Saturday Morning bullets

Terry Rozier shined in the Derby Classic at Freedom Hall last evening. Rozier had 16 points, 13 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals while leading the White Team to a 130-127 win. He made his mark with the fans in the dunk contest when he slammed the ball with one hand and stuck a UofL sticker on the backboard with the other. Pretty cool stuff.

Rozier was better than I anticipated. He's 6'2'', strong and quick with a pretty impressive jump shot and good court vision. I think he'll see the floor quite a bit next season.

Another one to keep an eye on is Trinity forward Nathan Dieudonne, taking his talents up to Boston University. I saw Dieudonne play quite a bit this year and he always impressed, though sometimes it was tough to gauge his true talent-level since the Shamrocks outmatched so much of their competition. Last night he showed he can hang in there with some premier talent.

The event itself needs a shot in the arm, as has been remarked upon in the past few years. I haven't seen official attendance but can't imagine it being higher that 5 or 6 thousand. Not having any real UK prospects hurts; most of Cal's recruits attend the more high-profile games and he doesn't seem to have much interest in pushing his players to attend.

Which I don't really understand. I mean, Shabazz Muhammad (not committed to UK yet, but as an example) I can see skipping out for more elite affairs, but Willie Cauley? C'mon.

I also think the game should be later, like the week before Thunder or the weekend in between Thunder and Derby. It's a little early for people to have The Fever, so if you want to tie in and have cross-promotion, the closer to the first Saturday in May the better.

Alas, perfection is unattainable. The Louisville Bats lost last night at Columbus, shut down by Clippers' starter Kevin Slowey. After starting the game with a leadoff home run (Bats are going to slug a lot of homers this season) they were largely held in check from then on. Slowey only gave up one other hit over his 7 innings.

Brett Tomko got the loss. Game tonight at 7:05 and you can listen at 790AM.

The word out of Spring Football practice is that running back Corvin Lamb has been crushing it. The list of promising backs on the roster is huge, and if Lamb is asserting himself, his carries may come out of Jeremy Wright's workload. Senorise Perry also had impressive moments last season so it'll be interesting to see how it breaks down.

It's not difficult to see why Charlie Strong & Co. only wanted to add one running back to the last recruiting class.

Terry Rozier throws down

This kid is going to exceed a lot of expectations. Video courtesy of CJ:

Bats win season opener

Perfection is still attainable. The Louisville Bats won their opener last night, 5-4, on the road against the Columbus Clippers.

Shortstop Paul Janish played the hero with two homeruns, including a solo blast in the top of the ninth that would be the margin. The former Red also had a great defensive play in the fourth, gunning down Clipper Lonnie Chisenhall at the plate that kept a big Columbus inning from being much bigger.

"It was a weird play, the ball gets away from him and you've got guys running. You kind of anticipate something like that. You're going to have time to make a throw to the plate. Fortunately, Corky made a good play. It was a gameturner", Janish said after.

The Bats spoiled the party, as Columbus was celebrating its national championship from last season with pre-game tribute in front of a full crowd. They play again tonight and the Bats won't play at home game until next Friday, April 13th.

Cycle crash, party of two

It is being reported that former Louisville coach Bobby Petrino wasn't the only one involved in the single-cycle crash that sent him to the hospital earlier in the week. This fetching 25 year-old woman, a former Razorback volleyball player hired by Petrino, was riding with him when the accident occurred, according to Larry Henry, editor of an Arkansas TV station.

Glad he, and she, will apparently be OK. But the man just don't know fidelity, that's for sure.

Conn't do it

The UConn Huskies' appeal to the NCAA failed, meaning they will be banned for post-season tournament play next season for failing to meet academic qualifying standards.

They checked their facts, and apparently your team doesn't know enough of them, Jimmy boy; this may very well be the swan song for ole Calhoun. Big East basketball is going to be weirddd next year.

Basketball bullets

CL Brown is doing "exit interviews", a serious of blogs posts after interviewing Coach P about individual players. He tackled Chane first, and Pitino stated there is a "zero" percent chance of Behanan making an NBA jump.

I will say, however, that Coach worded it a little awkwardly, to where it's difficult to tell if he said there is a zero percent chance of him leaving, or if there is a zero percent chance of Chane succeeding if he does go.

So make of it what you will. Coach also cited maturity issues that he believes are hindering Behanan's game, ones I have noted in the past. Here's hoping for not only a return, but a return with full-focus and desire to become a leader of this team.

