn't very good from deep, hitting 31% of their 3-point attempts. However, they do excel at the foul line, shooting 75% as a team. These two numbers alone point to a classic call for the 2-3 zone. Villanova also has a problem with turnovers (.89 A/T ratio). All in all, I think Villanova's offensive style and problems play right into our hands. Hopefully we'll impose our will instead of trying to adjust to whatever tweaks Wright makes tomorrow night.

The Wildcat to watch is 6-2 Junior Guard Maalik Wayns. He averages nearly 19 points and five assists per game, and is the catalyst for all of Villanova's offense. He was all over the floor when these two teams played last year, and he's only gotten better. Having said that, if our guards can slow him down and deny him some passing lanes, the rest of the team's job becomes much easier.

As for when we have the ball, I'm simply hoping to see more of what we got on Saturday night. Kuric working for a shot, Siva driving when appropriate, and Chane taking smarter shots. You can't expect the shots to fall like they did against Pitt (the Cards shot 70% in the second half), but good decision-making leads to good shots, and that's all we can ask for.

Win or lose, the Villanova-UofL games are always fun to watch, and I've always been a fan of Jay Wright. Let's hope the Cards can secure a much-needed home win before heading off to Seton Hall this weekend.

Navy football facts

It's official. The Navy Midshipmen will join the Big East for football in 2015. Here's a few pieces of trivia to share with your beermates during the Villanova game tomorrow...

* Players must fulfill five-years of military service after graduation. If drafted into the NFL, most players are granted leave to pursue professional careers. Sometimes, but not always. Last season running back Eric Kettani was recalled to active duty not long after making it onto the New England Patriots practice squad.

* Navy won a National Championship in 1926. In an familiar scenario, Alabama, Stanford and Navy all finished the season undefeated. But only 'Bama and Stanford played for the title (college football has always been a joke). That game ended in a 7-7 tie, therefore all three teams finished the season without a loss and were recognized as tri-national champions. Navy won a share without even having to play the game.

* Has two Heisman Trophy winners in its history; Joe Bellino and Roger Staubach.

* Owns the better historical record in the famed Army-Navy game; 56-49-7.

* Mascot is Bill the Goat who is, not surprisingly, a live billy goat. Goats were part of the country's early maritime tradition; they were brought on voyages to provide ships with milk and butter, as well as eat garbage.

* The current Bill is the 33rd to serve in that capacity.

* He has been kidnapped before...

The first reported kidnapping of "Bill the goat" was perpetrated one week before the Army-Navy football game of '53. West Point cadets snuck onto the Annapolis grounds, assisted by a West Point exchange student living at the Naval Academy. After locating the goat behind the stadium, the cadets stashed "Bill" in the back of a convertible-- however, their cover was blown when the goat's horns shredded the car's top. The cadets successfully made it back to West Point and presented the goat to the entire Corps at a raucous dinnertime pep rally-- however, many Navy midshipmen refused to resume classes until "Bill" was returned. After the goat's return was ordered by officials from West Point (as well as President Dwight D. Eisenhower himself, a West Point grad), the Army cadets staged a mass protest which was posted on the front page of several New York papers as "Goat Rebellion at West Point." The Army football team went on to defeat Navy 20-7

* Play at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Capacity 38,000. Tons of history, museums, and monuments at the Naval Academy Campus. Only 30 minutes from Baltimore, this is going to be one hell of a cool place to travel for an away game.

Presser recap, no new injuries edition

Not much to see here. RP believes Villanova has a very talented backcourt. Chane Behanan needs to get better defensively, but called him "the future of the program". Doesn't believe the team was ever "in a funk", just that they were an injured team; didn't think they were great at 12-0, didn't think they were a bad team after a few losses. Glibly discussed Siva, hopes last game gave him confidence; pleased he wasn't "falling down everywhere". Brought up Morehead State loss in last tourney, gave them credit, but said "who knows" what happens if Preston hadn't been injured. Kuric's ankle at 100%.

Terry Rozier making the rounds

There's a new highlight video out of Terry Rozier, the one-man UofL class of 2012. It's easy to get too hyped over these things, but the kid appears to have it all. Quickness, hops, vision. What has to be enticing for Pitino is how many of his highlights come at the defensive end. Terry and Russ could pick a lot of pockets in the next two seasons.

Here's an interesting article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer that talks about Rozier's troubled upbringing, how he's come to grips with a father who is currently in prison, how he grew up with relatives in a crime-ridden neighborhood, and the anger-issues that welled within him as a result. Yes, I'm a little concerned about the rampant "attitude problems" that are the focus of the piece, we must hope those are truly in his rear window. And my eyes did widen a little when I read that Rozier is trying to stay focused on academics "so he can become eligible". But mostly it's a fascinatingly honest story on a kid that's grown up in difficult circumstances and how he overcame the anger and rebellion that threatened to consume him. There's even mention of him getting a twitter shoutout from Dwyane Wade. Really interesting, well worth a read.

