Bobby Lutz has a special place in his heart for Freedom Hall, and will be sorry to see the facility relegated to a virtual registry of historic places. In fact, he will be among the high bidders if they auction memorabilia from the fabled venue.
His Charlotte teams have dominated the University of Louisville basketball team here. He owns a 9-6 lifetime record against U of L and the likes of Denny Crum and Rick Pitino, with more than half of those wins on Denny Crum Court. He also won a C-USA Tournament championship at Freedom Hall.
Sandwiched between UNLV and a bunch of no names this season, Charlotte reminded U of L of how often the local folks failed to respect Lutz teams during the C-USA days, running circles around the injury-plagued Cards while administering a 22-point beating.
- Pitino’s team playing like Pitino looks with the droopy eyes. Rick replacing the Breathsaver mints with Hall’s Mentho-Lyptus, unwrapping a fresh cough drop every time the camera turns his way.
- Samardo Samuels, bounding about like the Dean’s Milk Chugger. Unable to motor about without falling over himself or whoever fronts him, making the easy shots look impossibly difficult. His backup, Terrence Jennings, equally unable to navigate.
- Jared Swopshire just can’t get over his resemblance to Barack Obama, unable to make a quick decision, move to his right, make an uncontested shot or complete an unaltered pass.
- Mike Marra living up to Louisville’s reputation in recent years as a poor three-point shooting team, he with the jinx of being tabbed the best high school shooter Pitino has ever seen.
- Edgar Sosa still managing to look improved but he will never take control of a game like he did three years ago against Texas A&M, proving it against sub par competition.
The 49ers are poised to make some noise this year. A.D. Judy Rose has basically thrown the gauntlet down at Lutz and informed him that she expects a team that can successfully compete in the A-10. Charlotte hasn’t visited the big dance since 2005. You know how upset Cardinal fans get without attending a bowl game in three years. The rabid Charlotte hoops base is screaming about the 11-20 mark last year and Lutz is getting Kragthorpian type criticism and pressure to produce a winner. Now.
Lutz’s recruiting skills are still top notch, but the lack of allure in going from a strong C-USA basketball conference to the A-10 just isn’t getting him in the doors that he used to be able to open. I do like the young group of kids he has on the roster this year and hopefully they’ll make some postseason noise.
Otherwise, Lutz just may be doing his skip, dance and jump on a different sidelines next year.
It’s all Kragthorpe’s fault.
I think most fans just want to have a winning team to root for. After the depressing fiasco that was UL football, the basketball season was supposed to be better. With a young squad, combining injuries with early season losses, has some Card fans feeling a bit shaky. It will hopefully get better, but right now UL fans are watching UK win and UL lose. You have to expect some anger will surface, as intense emotions are generated when it come to UL basketball. Add losing to the mix and right now it’s hard to be an up-beat Card fan.
Charlie,
Great point about Lutz being 9-6 all-time against Crum and Pitino. I used that as a mortar shell over at rivals in some debates I am having.
Now in basketball with the “alleged” Louisville Faithful, are already crying, 7 games in.
I guess the consecutive Elite 8’s, sweeping the BEAST Tourney and regular season for 2009, being the #1 overall seed, losing two lottery picks in Clark and Willimas, Lutz beating us 9-6 in the series, and missing three key players with injury, does not factor into some fan’s equations.
Some of our fans turn sour in the drop of the hat…..
Not sure Coach P. could have won this one with his “A” team. Bobby Lutz is the most underrated coach in the Southeast.He has outcoached P. too many times.(for a lot less money)
Might be too much off court distraction for even a good lawyer or Ralph W. to fix. Perhaps P’s best days have passed him by. Too much emphasis on picky (Hubie Brown)details of the game and not enough focus on the basics like rebounding, blocking out, good passing, spacing, and moving feet.
Many high school coaches could have done a better job last night.
5’8″ CB? How are those elevator shoes working out for ya? 🙂
I think Wee-Man (from the Jacka$$ movies) coiuld have grabbed double digit boards last night. Where did the fundamentals of blocking out, getting postition and timing your leap go? Maybe the Cards need to watch a few of the Lutz instructional videos that are out.
I’m 5’8″, 65 and overweight. Samardo outrebounded me by three.
We resembled some of Denny Crum’s latter-year teams tonight. Nobody taking this game personally, getting a butt-whupping.
Yeah the seats were great, the pre game chat with the likeable Bobby Lutz always a blast and the action exciting…if you are a 49ers fan. I’ve been one since the diminutive director of Charlotte basketball took the job 12 years ago. Obviously, I’m still a Cardinal thru and thru…but happy to see the successes of the Charlotte program and came away very impressed with their runaway victory tonight over a diminished and dismal Cardinal hoops team.
Charlotte didn’t just beat Louisville; they owned them from the opening tip-off. A strange sight to see in Freedom Hall. If you ever wondered how important Siva, Smith and Knowles are to the Cardinal lineup, you got your answer tonight. I wish I could point to some positives about the Cardinal effort tonight, but…I’d be lying about them if I mentioned any. Forget any ideas about Edgar Sosa pulling this one out. He should have taken the night off also. At times, it looked as if he was…
When a hot bunch of outside shooting ballers run up against a weakened and inexperienced opposing backcourt, the results can be terminal.
Yes, indeed. Bobby Lutz loves Louisville. Won a C-USA title here. Same in the Metro. Would probably pay Tom Jurich to coach the Cardinals if the job ever opened up. So, the Saturday night in the Derby City turned out well for him tonight. A solid win over a baffled, disorganized and lethargic group of Cardinals tonight. And, a long week until this bunch takes the court again.