If you want one, single reason for all the optimism for next season, in my opinion it's because all the ground work has been laid on the defensive end. Defense was obviously the obsession with this past squad, perhaps to the detriment of all else. Even though they were sophomores, guys like Gorgui and Russ were really just learning things for the first time. Chane and Wayne too, of course. If the biggest hindrance for new players is getting up to speed on the complex defense Pitino employs, well, the hard part is done.

Now let's work on putting the ball in the hole.

The man shot in the Lexington celebration post-title had to have his foot amputated. Yeesh. I cannot fathom, as a die-hard fan, the whiplash from going from having one of the best nights of your life to one of the worst. I'm also surprised there hasn't been more of a push from their media for someone to come forward and turn the guy in. In a crowded party, a street celebration, you know someone knows.

UofL's sole addition to next year's team (other than Luke Hancock and the slew of injured) is Terry Rozier, who will be looking to show his stuff tomorrow night in the Derby Classic. A good article on Terry that included such tidbits like deciding to come to Louisville after watching "Through the Fire", the documentary on Sebastian Telfair's recruitment. Funny world ain't it?

While I actually had heard that before, I didn't know that Zach Price is his first cousin, and that Price is already preparing his cuz for the shock of entering Pitino's demanding world.

Rozier is a big wild card for next season. The Cards will need depth in the backcourt and it's possible Rozier could see a lot of minutes. With speed and quick hands, he could fit right into the "mosquito" defense that Rick likes from his guards. Or, as someone suggested to me yesterday, if Pitino is as infatuated with Luke Hancock as he says, then perhaps he will look to play Wayne Blackshear at shooting guard with Luke at small forward to get them both on the floor at the same time.

For a relatively stable team, there are still a lot of question marks about how the minutes will be divided next year. Long way away, but still fun to speculate.

Not as fun to speculate, is on who may not be returning next year. Transfers are regular, especially on a roster as deep as the one UofL returns, and should not surprise anyone. So let me preface this by saying I HAVE NO INSIDE INFO, I'm just purely using deduction and intuition on this. I'd say three candidates are...

1) Kevin Ware. His stated intentions before college were to play point guard. With Siva leading us for one more year, and Terry Rozier being groomed behind him and Quentin Snider after that, Ware may opt to go somewhere where the future at that particular position is a little less murky. Plus, we know he's comfortable changing his mind.

2) Elisha Justice. Sort of like above, if Justice didn't see major minutes at backup this season, instead giving way to Russ Smith who is no natural at the position, it is hard to see him ever seeing the floor once the Cards add another player who is a natural point.

Bullet's great, and obviously Pitino thinks the world of him, but it may be one of those situations where Rick sits down with him to find out what he wants, and then plot a path for him, perhaps with another school. I would love to see what Scotty Davenport could do with him.

3) Gorgui Dieng. Kidding, kidding, kidding, kidding. Geez people, lighten up.

Play ball!

We're sliding head first into minor league baseball this year, and it kicks off tonight as the Louisville Bats travel to Columbus. The Courier Journal gives a great spread today to get you back up to speed with the roster, schedule, major story lines heading into the season, and a focus piece on new manager David Bell.

Opening pitch tonight is scheduled for 7:05 and you can listen on radio at 790AM.

Louisville #2 in most preseason polls

It's never too early. Based on their end of season achievements and what we have coming back, the Cards are getting a lot of respect in the first embryonic look into next season.

NBC sports tabs us in the #2 spot behind Indiana and ahead of UK. Andy Katz puts us there as well. Dick Vitale even pegs us #1.

All this is subject to change, obviously, particularly after the decisions of Shabazz Muhammad and Nerlens Noel, the next two superstuds of college basketball who will likely opt for UK on April 11.

A lot of people didn't think UofL worthy of its lofty ranking early this season. That won't be the case next year, as the Cards will have all the pieces with a little more ring-growth on them to do it all again, and hopefully take the next step.

Derby prep, not the drinking kind

Despite my present indifference on the matter, the earth continues to spin and time marches on. So while we will continue to wrap up basketball with due coverage, in the coming days we'll also begin tackling new subjects. Those like Derby, the start of Bats baseball, spring football, and of course, next year's basketball team.

To kick things off here's a very informative piece on where we stand with the Derby prep races and the unclear picture of what the field will look like in a month. Below is a recast of the Florida Derby in case you were a tad preoccupied last Saturday. Calvin Borel again worked his magic atop Take Charge Indy, leading wire to wire for the fairly surprising upset. The teams of the Top 4 finishers have all indicated an intent to run for the roses.

A fond farewell

I wanted to let a couple days pass before writing my Chris Smith sendoff, because let's just say he wasn't my favorite person on Saturday. Smith took some grief for talking too much the week before, but I thought that was silly, he didn't say anything inflammatory, just that he was confident in his team and he believed they could win. Big deal.