On the court, Terry Rozier appears to be a diamond in the rough that is finally getting the recognition his abilities deserve. Notice how packed some of these gyms are; Terry Rozier is playing high level high school basketball, is the top point guard in his state and the favorite to win Mr. Ohio basketball honors. Hopefully he'll bring more honor to the #3 jersey than Carlos Hurt was able to.

Navy to the Big East(?) and Villanova's hot hands

ESPN is reporting that "a source close to the situation" claims that the Big East will add Navy as a football-only member beginning in the 2015 season. The anonymous source also went on to say, "And very soon, the Memphis and Temple programs will be added for basketball, two of the greatest programs I've encountered in my 35 years of coaching".

Last sentence untrue, first sentence true. Navy is by far the service academy with the best football tradition, so I think it's a solid pickup for the conference. But since they currently have no conference affiliation, I'm not sure what the 2015 holdup is. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

And, nothing's been easy for the Villanova Wildcats this season, but they travel to the Kayefseum tomorrow riding a two game winning streak (over St. John's and Seton Hall). Junior guard Maalik Wayns just took Player of the Week Honors in the Big East for scoring 25 and 28 in the two contests. JayVaughn Pinkston took Freshman of the Week for his two consecutive double-doubles; 23-11 and 13-12, respectively. I'm suddenly much more apprehensive about this one.

VillenHD messes with us, presents Pitt-UofL highlights

Wheat and Gordon to the rafters

Cardinal greats DeJuan Wheat and Lancaster Gordon will both have their names added to the hallowed ring of retired jerseys this February. Gordon's will be retired at the home game against UConn on the 6th; DeJuan Wheat will be honored on the 26th. Both will be great atmospheres for the Louisville legends.

Sorry DeJuan, had I known all it took was an interview with me, I would have been on top of this ages ago. This is a ham-handed way of bringing up, in case you missed it first time around, my recent interview with DeJuan Wheat.

Still alive at #25

Cards hold on to a number next to their name in the new ESPN poll. Louisville dropped out of the AP, however.

Baby makin' music

With the news that superhorses Curlin and Rachel Alexandra have produced a foal, it's got me playing Frankenblogger and wondering what other Louisville studs should procreate. Some ideas...

* T-Will and Angel McCoughtry. This is an easy one. The two best basketball players to wear a Cardinal uniform in the last decade played in the same era, and everyone was a hopeful matchmaker. With T-Will's athleticism and Angel's perimeter scoring, the young Williams would be a lethal roundball weapon the likes of which the world has never seen. There would be ceremonies to honor each birthday, the giant clock would be resurrected at the Kayefseum to count down the days to his eligibility. Then he'd commit to UK at the 11th hour and the city would descend into madness and rioting. I'd lead a small but ruthless band around the ashes of the city, growing drunk with power and powerfully drunk with each broken liquor store window. Then I'd fulfill my dream of overthrowing the local government and setting up a somewhat-enlightened despot-ship holding court at the Woodford Reserve Club. It's gonna happen.

* Karen Sypher and Brandon Bender. There's something comforting about the concept of pure evil, it delineates the world. Even the loathsome John Calipari organized charity drives for Haitian relief (for which he did his share of grandstanding, but still). We need to do worse than that, and the spawn of Sypher and Bender, an 8 pound 3 ounce Anti-Cardinal and the world's youngest UCF recruit, would serve nicely.

* Peyton Siva and Shoni Schimmel. The cheekbones, my god, think of the cheek bones. Ya know thousands of years in the future when interbreeding (can you say interbreeding, is that PC?) has eliminated all races and earthlings are visiting planets wearing the same outfit. The Earth rep would look exactly like a young Peypey Schimmel-Siva.

* Kuric and J-Back. There's lots of females with crushes on the King around town, but no one has been as early and consistently smitten as my friend J-Back. Like the rights of prima nocte in Braveheart, J-Back would claim Kuric as her own; the child would talk a lot more than Kyle and suffer from slightly stalkerish tendencies, but still, she's earned it. Baby's middle name would be Persistence.

* Charlie Strong and all the Ladybirds. He's definitely earned it.

* Laila Ali and Clint Hurtt. The world desperately needs the next great heavyweight champ. And the sordid world of professional pugilism would perhaps suit Hurtt's particular, um, talents. Love ya Mr. Hurtt, please don't hurt me and please keep your nose clean.

* Paul Rogers and Nicole Scherzinger. The child would have an amazing voice, would be a great dancer, and would be horribly plagued with questions about how she came to be. They call that a triple threat.

* Beau Zach Smith and Diane Sawyer. It makes sense if you think about it.

