Dream deferred, Cards fall to Cats, 69-61

First of all, congrats to the UK Wildcats for sporting a great team, one for the ages.

Once again, the Cards battled fiercely, but could never get over the hump, mental and physical, to defeat the Cats, and again fell short.

I'm not sure I'll ever stomach the stomach to rewatch this one, to analyze what went wrong once UofL was able to finally tie the score at 49, yet immediately gave up the ghost and could never match the Wildcats' intensity from that moment on.

There is so much to reflect upon, to be proud of, and yet to regret.

The future is quite bright, but none of that cannot dull the sting, the permanence, of what just transpired.

However, contrived as it may be, #L1C4.

We'll be back. Go Cards.

What Dreams may come, cont'd

After another night of restless sleep with dreams featuring UofL and UK players in nonsensical scenarios, the morning of truth has arrived.

I'm trying to wrap my mind around the incomprehensible ride we've been on in the past month. It's been the most fun I've ever had as a fan. Not only did the team spring to life on the court, they've sprung into the conciousness of this city and this program in a way that is truly special. With animated personalities and a quality of character to match, they breathed new life into a veteran coach, a man with more reason to be cynical than most, and have drawn from him the sort of magic we had been told he lost.

Whether this team still has more magic will determine if this dream will go on. We face the behemoth, the hated ones, a team many have spent more time analyzing how they would fare against an NBA team than the Cards.

I think Louisville has the tools to shock the world, to quote Ali, the city's patron saint who has also joined this incredible run. They must play their best basketball of the season, they must be prepared for a forty minute battle, not four, not fourteen, not thirty-four. They must do so by staying true to who they are and what got them here, but they must do it at the highest-level imaginable.

I'm trying to wrap my brain around all of this. I'm mentally preparing myself for the prospect of winning, mentally preparing for the prospect of losing, and mentally preparing to start drinking in a half hour.

On the 25th anniversary of Christian Laettner's shot, that game has been on the minds of many lately. And I've never understood why its mention still sends UK fans into conniptions (see the absurd UPS controversy as most recent example). It's "the greatest game ever played", and their team was a part of it. It's an honor.

It's in that vein that I want to approach the rest of today and tonight. I'll be far too worked up to enjoy it, that ship has sailed, but I want to appreciate it, for any and every significance whether it end in victory or defeat.

It's all over but the shoutin', and I'm ready to do plenty.

Beat UK.

Go Cards.

Q & A of the Day

Q: Cal, can you talk about Rick's ability as a strategist, and with all due respect, how that might make the talent gap between the two teams closer in this game?

A: So you're basically saying I have none of that, right? Is that what you're saying? (nods) You're just not praising me about mine, only him? OK.

-John Calipari

UK fans may not like it now, but Pitino has always had a place in the square foot of real estate within John Calipari's head. In fact, Wildcat legend Cawood Ledford wrote about it in his book, how Calipari's mannerisms while at UMass were almost comical in their attempted mimicry of Pitino at UK.

And it's still there. Look, I have well-known distaste for the man, he's not my cup of tea in a number of ways, but I do not believe Cal to be the embodiment of evil and I can admit he mostly knocked his press conference out of the park today.

But this one exchange stands out to me. Even though the roles have been flipped, even though he's bested him three times at UK, he's still answering questions about how Pitino is the better coach. Make no mistake, Rick has a place in his Cal's head. And as much as UK loves to mock Pitino, there's still an ounce of fear beneath their typical boasts this week.

He couldn't. Could he?

Links for lunch

Pat Forde examines 10 Reasons Why UofL Can Win, but then quickly provides his own "reality check" for why it ain't gonna happen, here.

I'm loving the US v. Soviets, David v. Goliath, Balboa v. Drago aspect to this buildup. One, because the good guys have a nice track record in those matchups. And two, because while I have complete respect for UK's abilities, I do not think they're quite the Goliath they're being made out to be.

Everyone is still so in awe of the Baylor beatdown they've forgetten that very recently the Cats struggled through the SEC tournament against defenses not as good as UofL's. They deserve to be heavy favorites, but when the ball is tipped and we're all reminded that men are mortal, that when it comes down to it it's just kids playing ball, I think the weight of the world on UK's shoulders could buoy the Cards.

Rick Pitino did not make the cut to be inducted into this class of the Basketball Hall of Fame. I'm shocked, and apparently many others are as well. If he's not a Hall of Fame coach, I'm not sure who is. But add another wrinkle or omen, you can just imagine the articles that will be written if Pitino has another trick up his sleeve after this snub.

