Archive for March, 2008
Lady Cards In Sweet 16
Sonja exclusive report:
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Jeff Walz has a credo. He asks the University of Louisville women’s basketball team to give him 100% on the court and not worry about the score. Says that they can deal with that when they hit the locker room.
Tuesday night in Bridgeport, Conn., the Lady Cards didn’t worry about the score, never trailing against Kansas State and winning easily 80-63. This marks the Lady Cards first trip ever to the Sweet Sixteen, and they are bound for New Orleans.
Before the game, the Cards really weren’t sure just how much they could get from Angel McCoughtry. A twisted ankle isn’t exactly the best thing to run up and down a basketball court. How’s 24 points sound? McCoughtry showed no ill effects, and dazzled the crowd with her twisting baseline jumpers, layups and blocked shots?
Wondering how Tise Wright would respond after 28 minutes two nights ago? Just fine, thank you…13 points and total paint domination. Could Candyce Bingham bounce back from a subpar performance against the Miami Redhawks? Give her a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Give K-State credit for hitting 10-3 pointers against the Cards. It seemed to be the only way they could score against the aggressive, ball-hawking Cardinal defense. The Cards put together runs of 13-0 and 10-0 in the first half, and
outscored the Wildcats 20-13 during the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Louisville got excellent bench play tonight from guards Courtney Simmons and Dez Byrd…Byrd scoring 9 points, and Simmons flying all over the court with her pressing defense.
Give a big high five to Patrika Barlow as well. The senior guard nailed three nice three-pointers and ended up with 13 points.
Louisville awaits the winner of UNC v. Georgia. Either team should be very worried, because the Cards are streaking right now, and tonight showed the nation that even if Angel’s wings are a bit clipped, there is plenty of ground support for her on this Cardinal team.
Slingbox Most Valuable Player
Four days out of state for a funeral brought home just how indispensable the Slingbox can be for a Cards fan, the gadget that enables you to watch from a remote location what’s playing on your home television.
We were in Southeast Missouri where coverage of North Carolina and Arkansas and Memphis and Mississippi State prevailed in local CBS coverage. Would have been totally frustrated without Slingbox.
Yes all the games are being streamed on the Internet on March Madness on Demand. However, the NCAA site hasn’t quite perfected the streaming process and some strange things are occurring. Reception often cuts out, then you have to sit through commercials every time you revisit the site, then resize the screen and fix the sound. No patience with that routine, especially for a frantic fan during a U of L game.
Turned on Slingbox, which was tuned to WLKY in Louisville. Picture was perfect, sound was good, but, and most important, the Cards were playing their best basketball of the season. Never missed a beat.
Mastering The Sooners
A thing of beauty, the 78-48 thrashing of Oklahoma team by a Louisville team clicking on all cylinders. Second round, NCAA. Sweet 16 and Tennessee, here we come!
Playing loose on offense, tight as glue on defense, stroking those three-pointers,controlling the boards on both ends, reminiscent of the 1980’s but this is the here and now, what U of L fans have been missing for two decades. See kids, that’s what Cardinal basketball was like back then. That’s why Rick Pitino was the guy the Cardinal faithful wanted and why Tom Jurich has never wavered in his faith in the man.
Oklahoma probably still trying to figure out what hit them, out shot 59.9% to 39.1%, out rebounded 33 to 28, out assisted 24 to 9, etc., etc., etc. The Sooners would sooner have been home. Made for never having beaten the Sooners before today. This is the game they will remember for a long time.
Earl Clark playing like a man possessed these last two games, reminiscent of the sixth-man role that Roger Burkman played on the 1980 team except that Burkman did most of his damage on defense. Clark tears up opponents on the inside, just won’t be denied, collecting 14 points in only 21 minutes.
This observer swears Rick Pitino looked 15 years younger today. No need for any foot stomping or expletives on his part, no second guessing by fans, just a time to enjoy the show as the Cards played to near perfection. Can’t imagine what he must be doing to get these guys revved up the last two games. Maybe he not revving them up, possibly cracking jokes, whatever, it’s working. This season has been a success, no matter what happens from here on out.
LADY CARDS ADVANCE — Chauntise Wright just keeps on getting better, scoring 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds to lead the Cards past Miami (O) 81-67 in the first round of women’s NCAA play. Angel McCoughtry added 20 points and seven rebounds, Paricka Barlow had 11 assists and seven rebound as well.
Louisville led by as many as 15 in the first half, but Miami cut it to 58-49 with just over five minutes into the second half.
But Brandie Radde answered with two 3-pointers and Candyce Bingham added a three-point play to stretch the lead back to 67-49, and the Cardinals were never again threatened.
“I knew, being wide open and my seniors telling me to shoot the ball I had to knock that down,” Radde said. “Then I came back down and hit another one, and just stopped their run, started a little run of our own.”
McCoughtry left the game with 4:39 after coming down on a teammates foot and rolling her left ankle. She stayed on the Cardinals bench for the rest of the game, but said she’ll be ready to play on Tuesday.
Off And Running
David Padgett sitting on the bench with two fouls for three-quarters of the first half, no way Louisville survives. That might have been the way it went 12 games ago but U of L was focused tonight, hitting threes like they came naturally, canning 12 of 24 attempts while holding a team that made its living on threes to only four of 12.
Jerry Smith is no longer in a shooting slump — not that he ever was, according to Pitino — hitting four of eight of them, overcoming a 2 for 19 mishmash in three previous games.
Terrence Williams setting the tone, hitting two three pointers early to show this was not business as usual. Handing out eight assists and nine rebounds. Grinning from ear to ear.
Derrick Caracter looking hungry, hard to stop when he starts that one-of-a-kind move. Getting the hang of staying out of foul trouble.
Earl Clark continuing his late season tear, scoring a team high 15 points, adding seven rebounds.
Juan Palacios adding 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting. Elder statesman, senior leadership.
Andre McGee, Edgar Sosa, and Preston Knowles combining for four assists and three three-pointers.’
Stuart Miller getting in an NCAA tournament game.
U of L fans could get used to this very quickly.
Getting The Act Together
The dream scenario is that everything finally comes together, youth becomes maturity, potential becomes reality. Not enough to play two good games the first week. Growth has to be real, not adrenaline induced but knowledge and experience-based and extended over three weeks.
David Padgett playing more than eight-minute stretches, sky hooks connecting both sides of the basket. Padgett says he is 100% healthy; proving it by hanging in there for a couple extra minutes every game.
Jerry Smith hitting three-point shots. Rick Pitino says Smith is not in a shooting slump. Smith proving it.
Terrence Williams doing what he does best, passing and dunking, not being spectacular, just reliable and consistent.
Earl Clark demanding more of himself and others; stops being so humble, getting hungry and angry around the basket.
Edgar Sosa reverting to being the player who scored 30 points in the second round last year, worrying more about the score than his personal performance.
Derrick Caracter demanding more of himself, being alert on each end of the floor, making it difficult for Pitino to pull him.
Andre McGee foregoing the layups, drilling the threes.
Preston Knowles continuing to be the best defender, ratcheting up the shooting part of his game.
Juan Palacios playing like a senior possessed, exuding and inspiring confidence.
A team hitting 35% of its three-point attempts, 70% of its free throws, and showing the same kind of intensity exhibited during February.
No ifs, ands or buts this time of year. No amateur hours, no head hanging, no gallivanting around between games. Time to do what Pitino has preached. Stand up, move out of the pew, get out there and convert the doubters.