* Teddy Bridgewater and Shawnta' Dyer. And they could name their child Ina. Just a beautiful name that sounds like an answer to a question. Q: The Ohio River's been lookin' pretty brown the past few weeks, whatcha gonna do about it?  A: Ina Dyer-Bridgewater, that's what I'm gonna do 'bout it.

Monday musings

* It was a perfect outing from Russ Smith, in my opinion, that balanced the fine line between aggressiveness and "whoa, why don't you sit the next couple plays out, Champ." Russ took 11 shots, the right amount (execpt for that one that hit off the side of the backboard, coulda done without that one). We've seen that Smith is capable of going off for 25 or 30 points, but when he does, or rather, when he's forced to, I think it's a bad sign for the team at large.

Plus when he's relieved of his scoring burden, his defense is more focused as is his passing. Russ is an underrated passer and creator. I know he came out of his shell after making the move to shooting guard, but I wish Pitino would reconsider playing Russ Smith at point guard some when Siva goes out. Brings me to...

* Elisha Justice. I like the kid, he's unfailingly loyal, a hard worker, sexy as hell, a good caretaker of the basketball. But there's just too many zeros in his stat line. The most important one in his 8 minutes against Pitt was zero turnovers, but still, against our better opponents, I think we have enough versatility on the roster to put a more potent five-man lineup on the court when Siva goes out.

Much of this seems to be self-imposed, or perhaps he's being instructed. Bullet plays like he's hell bent on not making a mistake himself, and letting others do the lifting. There are worse player traits for sure, but I wish Justice would shoot the ball from 3 when he's open. He was one of the best shooters in the state, on any level, when he was in high school. Bullet needs a long walk with Russ Smith on the banks of the Ohio to discuss pulling the trigger and breaking through your expectations.

* Speaking of shooters, the Lady Cards are launching from behind the arc, making 11 of 25 yesterday in a huge road win over Georgetown. Becky Burke dropped in 4 treys, and Shoni Schimmel led with 19 points. The final seconds of the game were delayed when the refs realized the Hoyas had been awarded a point for a missed free throw and had to go to the replay to correct. Nice, now if we can only revisit that Sparks' travesty, we'll really be on to something.

Like the men, the women's team has had its share of ups and downs this season but appears to be playing its best basketball at the right time.

* In case you didn't know, there's a thing called the Battle of Florida All-Star game that pits NFL-draft eligible players with ties to the state of Florida against one another. Anywho, Josh Bellamy played and shined, catching 3 passes for 90 yards, including a 60-yard TD strike from former SC Gamecock QB Garcia who was dismissed from his team in October of last year. Sounds like a weird, random game, but it earned Bellamy recognition from his head coach; Charlie Strong tweeted his praise and congratulations afterwards.

Mixed emotions from me, as the team on the losing end of the 51-3 affair was coached by Howard Schnellenberger. With the influx of Florida talent at UofL, this game might become a pilgrimage in coming years.

* 3-star d-lineman and UofL commit Dequan Ivery snuck on down to Miami this weekend for an official visit. No word on whether he is wavering on his commitment, but another recruit on the trip singled out Ivery saying, "he had a real good time". Some attrition is inevitable, but still, I like this prospect a lot. Everyone knows we don't lose to Syracuse in basketball, and we don't lose to Miami in head-to-head recruiting. Show him some love, coaches.

* Loved this tweet from Michaelee Harris last night...

i cant lie boy if our wr core aint tryna be like the giants or the packers wr core of better we cheating ourselves

DeVante Parker and Eli Rogers quickly concurred. Other than not knowing the difference between corps and core, I wholeheartedly agree.

Cards claw back from the brink, top Pitt 73-62

Throw the records out the window, that was a good win. The Pitt Panthers were even more desperate than the Cards, had a key player return, and were riding the wave of ESPN Gameday energy. The Louisville Cardinals responded with poise and balanced offense to send the throngs home disappointed.

This looked much more like the team we expected this season. Louisville outhustled the opponent and never let up the effort on defense until suddenly, a few well-executed plays in a row, and we're in control of the contest. The hero of the game was, of course, Kyle Kuric, who came off the bench to pour in 21 points; he more than earned his face-time with Erin Andrews after this one.

But there were other strong showings as well. Chane Behanan played with more power and confidence than we've seen in awhile. Turns out, if he stays in the post, Chane's an effective weapon. Who knew? Russ Smith was a magician on defense and pestered the Pitt guards all night long, ripping away six steals. Despite some defensive lapses, Gorgui Dieng battled and led the Cards to a victory on the boards. And while I wouldn't call it a breakthrough performance, Peyton Siva came through in the clutch and guided the team to the win down the stretch.

It's far too early to talk about turnarounds, but this was a damn good step back towards the proverbial light. If they continue to fight like this they can still become what we all thought they would be. A dangerous basketball team that nobody wants to play.