Jeff Goodman took a moment from asking forgiveness of Gorgui Dieng to write a nice article on how Pitino has rebounded, going from punchline to headline, this time for the right reasons.

Apparently Cal and Pitino have history. I'm not sick of these stories yet, so you're not allowed to be either. Here's one of the better ones I've read.

Dave Kindred, former CJ writer and author of one of my favorite sports-books of all time pens a piece for Grantland about the game. Familiar names like Bozich, Forde, and Rutherford make appearances. Well worth a read. My favorite excerpt...

For a dozen years, I wrote newspaper columns in Louisville. To understand basketball's place in the state, I drove in circles around Kentucky. If I saw a coat hanger twisted into a hoop and nailed to a clothesline pole, I'd write it. See a kid bouncing a ball down a dirt road, that's a column. Drive along KY-7 in Letcher County and see a rawboned guy on the porch of his general store, I'd say howdy. Turned out to be Joe Begley. Played on a Maytown High team that made it to the state tournament in the 1930s. He'd become an angry opponent of the strip mining for coal that denuded the state's mighty mountains. Called SOB's what they were, SOB's. I asked him what he thought of basketball in Kentucky. "If a lump of coal ain't Jesus Christ," he said, "basketball is." Column.

I'm not even completely sure what that last line means. But I think that's the point.

Cardinal Pride, from Gaines to Garcia to T-Will to Today

Pretty awesome video posted to my facebook page this week, complete with grainy-looking footage from a decade ago -- I don't remember TV looking so dated back then pre-HD, but I guess it never does. Nice showcase of the past to the present, connecting the Cards of today to the early heroes of the Pitino era.  Hat tip E. Russell, a fellow alum and Card fan for life. Beat Kentucky. Go Cards.

Louisville First Cards Forever from evan westendorf on Vimeo.

Quote of the Day

This is our chance at a national championship. We have everything to lose, same as they do.

-Rick Pitino, from New Orleans

I don't know if it can make up the admitted gap of raw talent between the teams, but Coach Pitino is displaying a focus and fortitude that we have not seen in awhile.

Gone are the head-scratching quotes, the puzzling post-game points that led UofL fans to wonder if we just watched the same contest. He's speaking truth. With an accurate assessment of the task at hand, a healthy respect for the opponent, and a tone that hints of quiet confidence, Pitino appears to be pressing just the right buttons for his David to mentally prepare for Goliath.

Pitino has always spoken to his UofL teams, partially, through the press. And the message he is now sending is one of joy, looseness, but also of focus and the chance to seize a moment.

This is not a "happy to be here" team. It's clear he's beaten that idea out of them. He cited logistical (but sensical) issues for why this team never had a Final Four send-off party before New Orleans. His team is in a basketball-bubble, a groove, and inside that bubble anything is possible.

Every reason, every X and O, suggests a UofL loss. But Rick Pitino's confident smirk, his wizened visage, one the UK fans know well, at the very least has them sleeping uneasily. He couldn't. Could he?

Red-out reminder

If you're reading this, you likely need no reminder, but just as a reminder to remind those that need reminding to sport the glorious red (infra-red preferred but not required) around town tomorrow. Mayor Greg Fischer has declared the day for fans to paint the town such (for which UK fans have promised defeat in the next mayoral election).

OK, screw parantheses, if UK fans want to know why everyone hates them, it's because of crap like that. It's the sheer arrogance and nothing more. You know how normal people would respond? They'd wear blue. That's it. They don't threaten political upheaval because of the blue-bubble they live in. That's the reason everyone hates you...


You want only UL fans at your bar?? I'll rally the troops.


Speak an unkind word about our coach? I'll make it my life-mission to make you wish you were never born.


Article I find displeasing? Your inbox is toast, just wait till I tell Drew Franklin.


A Louisville mayor supports University of Louisville? I will move there to vote you out.


All of the above are objectively true, not some feverish dream like Big Blue conjures up for dastardly Louisville. That's my thing, the reasons for our hate are point-outable, as in they exist in the real world. Theirs are reaching imaginations, trolling message boards until finding a comment that validates something they want to exist within their UofL worldview/obsession.

And that's why I hate them, the Paradox said. That's really it. It's that UK encourages the courage-of-the-mob mentality and takes to such an absurd degree that they want to be rewarded for their petulance.

