All Entries Tagged With: "Juan Palacios"

Earl Clark Day: Louisville 80, Providence 72

An Earl Clark day, the big guy leading all scorers with 20 points — including a triple-edged dagger with 2:30 on the clock to give U of L a seven-point lead — nine rebounds and four assists.

Does Earl Clark ever change expressions? Looks cool whether he’s having a bad game or a good one. Just another day at work for him, he’ll be out of the on-the-job training mode any day now. Maybe starting today, break out.

David Padgett, meanwhile, continues to define the term “quarterback on the floor,” knowing where everybody is, giving them the best opportunity to succeed. Fans saw just how important DP is to the Cards when he goes to the bench early with two fouls in the first half. Dogfight, for sure, when he has to sit.

Now that everybody knows what Jerry Smith can do, he doesn’t get much breathing space. So he makes his own, moving without the ball, catching a David Padgett bullet for an easy lay up at a critical point, swiping the ball and increasing U of L’s lead to six, giving fans a chance to exhale.

Terrence Williams, welcome to the 1,000-point club. Running out of superlatives for a super player.

Juan Palacios brings enthusiasm and plays good defense, but every basket is a nice surprise.

Speaking of surprises, always amazed how Edgar Sosa can sometimes slices through slow-collapsing zones with ease. Make it a habit Edgar.

Preston Knowles is earning more playing time, making the most of every second.

Derrick Caracter looks intense during games. Time is passing Derrick, clock running down. Work, man, work to get better, the time is now.

Putting The Pieces Together, How Soon …

Not as bad as Kentucky, about even with Cincinnati, not as good as Dayton …

Before the win over UK, U of L fans would have had been deluding themselves if they gave this basketball team a five on a scale of 1 to 10. The Cards had lost to four teams they could have beaten while not looking very impressive in achieving the nine wins.

A win over Kentucky, the hated arch rival to the east — no matter how bad the Cats are — is reason enough for temporary amnesia about early season play. Beating the Wildcats on their home court, shutting up their vocal fan base, has that kind of effect.

Assuming the win over the Cats was the result of “smart play” and not driven by high levels of adrenaline, Card fans have a number of reason to believe this team can still be among the best U of L teams in a couple of decades:

• The miraculous return of David Padgett with his leadership abilities.  Padgett’s desire to play basketball is exceeded only by his will to win. He has earned his position as a leader, and his teammates are taking note.
• Juan Palacios, if he plays like he did in Lexington, will be another stabilizing force on the front line.
• Derrick Caracter seems to have discovered the ability to feed open teammates. That’s good because the opposition is becoming more effective in stopping him around the basket.
• Jerry Smith is exuding confidence behind the three-point line. Knows when to shoot and when to dish.
• Terrence Williams obviously has the physical attributes. Showed last season he can play smart and under control. That’s the form to which he needs to return.

Meanwhile, Andre McGee and Edgar Sosa need to settle into their respective roles. How soon that happens depends on how quickly Sosa comes around. Earl Clark? Quite a bit of ability but low levels of intensity thus far. If he ever becomes a team player, look out.