News & Commentary
Rutgers Wants Fans To Believe Louisville A Threat
December 02, 2008
The regular season of college football should be over by now for the University of Louisville but this challenging season is being extended with what almost amounts to an after-thought against Rutgers on Thursday. Or as some fans might view it, still another dagger into a corpse of a season.
One good thing about the late date of the game is that U of L gets a few more practice sessions – not as many as bowl-bound teams will, but every practice counts for a program in the process of reestablishing its competitive self.
Not much news coming from the Schnellenberger Football Complex in recent days, not even the predictable “sending the seniors out of a winning note,” probably because that’s what was said prior to the West Virginia debacle.
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Rutgers is doing its part to enhance the image of Louisville football, conjuring up images of a powerful foe coming to town. Senior defensive end Jamaal Westerman appears to have convinced himself that the Cards are a viable threat:
“You think about it a little bit, but the biggest thing is this is a one-game season for us and that’s what’s been working for Rutgers and for us this year. So we’re really trying to focus on this as one individual game and not really think past it or what came before it.”
Louisville (5-6, 1-5) comes into Piscataway riding a four-game losing streak and needing a victory to become bowl eligible.
“If you look past Louisville, they will beat you,” Westerman said. “They will come in here and they will beat you.”
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The best advice for Westerman and his Rugers’ teammates would be to remember how much better the Scarlet Knights have played than Louisville this season. You’ve watched the Cards on TV, reviewed the game films, read the scouting reports, seen the extensive injury list. Your biggest concern is where and when you will next play in a post-season bowl. If ever there was a game in which you could afford to be overconfident, this is that game.
The Missing-David Padgett Syndrome
December 01, 2008
A new attitude has to be permeating University of Louisville basketball practice sessions, now that the worship and adulation has been replaced by realism and disappointment. If the UofL basketball team were the stock market, a depression would have been declared.
The first clues that all was not well should have been picked up when Jerry Smith and Edgar Sosa were not introduced as the starting guards. Smith apparently focused on something other than weight and basketball during the summer. Sosa had that familiar look of frustration and an inability to manage a dribble drive.
Based on Sunday’s performance, this team closely resembles last season’s team before David Padgett returned to the lineup. Samardo Samuels is playing, to be sure, but at least one opposing coach has figured out how to stop Padgett’s replacement. Other coaches will be applying the same measures to stop Samuels.
Padgett bequeathed his ability to manage the floor and find open shooters to Terrence Williams but T-will apparently left it on the bus.
Excluding Samuels with 36 minutes in the game, the other additions to the active roster accumulated only 11 minutes of playing time — Reginald Delk had five, Terrence Jennings had three, Jarod Swopshire had two, and George Goode had one.
Coach Rick Pitino’s apology is accepted. This team has to be reshaped and reinvented. The tools are available but he’s got a lot of work to do. David Padgett is not walking through that door.
Casual Trip To Nashville, Cards Bow 68-54
November 30, 2008
That should get somebody’s attention.
A mere formality this trip to Nashville to play Western Kentucky. Handling the Hilltoppers not much to get worked up about on a wet and lazy Sunday afternoon. No reason to be too concerned as the Cards miss their first eight field goal attempts. It’s only Western Kentucky.
With the quote of the South Alabama coach about “may be looking at the next national champions” ringing in their ears all week long, the Cards were looking down the road but they were looking way past WKU.
Always a danger with young players is looking back at what has been accomplished in the past, combining it with lofty expectations, and expecting to win by simply going through the motions. Conveniently forgetting what it took to get to the Elite Eight last season, all the work it took to get there.
Complacency was reflected in the court demeanor of the players — the lack of emotion, the missing sense of urgency, the look-at-me-I’m-too-cool-to-get-excited feel about playing Western Kentucky attitudes were dominant until the final two minutes when the misplaced arrogance was finally replaced by desperation.
All the inflated confidence about depth, how really deep this team is, was exposed as a myth for the time being. Six of the players being counted on this season have three or less college games behind them. Remains to be seen whether any of them are ready for the big time, based on today’s result.
Unfortunate that it takes a loss to get the attention of not only the newcomers but the veterans as well. Rick Pitino will undoubtedly have their undivided attention this week.
Game Day: Louisville vs. Western
November 30, 2008
Has it been forever since Rick Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals played a basketball game or what?
The Cards take on Western Kentucky at 3 p.m. today in Nashville. Watch for the adrenalin to be flowing for the Hilltoppers, playing over their heads for a bit. Wait it out, get it out of their system, then overpower and embarrass them.
Believe it or not, WKU holds a 38-33 edge in the series. Hard to imagine, unacceptable.
The Hilltoppers’ last victory over a top five team came on November 15, 2001, 64-52 over #4 Kentucky in Rupp Arena.
McCoughtry’s 34 Not Enough
November 30, 2008
By Sonja Sykes
The University of Louisville Lady Cards lost a close one Saturday in Reno, falling to Nevada 85-82, despite 34 points fron Angel McCoughtry in a foul-plagued basketball game. Louisville was whistled for 23 fouls, with Angel, Keisha Hines and Dez Byrd receiving four each, while the Wolf Pack amazingly had only 12.
McCoughtry sat about half of the first twenty minutes, and the Cardinal lead went from 24-13 to 36-33 at the half while she was out. The game was a see saw match in the second stanza, but Nevada gained control late and UofL couldn’t muster a rally. Nevada went 23-28 from the charity stripe, while the Cards connected on 14 of their 16 tries.
Dez Byrd tossed in 15 points for the Cards in 36 minutes and Keisha Hines added 12 in 29 minutes. Freshman Monique Reid drew her first collegiate start, as Coach Jeff Walz moved Angel to the two-guard slot. Brandie Radde came in off the bench.
It seemed to be a lazy whistle when the Wolf Pack was involved…from what I could gather of the play by play and commentary of Jim Kelch and Adrienne Johnson. Apparently “over the back” is only a foul when a Cardinal player commits it, and Lady Wolf Pack players simply do not charge. Nevertheless, the Cards had opportunities to get back into the game late and couldn’t convert or grab missed Nevada shots.
Tough loss for the gang, but maybe some things learned from the loss. Angel needs to play with a little more control in the early going, especially on the road…and the Cards still need to find a zone buster from outside. The good thing is that it’s early in the year, and these things should work themselves out as the season progresses.
Some good news on the Laura Terry front…she could be back by Big East conference play. With her and the volleyball occupied Gwen Rucker on the court to back up Keisha, the post won’t be nearly as vulnerable as it was tonight. The Cards return to action December 4th against MTSU in Murfreesboro.