Anyways, a long way of saying wear red tomorrow. And not only #beatUK, but #fuckUK why we're at it.

Pitino from New Orleans

Video courtesy of the CJ. I sure hope his game-planning is similarly on point, because Rick Pitino is crushing his media appearances of late.

Kuric Konundrum

Lately, predicting a Kyle Kuric performance has been like trying to predict an earthquake. During this NCAA run he's only reached his scoring average (13) in the first game against Davidson, and then only shooting an inefficient 30% from the field.

But we know he's capable of much more. Let alone his past exploits, his 20 points against Marquette, 17 against Pitt, and 25 in a grueling game against (gulp) DePaul were all crucial to Cardinal victory this season.

The rap on Kuric is well-known. While capable of loin-stirring displays of athleticism, he lacks first-step speed off the dribble that limits his game. His 2 point performance against UK earlier this year hangs like a dark cloud, many are already deeming him a non-factor against the rangy Wildcat defense.

And I don't buy it. Kuric's hot-and-cold performances never seemed like "shutdowns" to me, as if he ran up against the limitations of his ability. They seemed like 1) not knocking down good looks, and 2) becoming passive and not attacking.

Of course, he doesn't have a first-step like Russ Smith or Peyton Siva, but I've seen him get into the paint against a variety of athletic wings in the Big East. For a game that I expect to be tightly whistled, Kuric getting to the line can and should be one of our ways to manufacture points.

In my opinion, the second biggest factor for the outcome after rebounding (which Mr. Black has rightfully drilled home as the end-all-be-all of college basketball stats) is Kuric shooting a good percentage from deep and (at least) reaching his scoring average. If he's not feeling it early from beyond, then he needs to stay aggressive to try to get on track at the line.

The biggest stage, the beloved senior, you think the King is going to sit this one out? Me neither.

Start at the beginning

There's plenty of reason to believe the two teams that play on Saturday are greatly different than the ones that squared off on New Year's Eve. Louisville went through a mid-season swoon, regrouped, swooned again, and emerged playing its best basketball of the year. UK has been more consistent, but has also made strides since that game, particularly with the play of Marquis Teague, who has grown from liability to leader as the season progressed.

Lost in the hoopla of this week seems to be how terrible that first game was. It was a foul-fest and it was ugly. UK shot just 18% from three and 29% from the floor with 20 turnovers. The Cards managed only 22% from three and 32% from the floor with 14 turnovers.

As strange as it sounds, we got the game we wanted. I think UofL needs to keep the gameplan, it just needs to execute it better. Most importantly, within this intense, grind-it-out framework, UofL cannot let one player beat them, like Michael Kidd Gilchrist did with 24 and 19, or Cousins did over two years ago in a similar game with 18-18.

The past two games I've watched of the Cats have convinced me that the Cards cannot run to victory. UK is simply too efficient and has too many athletes to let on the break. Indiana tried, fought, and failed. Baylor ran into a buzzsaw.

Before that, however, particularly in the SEC tournament, the Cats looked eminently beatable (and were) and scored 60, 74, and 64 points respectively against defenses not nearly as good as UofL's. Each was more of a halfcourt contest where UK struggled when it had to earn points the hard way, executing within its offensive sets.

That's the key. UofL has been on a glorious ride of ugly-pretty basketball this season, grinding offenses to a halt (including their own). There's no reason to change now, they simply must make more of their opportunities. The Cards can win, but they'll have to win ugly.

Links heard round the world

Move out of the way Thomas Paine, we have a new patriot with a pen that can really write. A KSR blogger uses his pulpit to advance civil rights by penning a missive badgering a Louisville tavern that attempted to promote its location as UofL only on Saturday to prevent fights. Our young revolutionary even cites the Federal Civil Rights Act and the fact that UK basketball is akin to a religion to highlight this grave injustice. Great American? Nay, greatest American. Will the longstanding persecution of UK ever cease?

When Billy Reed writes on the significance of this week, I'm reading.

On the flip-side, even an anti-Calipari perspective isn't enough to get me to like Chuck Klosterman. Here's the Grantland writer's take on the implications of a UK national title complete with his trademark half-argued positions. I really don't see why Bill Simmons is so charmed by this man.

Downloadable player posters? Thanks, CJ!

Believe it or not, there's two games being played this Saturday; Kansas and Ohio State must be more than a little pissed that their own runs have been completely eclipsed by this firestorm. A look at their plight here.