But then he came out of the gate a little too aggressive, as if he felt pressure to back up his harmless words. His 3-11 shooting performance was a real anchor, especially in the second half when the Cardinals cut the margin and had a chance to surge ahead, Smith rushed two jumpers that were big missed opportunities. There was another play when Chris passed up an open three to go straight at Anthony Davis, which of course ended in disaster and had me cussing at the TV.

But...serenity now, serenity now, serenity now. An off night shouldn't overshadow what Chris Smith was to this team, and that is one of the most impactful transfers in program history.

In two seasons with the Cards, Smith scored 714 points, an extremely impressive number. Despite being an unknown when he walked onto campus with Rick Pitino not knowing who he was and assuming he was one of Samardo Samuels' buddies, he sat out the 2009-10 season, learned the system, and then jumped right in as a productive player when his time came.

Smith shot over 40% for his career, and filled a desperate need as another shooter on the perimeter. While Kyle Kuric got most of the attention, Smith was often the more efficient scorer and delivered huge performances against UConn, DePaul, and Cincinnati that led the way to victory.

Never dominant, but always reliable, Smith's "solidness" almost became a joke it was such a common feature of post-game wrapups.

Smith is the kind of player you may not miss until he's gone. Russ will almost certainly take over his role at shooting guard next season, and hopefully some of Chris's steadiness will have rubbed off on the boom-or-bust nature of Russ's play.

While Chris Smith had a fairly quiet NCAA tournament, there's absolutely no way we win the Big East championship in NYC without him, particularly after his 15 point performance on 60% shooting against Cincinnati in the Final.

Whether his path takes him to overseas ball, or the NBA D-league, whichever team he lands on will be getting a good basketball player, and will quickly have its fans remarking on #5's solidity.

Best of luck, Chris, you'll always have a place in Louisville history.

Cats win, babies and couches cry

Oh, how much I'd give for the post-game presser to begin with Pat Forde standing and saying: "Coach, sorry to bring this up, but if I didn't I wouldn't be doing my job..."

And then Cal would crack up and start laughing maniacally and say, "Dammit Pat, you gotta get your mind out of the gutter. It wasn't just a car, it was a fully loaded Lexus! Look I don't know what we gave these kids, what'd we give one Wes, a tractor? Did we give one a tractor?" 

Apologies to those that have never seen "Blue Chips". Actually no, you should be apologizing, that movie rules.

Alas, the above scene never happened, and that Cats took home the national championship last night, with no indication in sight that it will ever be vacated.

The inevitability of it, the fact the UK was certainly the best team, does lessen the sting a little, but not much. The Calipari Way, dripping with pettiness and overbearing pomp, has been validated and stamped a success. And though they will turnover the entire roster yet again, they'll no doubt sign another class that will put them in a situation to do the same thing again next year. 

Work hard this summer, Cardinals. Now if you excuse me I've got a little more retching to do.

Rock Chalk

I got asked a couple times today who I'd be cheering for tonight. Are you kidding, of course I'm all Jayhawks. Listen, I'm all for better civility and a modicum of respect in this rivalry, but let's not forget where our bread is buttered, what sets us apart. You can hold a healthy respect in one hand and pure hatred in the other, at least I can.

There's a "Bluegrass solidarity" element at play that I can appreciate, but I don't believe applies. I root for Murray State, Western, Eastern, Northern, Wesleyan and Bellarmine when they're not playing the Cardinals, but let's not all go overboard.

UofL-UK is a different animal. And while I fully expect a national championship for the Cats tonight, I'd eat my tongue before I'd root for it.

Rick Pitino was in a unique situation when he made comments to that effect, because of past affiliations and he and Cal's week long tug-of-war of who could "outclass" the other with pleasantries. I think his hand was forced. Maybe he was sincere, though I doubt it, but I don't know. But either way is fine.

As for the rest of us, it's fair game to be all Kansas tonight. I won't be getting my hopes up, because like I said I believe this UK team is a machine. But I don't see why Cardinal-Jayhawk solidarity could or should surprise anyone.

I'd lose respect for this rivalry if it were any other way.

On Charlie Pierce on the Big Dance

I've digested a huge amount of sports writing over the past week, much of it exceptional. But I wasn't impressed with an article I read today by Charlie Pierce (whose work I normally enjoy) on, in his mind, a brutal takedown of the farcical financial hypocrisy of the NCAA and the Final Four.

First off, the tone of the article is pretty off-putting; it's clear Pierce's mind was made up on the issue of whether college players deserve (more) money for their efforts and apparently just used his time in New Orleans to sneer at the things he felt supported his view.