OK, I'm going to take a little break from reading and writing about this game's significance, and begin to focus on what the Cards must to for a chance to win the damn thing. Check back throughout the day as we delve into a little thing called strategery.

Image of the Day

(H/t theHoff)

Forde tackles a tough topic

Kudos to Pat Forde for having the courage to bring up a subject that most would shy away from, and that's the issue of race in the origin story of the UofL-UK rivalry. Rick Pitino actually broached the subject as well in his press conference when asked about the difference between the fanbases. He cited Louisville's 23% minority (read African-American) population as one. From Forde's well-worth a read article yesterday...

Louisville had been among the forerunners in integrating its athletic program while the rest of the nation was roiling with racial tension in the 1960s. Under Rupp, Kentucky basketball was infamously slow in the same area (see: Kentucky vs. Texas Western, 1966 title game). 

“They seemed like very racially divided fan followings,” Jeff Duncan said. “There were a lot of young guys my age, post-Civil Rights, who started following Louisville.” 

C. Ray Hall remembers “really bad” racism from Kentucky fans in the 1960s and early ’70s. He was a Wildcats fan until 1971, when a mostly black Western Kentucky team demolished a mostly white Kentucky team in the regional final. The backlash from that had him swearing off allegiance to Big Blue for life. 

“The bitterness, arrogance and hate of UK fans – the racism – was such that I didn’t want to have anything to do with those people anymore,” Hall said. 

In contrast, Crum took Louisville’s progressive nature to the next level, recruiting far more blacks than whites. And he let his teams play with soul. Huge afros were perfectly fine with the coach. Dunks and alley-oops became the program trademark. The 1980 national championship team claims to have popularized the high-five. 

Some Kentucky fans responded by calling the Cardinals the “Black Birds.”

We've come a long way, obviously. Now UK is on the cutting edge embracing the social significance of black youth and black culture.

We've come a long way, but you still see remnants of the racial animus, an unquantifiable X-factor, for this rivalry. Instead of mocking African-Americans, you're much more likely to see UK fans mocking urban whites for pretending to be black. Progress? Eh, you decide.

The code words are still there though when you sift your way through the call-in shows and comments sections. Words like "ghetto", "thug", "food stamp fans" are still flung about with fairly obvious undertones.

Ugly or not, it's a part of this rivalry, just like it's been a part of all of American history. It's also one of Denny Crum's greatest accomplishments; being ahead of his time when it came to race and basketball. It's something UofL fans can be rightfully proud of.

Eat, Ball, Love

Where does it come from?

A good topic on Matt Jones' radio show yesterday. What is it that sets apart, well, this? The list of solid college basketball rivalries is long and distinguished (Top Gun retort, anyone?) Missouri-Kansas, Georgetown-Syracuse, and of course, UNC-Duke, are fine feuds. None hold a candle to what's going down this week in the Bluegrass. If emotion generated electricity, we could megawatt the region for eons (though UK fans would still prefer coal). So what is it? What makes us so special and crazed and especially crazed? In the past three years the animus has skyrocketed. It's always been there, for certain, but recently it's like battery-acid poured on an open wound. What makes us different? Here's five things I attribute it to...

5) Karen Sypher. One of the most surreal scandals a public figure can suffer was suffered by the most polarizing person in the Commonwealth. The playbook didn't change at that moment, it immolated itself. Controversy that is typically argued far outside the realm of sport was suddenly inserted into an already white-hot rivalry. An audience and partisan-UK media starving to exploit the humiliation of its former coach was served the rarest steak imaginable.

This was mainstream, not the fringe. Suddenly Matt Jones, UK Fan-in-Chief, was emceeing sanctioned, official UK events cracking jokes about Rick Pitino's sexual stamina. I'm not leveling (too much) judgment or letting Rick off the hook for bringing it on himself. I'm just saying, this was a moment when things got personal. The line between the basketball-world and the real-world was blurred, and in many ways still is.

4) Social media. Your worst enemy is now one click away. Much has always been made of how the office environment is ground zero, where battles between Red and Blue are waged daily. I think that is overblown; you've probably always hated your coworkers without any extra motivation, and office trash talk is mostly benign, banal ribbing (banal ribbing? Too bad, it stays). The proliferation of blogs and websites is where things really took off. Look around the web and you'll quickly see that no schools use blogs and social media like the Cards and the Cats. And behind the anonymity of a screen, people can unleash the darker angels of our nature. When you turn over some of these rocks, what you find ain't always pretty, but it's a big reason this rivalry has gotten to where it is now.