Two, absolutely nothing he said in the article is original, though he seems to think it is. Whether players should be paid (more) is well-trodden ground, and it amazes me when I read another piece that makes the same prima facie arguments without acknowledging the equally practical and compelling counterarguments for why players shouldn't be paid (more).

Beneath all the verbosity, Pierce's claims are fairly simple, almost cliche at this point. He walked around the Final Four atmosphere and apparently it dawned on him that 1) Hey, there's a lot of money being made here, and 2) Hey, Anthony Davis is pretty good, how come he doesn't get more of it?

Well knock me over with a feather. Sorry Charlie, but I've read twice the argument with half the snark before.

While it may be news to Mr. Pierce that college athletics is a big business, it isn't to most and hasn't been for awhile.

If you want to, I don't know, advance this argument instead of merely justifying your expense report for your time in the Big Easy, how about laying your cards on the table and educate everyone on how the NCAA's blatant evil can be corrected. Taking into consideration, of course, factors like...

* How much (more) do players deserve to be paid? Is Anthony Davis worth the same dough as the point guard from Norfolk State, who did his part to enliven this tournament with the upset of Missouri? Will the payments for players (not student-athletes, Pierce hates that phrase) be completely performance based?

* Should the one-and-done rule be abolished altogether, even though the National Basketball Association has determined, legally, that governing its workforce thusly is in its best interest?

* To comply with Title IX, I'm certain he's configured the financial breakdown between men and women's sports.

* And further, I'm sure those calculations include how to reward more revenue producing sports like football from those like rowing. If we're going on "sweat of the brow" here, I promise you rowers do their fare share.

* And further, I'm sure he breaks down the difference in programs, since some school's athletics are obviously much more profitable than others.

* Finally, the payments the oppressed work force receive will certainly be docked according to the benefits he or she receives in terms of training and promotion. Because, of course, any student-athlete player can go the Brandon Jennings' route, the point guard who chose to go overseas to be paid earlier for his talents before becoming eligible for the NBA, and is now flourishing. Jennings' existence must rankle those like Pierce for highlighting the simple truth that no one has to go to college in the first place.

One of the strangest parts of the piece, is that Pierce lauds John Calipari as the anti-hero of this system, despite the fact that Cal is an advocate for a two-and-done system and (rightfully) is proud of his players' accomplishments in the classroom, even if they leave before achieving a degree.

So in the end, I was just left confused. It was many of the standard arguments with none of the standard answers. I do agree that it's a complex situation, and it is hard to put a price tag on college athletes' worth weighed against the benefits-received. But you can't put on price tag on holier-than-thou smugness either, I'm afraid.

Petrino in stable condition following crash

Former Cardinal coach Bobby Petrino was in a pretty bad motorcycle accident last night in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

He is now in stable condition, suffering a number of broken ribs and a variety of cuts and bruises. Petrino was kept overnight in the hospital, but is expected to be fine.

Best of luck to Coach as he begins his recovery. 

Cards stumbling block is out of the gate

16-6. 16-8. 12-9. 13-3. That's been the margin, that's UK's lead after the first 7 minutes of the game for this rivalry since Calipari has taken the Lexington helm.

I'm a simpleton when it comes to X&Os, but I do know for a game as mental as it is physical, this is a problem. The contest can and often is won or lost in the first segment when the tone is set. Each game now has followed a similar script, with tons buildup and UofL being a varying degree of underdog. Saturday was the dynamic at its apex, but the script was the same. Again, in those precious first minutes, any jitters or doubts felt by UK, any chance to flip the roles and make them feel the pressure, was quickly dashed.

The Cards can battle the Cats, they've proven that, but they expend all energy in the comeback and then cannot complete the deal against a rival with poise. Until the Cards play with loose confidence right from tip-off, it's difficult to envision them coming away with anything more than a moral victory.

A fond farewell

The King has left the building. The worst part of any season's end, whenever it comes, is seeing the seniors wear the Louisville jersey for the last time. And so it is for Kyle Kuric, whose college career ended on Saturday, departing as one of the most unique and beloved figures to come through the program in awhile.

Famously starting out as a lowly walk-on, Kuric went through the freshman-wringer under Pitino, seeing the court randomly and never making much of an impact when he did. It's come to light since that Kyle was getting his butt kicked by Terrence Williams in practice every day and at one point even considered a transfer.