3) Calipari. Those on the outside still always cite Rick Pitino's "betrayal" to return to coach the Cardinals as the prime mover for the degree of hatred. Maybe it has an underlying role, but again, I think is overblown. For one, after nearly a decade, much of the original shock had worn off. Two, UK fans seem to enjoy hating Pitino more than any actual, genuine hurt from him coaching the Cards.

If there's one person that loves playing with matches near the powder keg it's John Calipari. Whether you regard him as a carnival barker or a genius, everyone accepts that no one plays Big Blue like a fiddle the way Cal can. Part of this role is exciting the masses by going to new lengths to irritate Coach Pitino and UofL. Whether he's trying to schedule open practices in our arenas, reaching out to the legend Denny Crum to try and stir division and rancor, or simply belittling the UofL program with subtle "shots", no one in his position before has relished taking part in the mudflinging.

Always done with slyness, his machinations have enough plausible deniability about them so he can claim innocence, but are clear enough for his legions to howl with approval. Pitino may have set the table by accepting the UofL job, but it's Calipari that clearly loves turning it into a food fight.

2) Swopshire-Cousins Melee. The closest this rivalry has ever come to full-blown violence. In the first few minutes of that game we entered uncharted waters. From my viewing party I hosted that year, I've never experienced such an outburst of anger from fans, and I was one of the loudest. This felt like a turf war, not a basketball game. And when large numbers of UK fans stuck up for Cousins' actions afterwards, arguing with a straight-face that Swopshire's knee was as much to blame as their hotheaded superstar, it really hit home that we're never going to understand one another. We simply aren't meant to.

1) Dream Game. There's not another rivalry that has anything remotely approaching one single game, one moment in time, that everyone can immediately reference and appreciate for its significance. I can recite the stories better than American history, such as they've been passed down. The buildup, the social significance, the feeling that you were witnessing history as it was made has imprinted itself in a way that no other school can parallel.

To me the most interesting part of the Dream Game is how much animosity was present for teams that had not played in 24 years. That's an entire generation with no first-hand reason to hate, yet they hated anyways. It's DNA. It's instinct. And it's only grown.

The UK perspective is different, but there's only one official version of history. For the original Dream Game, the record states that the Cards were forced upon the half-cowardly, half-arrogant rival that refused to play them in the NCAA tournament. And won.

On Saturday we get Part Deux. UK seeks to excise this original sin, this one demon on its resume; the Cards to stab another thorn into the lion's paw, one so deep it can never be removed.

96 hours.

Beat UK.

Wall Street Journal puts the Cats on the couch

Dennis Berman of the Wall Street Journal gives an interesting, if somewhat overstated look into the minds of UK fans and the burden that comes with their overbearing approach to basketball.

He doesn't always hit the mark. Trust me, UK fans will feel plenty of joy if they prevail on Saturday. Even if they have to fake it, they'll do so to make it burn more. Where Berman is on to something, in my opinion, is his depiction of the business-like nature of UK's dominance.

Unlike past years, there's really nothing loathsome about any of their players. Anthony Davis is nice, respectful, and intelligent. But he doesn't bring much more to the table other than his unibrow when it comes to personality. Ditto for MKG and Marquis Teague. Kyle Wiltger mocking his own dorkiness with YouTube videos was kind of funny, but also came off as a little forced. When Terrence Jones has one of his outbursts, it's almost a welcome deviation from their metronome-like efficiency (almost).

It's that workmanlike excellence that his put them in this position as the odds on favorite to cut down the nets. But there is a feeling that the wild road the Cards have taken to get to the same place is more substantive, more relatable.

These Cards wear their hearts on an Infra-red sleeve and are more comfortable letting their guard down off the court. Chane's wild boasts, Gorgui's amazing personal story and malapropisms, Russ being Russ, and the smile that Siva flashes that sends photographers into a tizzy have humanized them, and therefore endeared them, in a way that doesn't resonate the same from Lexington. The articles pouring off the presses nationally are in awe of the Wildcats, but more charmed by the Cards.

Not lost on anyone is that it's always the eccentric band of misfits that pull off the upsets in films. The Cards get a chance at writing their own Hollywood ending on Saturday, and if they can, the celebration will certainly be a little more colorful.

Chane Behanan on Final Four

Video courtesy of the CJ. Money quote, commenting about watching video of first matchup, "We're like a whole new team".

More on the football schedule

Louisville's full schedule is available here, the slate for the whole Big East here. The Cards will play three nationally televised games (North Carolina, Cinci, Rutgers) and play the final game in Piscataway, meaning along with the Scarlet Knights, the Cards are viewed as likely favorites to win the conference.

In year three of the Strong Era, and with what we have returning, next season will come with huge expectations. And this is a very soft schedule. On bowl probation, the UNC team that travels to the Papa will have nothing but pride to play for, we face a depleted UK team at home, and FIU in a revenge game without T.Y. Hilton. It's not Orange Bowl or bust, but it's pretty close.

OK, back to the roundball reality.

Louisville's Big East football schedule

October 13 @ Pitt

October 20 South Florida

October 26 Cincinnati (Friday night)

November 3 Temple

November 10 @ Syracuse

November 24 UConn

November 29 @ Rutgers

Is the week over yet? links to pass the time

* Terrific work by Eric Crawford with today's article on Gorgui Dieng. I loved the simplicity of it, how Crawford just got out of the way, asked the right questions and let a compelling figure tell his own story. Top notch stuff.

And on Gorgui, he spoke of how people are selfish in this world, and I suppose I am one of them, because one thing that stood out to me is that it looks like he'll be sticking around for all four of his years. Lot of players say that, but Dieng's case is unique, which is really what the article is about. Such is his commitment to his education and being a role model for his countrymen.

Senior Night Gorgui will be like Field of Dreams-"Wanna have a catch?" times 500 for the old waterworks in CL headquarters.

* The smack talk has gotten off to a pretty mild start, it seems like the majority on both sides just want the game to get here. But there's always the old chestnuts like this that UK trots out. A note on this particular post, keep track of how many of these pics of the "UofL stereotype" are actually UK fans dressing up.

I don't know how much truth there is to the "white wannabe" image (cause real racism ain't cool, you gotta go to the comments section for that) but if that's ours, and UK's is that of the plain old redneck, when you're tailgating for the football game next year look at how many fans actually fit the bill for their stereotype. Not a scientific measurement, but I think it'll tilt one way pretty heavily. Literally heavy. Fatties in overalls, all of 'em.

* A really good piece of history from the NYT on the political maneuverings that brought this rivalry into being.

* The refs for the game were announced yesterday but I can't find the official link this second. Suffice to say it's notable only because Jim Burr, Karl Hess and TV Teddy are not on the list.

* UK fan jumping over a burning recliner shouting profanities at Louisville? Yes, please.

* So ESPN has one guy, Tim Welsh, who has picked the Cards to win. If you're a few rungs down the totem pole at the Worldwide Leader, why not pick the Cards? If you're right you make a name for yourself, if not who cares? It's not like they're obsessed with complete accuracy from their analysts.

Wife for tickets

This story has been making the rounds, but apparently a there's an ad put up on Craigslist where a man offers up his wife for some, um, pleasant conversation for tickets to the Final Four. I'm assuming this is fake, or just a joke, rather, but the fact that you actually have to think about it tells you something about this Blue Nation we share territory with. The ad reads...

I am a UK fan wanting to go to the Final Four in N’Oleans. I have put up my wife as collateral. She can make you speak 5 languages you never knew you could speak. I am not feeling my best so I have to use my sexy mama to get me to the game. 

She is completely game, is a litte (sic) picky, but if you make her howl at the moon while making her speak portugese (sic) or something I don’t get out of her then by all means…..have at it and let me see my UK Wildcats!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Yes it is bad to do this, but it (sic) the Kentucky faithful dammit. Look out for the Bluegrass State and hook this pimp up okay?

VillenHD takes us to the Final Four

Pitino quotes, UK translation

It's always astounded me how Rick Pitino can give a routine press conference, say the typical generic things, go out of his way to praise the Wildcats, their tradition, his years there, and still when I peruse sites and boards afterwards you'll find UK fans outraged, OUTRAGED, over some perceived slight. It really is a separate language, Cayutenese, with seven different tonal inflections for superiority/inferiority complexes. Through grueling immersion, I've become pretty fluent, so allow me to translate the comments Coach Pitino made via teleconference today (supplied by C.L Brown)...

RP: (Michael Kidd Gilchrist) is one of my favorite players to watch because he plays so hard. He plays like he's down 10 all the time.

In UK ears: MKG isn't really that talented, but at least he plays hard. UK will be down 10 points on Saturday, likely more, that will come in handy for them.

RP: In one game anything can happen, talent is not always the reason you win or lose in getting to the Final Four.