He didn't. Instead, he grew from the experience and went on to leave his own mark and legacy. Kuric's Korner. The surprising displays of athleticism, that white boy can jump. A face that raised the collective blood pressure of the female population of Louisville. His legendary quietness. His smoking hot girlfriend. Some idiotic motion. The re-walk on. The veteran plays, the wily moves that are difficult to appreciate, yet no less important to his team's success.

And of course, King Kyle was the author of one of greatest individual performances in Cardinal history, closing out Freedom Hall in style, knocking off #1 Syracuse in front of packed house of delirious fans.

This season, Kuric had some ups and downs, just as the team did as a whole in the regular season. Despite leading the team in scoring, he fell just short (17 away) from joining the career 1,000 Point Club. His coach implored him to become a more complete player and he responded the way you would expect from the consummate college warrior.

Kyle's production slowed a bit as the season roared to its end. It was almost as if the past was giving way to future, the torch being passed as Gorgui, Chane, and Russ stepped into larger roles. Yet he was always there, in his quiet way, ready to help his team when the moment presented itself whether it was a much-needed 3 against Davidson, a key rebound against Michigan State, or a crucial steal against Florida.

Perhaps most importantly, going outside his comfort zone, gathering his team together when down 8 points against the Gators, the reticent leader calmed the younger guys, told them that the adversity they were going through was nothing new, nothing they couldn't overcome. That was the turning point, many Cardinals stated afterwards.

For four years Kyle Kuric did whatever his team required of him. That is his legacy. He did so with a quiet mystique that made him one of the most respected, most memorable players in recent memory. Not bad for a walk-on.

It's good to be the King. And in the minds of UofL fans, those with freakishly long memories, it always shall be.

Dream deferred, cont'd

Fittingly after all the apocalyptic buildup, the sun never came up in Louisville this morning. Instead a spring storm settled in, drenching the city and capturing the mood.

The Cards fell short.

The magical ride we were on, eight do-or-die victories in a row, ran up against a blue wall the likes of which is rarely seen in college basketball. Right now, exhaustion is the only word to really describe it. I feel spent (and terribly hungover) and I don't believe what just transpired will sink in until later. But here's some initial reactions on the incredible run and its momentous end...

* Once again, it felt like Louisville got the game it wanted. The only real foul trouble was borne by the Cats, they turned the ball over 14 times, shot 55% from the free throw line, 28% from three. But there's something about this UK team that stats don't capture.

I don't think you can quantifty the psychological impact of Anthony Davis skying for another impossible slam, or how deflating it must be for Peyton Siva to continually drive, poke, prod into the UK defense only to run into a fortress, with nothing opening up the way basketball logic suggests it should.

There's a machine-like quality to UK's dominance that I don't think I've ever seen before. It's the reason they will almost certainly be celebrating a national championship tomorrow evening. The Cards raged against that machine, but it wasn't enough.

* Defense ain't the problem. The Cats were held to reasonable scoring, just like they have been throughout Cal's tenure. The problem is scoring. Without a team capable of scoring 70+ nightly I don't see the dynamic changing in this rivalry.

* Is decorum the new trolling? My experience of the aftergame was by far more civil than expected. Plenty of "good games", "helluva seasons" and "I can't stand the man, but he's a great coach" abounded. I think the shared experience of an entire week of going through the meat-grinder, the anxiety, forged a different tone than I expected. Strange. In a good way, I think. But still, strange.

* Just so we don't get too gooey, my final thought on how thick UK fans can be. Bill Plaschke, the Louisvillian now writing for the LA Times wrote a terrific pregame piece with the theme "I am from Louisville. I'm not from Kentucky" about the otherness of this city within the Commonwealth. And many UK fans, those of "Louisville Doesn't Exist" fame, were outraged. No worries about me going soft, I really hate their guts.

* Chane Behanan was awesome yesterday, battling on the glass and backing down his defender for a number of impressive jumpers. But his carelessness is his biggest weakness right now. A missed dunk, and that terrible turnover at the top of the key that led to a Darius Miller dunk are the kind of plays that simply cannot happen. The rumor floated after the game that Behanan was even considering a misbegotten jump to the NBA kind of hammered this idea home for me.

Chane's got all the ability, all the charisma in the world. But if he wants to come back, become a leader of this team, and take them to another Final Four and beyond, he's got to tighten things up from a mental standpoint.

* Anthony Davis. That kid just ain't human. In the words of Forrest Gump, that's all I got to say about that.

* Wayne Blackshear provided tantalizing glimpses of what we were missing out on all season. He's the kind of athlete we were desperately lacking on the perimeter. If he has the kind of sophomore season I anticipate, one of the most remarkable things about this run in retrospect will be how we were able to do it without him.

* We're going to be so loaded next year, guys.