In UK ears: Calipari can't coach.

RP: I have one player from a different country, I have another (Russ Smith) from a different planet.

In UK ears: The Louisville Cardinals are the Galactic Empire of college basketball.

RP: To get a young team to play defense like they do is a tribute to their coaching staff.

In UK ears: The dribble-drive offense is a joke.

RP: We're going to have to play the type of game that Villanova played against Georgetown.

In UK ears: Abortions rule.

RP: No one is giving us much of a chance to beat Kentucky, but we believe we can win.

In UK ears: Guaranteeing victory, eh? You arrogant sumbitch.

So that's how it's going to be?

It's always interesting to see what narratives develop before such a momentous game. The David vs. Goliath theme will likely be the most prevalent, but one subplot that's getting on my nerves is the idea that this Louisville team is already talking tons of trash while the Cats are sitting back in quiet confidence.

I've heard a few people talking about it, and the idea was furthered by Thomas Beisner at KSR in this article. If I understand correctly, the argument relies on comments made by Chris Smith is which he said he "wanted to play UK" both to avenge the loss earlier this season and because to be the best you have to beat the best. Ali-esque, ain't he?

Oh, and there's Chane Behanan, who had the audacity to say he expects this to be the biggest game in college basketball history, and facetiously said in an interview last week that if the Cards make it to the Final Four, it's "a piece of cake from there".

Media narratives are all well and good, but they should correspond to that little thing called reality. To argue that the Cards are popping off, running their mouths, and beating their chests from these few, mundane comments, is to try to invent your own.

There's enough in the real world to fan the flames, let's stick to that.

Thank you

Before delving headfirst into the mayhem that will ensue this week, I want to take a moment to do something that for whatever reason doesn't seem to come up often in the world of sports, and that's offer thanks to this group of young men and their coaches for giving me a great gift.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't some holier-than-thou plea. Something about the fan-team dynamic in all places, with all sports, doesn't carry this otherwise normal obligation. The thousands of fans put their time, energy, and money in support of a program, and the players receive a scholarship and training and a showcase for their god-given abilities. All square, right?

Pretty much. It's a pleasantly symbiotic relationship to be sure, but still, somewhere within the dynamic I think there's room for the typical expressions of gratitude upon receiving a present.

And make no mistake, that's exactly what this team has given us. The amount of sheer joy that welled up inside me, the euphoria that spread like wildfire across the city as the clock expired against Florida, is something powerful. It's not life and death, it's not war and peace, but it's powerful nonetheless.

As I look across the shattered remains of my bracket, I see teams with much more talent than ours with red Xs over their names. At every step of the way, the national punditry was assuring that they would be next. They weren't. By going above and beyond the normal call of duty all season long, working themselves like dogs and sacrificing their bodies and a good deal of their minds they clawed themselves into this position. Each moment of adversity, and there have been several, was met with even greater resolve.

A lesser team would have mailed-it-in. Plenty did. But these Cards would not do that to us, would not do it to themselves. They went above and beyond to give us this gift, it's worthy of thanks. No one around here will soon forget.

10 things learned from UK-Baylor

Jumping the gun a tad, perhaps, but I see no reason to stand on ceremony. Let's get it on. Here's a list of things and factors I noticed while watching UK-Baylor this afternoon and what they mean for the upcoming Saturday...

1) Kuric cannot become Brady Heslip. Baylor's sharpshooter was a complete non-factor today. The dangerous weapon was nullified by UK's length and the Bears never seemed to devise a way to get him involved. I fear the same result for Kyle Kuric, our somewhat-struggling senior who falls into the backdrop of games for stretches if he's not "feeling it". The Cards may be able to squeak by the Gators with a sub-par outing from Kuric, but not the Cats. I've always thought that Kuric's ability to penetrate has been understated. He's not going to take his man off the dribble and slam it over Davis, but he is quick enough to get into the lane, and he's smart enough to make good things happen when he does. We cannot weather a passive performance from Kuric; I don't care if he has another 0-11 showing. I'd rather go down with Kyle Kuric doing the swinging than waiting for the game to come to him.

2) MENTAL. Baylor isn't known as the Einstein's of college basketball. In fact, I actually thought that would play to their advantage, being just dense enough not to be intimidated by UK's stars. It didn't play out that way at all. In fact, it looked like the Bears were down 12 points before the ball was even tipped, such was the awestruck nature of Baylor's attack. Baylor had a brief flurry to take the lead, but then looked like they had done their duty by making a couple respectable plays, as if the game was 6 minutes long instead of 40.

The game is played in two 20 minute segments, and the Cats are good enough without helping them out by giving them too much deference. Wrapping your team's brain around that, about not getting too hyped with a brief run, or getting too down after a brief burn, is a huge component to putting yourself in a position to seal an upset. This is an area UofL has struggled with against the Cats in the recent past. I think we'll know early if the Cards are mentally prepared for battle.

3) You will be blocked. UK's defense will make anyone look silly from time to time. Cannot let it stop you from attacking the lane. You have to shake off any "wow" displays, hit the reset button, and go right back at them. As the Hoosier's showed on Friday, they will bend.

4) I choose Poison #3. He's capable of doing so, but against a team full of weapons, I think the Cards need to make Terrence Jones beat them. He's going to be defended by a smaller, quicker player. I'd almost play off him a bit to goad him into his inconsistent jumper. If he still tries to penetrate, I think the extra space can force him into bad decisions.

5) In your face! Like Florida, UofL again needs to be willing to go man-to-man in certain situations. Anything to ugly up the game will help the Cardinal cause. One of the hallmarks of the dribble-drive is quick reaction when the defense overreacts to penetration. These Cards have plenty of lateral quickness; I say trust them to go toe-to-toe at times. Marquis Teague is good, but he's not that good. In-your-face, man to man D without a collapsing defender to free Davis (see point 7) will put a greater burden on Teague that I'm not sure he's ready for.

6) Russ Smith can be effective. UK's defense doesn't have many weaknesses, but one is against a player sporting a good floater. The Wildcats don't have a defender that can match Russ's first-step; he should be able to get into the lane. If he lets his floater fly before getting in amongst the trees, therefore allowing Gorgui and Chane get into position for a tip-in as Davis or Jones swat air, the Cards can open up that fortress in the paint.

7) Slob the Lob. In a similar vein, no team employs the lob pass like UK. A huge component of their offense is having a guy slash the lane, wait till a double-team approaches, and then just throw the ball at the direction of the rim for Anthony Davis to sky, secure, and slam. Like the man-to-man point above, I'd like to see Gorgui stick to Davis like flypaper no matter the situation. I'd rather Kidd-Gilchrist or Jones be forced to finish a difficult layup than let yet another demoralizing dunk happen when they slip the ball through the double-team.

8) Gorgui can be effective. The number of UofL players capable of creating their own shot is small, but the Gorgui Monster is certainly one. He's not as polished on offense yet as he likely will become, but he's already crafty enough on offense for UK to have to worry about. In Gorgui's case, going at Anthony Davis in the post should yield positive dividends either with points or an errant whistle.

9) Will be a tough game for Chane. The freshman needs to realize that this is a tough matchup for him in the paint against taller, equally athletic players. He needs to play within himself and not try to do too much on offense. Behanan will be vital for UofL on the glass, and therefore to be competitive in the game as a whole; I hope he's prepared to hang his hat with that aspect of the game above all else. If Chane tries to force his offensive game in the lane, I think it'll play right into the opponent's hands.

10) Mental! I'm out of actual points, so I'd like to just reiterate #2. These Cards have been preached "humility" all year. They've embraced that philosophy, have grown from it and have always shown respect for the opponent. They cannot, however, allow humility to bleed over into meekness. Part of beating the mystique of any great team, and I think this UK team qualifies, is to not let them get into your head. Louisville has earned its place in New Orleans just as UK has with its grit and determination. They belong in this moment in the spotlight. Despite a largely poor performance in the rock-fight of a basketball game earlier this year, they were felled by only 7 points in Rupp Arena with UK playing at its most focused. They can do this, but they need to believe it first before they can achieve it.

What Dreams may come

It's UK. The prospect has hung in the air for the past few days, and both teams have now done the work to secure a Final Four matchup in New Orleans. For this scrappy bunch of Cardinals to extend its magical run, it'll have to go through the Wildcats, the most machine-like college basketball team I've ever witnessed.

As of this moment, the most insane sports week in Louisville history has commenced. In the words of Samuel L. Jackson in Jurassic Park, "Hold on to your butts". I don't know if fun is the right word, but it will never be forgotten, that's for certain.

Go Cards.

Cutting down the nets video

Courtesy of NBC Sports:

Campus goes wild after U of L win

Compliments U of L Card Game.

CJ Video: Cards fans want Kentucky

Cards fans watching from Cardinal Cafe.