Game Day: Louisville at West Virginia
by Mike Rutherford on Nov 7, 2009 8:30 AM EST
in Football
2 comments
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (3-5, 0-3) AT WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS (6-2, 2-1)
Game Time: Noon
Location: Mountaineer Field at Milan-Puskar Stadium: Morgantown, W. Va.
Television: Big East Network/WHAS-11
Announcers: Mike Gleason/John Congemi
Favorite: West Virginia by 17.5
All-Time Series: West Virginia leads 8-2
Last Meeting: West Virginia won 35-21 last year
Excitement Level: 3.2
.07 of that is because I really don't like West Virginia, 2.5 of it is Stein Fever.
Pregame Meal: Waffles and coffee
Kragtastic Prediction: We commit a penalty none of us have ever heard of before for the third time this season.
Predicted Star of the Game: Darius Ashley
Shines in an otherwise dismal offensive performance
NOTABLE
--Louisville has not beaten West Virginia in Morgantown since 1990.
--Louisville is ranked last in the Big East in scoring offense (20.3), pass efficiency offense (117.69), sacks allowed (3.0), scoring defense (27.6), total defense (371.8), rushing defense (147.4), sacks (1.75) and tackles for losses (5.0).
-- West Virginia has failed to score just four times in 32 red-zone opportunities this year. Twenty two of the 28 scores have been touchdowns.
Quotable
--"It's about finishing up strong. We know what's in front of us with these four Big East games, and we're trying to win this conference. We know if we take care of business, we'll be in good shape." --Chris Neild
--"When you're in the Big East, they are all trap games. You let your guard down, then you are going to get beat."--Bill Stewart
--"They get after it, man – they love football! They love playing football there. They love coaching football there. They love watching football there. It’s a great football place. I’ve had friends that have gone to school there. And it’s a great football town." --Steve "Football" Kragthorpe
--"They have a rabid fan base. They all have good arms — whether they are right-handed or left-handed, they all throw those batteries extremely well. They are very accurate." --Steve Kragthorpe
CC Prediction: West Virginia 38, Louisville 13
Yeah, BUT, last year it was so cold.
2 comments | 0 recs |
Dub Vee links
by Mike Rutherford on Nov 6, 2009 7:07 PM EST
in Football
2 comments
--Spread check: 'Eers by 17.5
--The Parkersburg News and Sentinel takes a look at the past "unforgettable" matchups between Louisville and West Virginia.
For a while there, it looked as if West Virginia and Louisville were starting one of the better rivalries in the Big East.Both teams were loaded with NFL talent - Pat White and Steve Slaton with the Mountaineers, Elvis Dumervil and Brian Brohm for the Cardinals, to name a few.
And the matchups were fascinating.
Who could forget that colossal fourth-quarter comeback White engineered as a redshirt freshman for WVU at Mountaineer Field. Or the next season at Louisville, when the Cardinals beat the Mountaineers in a battle of Top-5 teams back at Papa John's Stadium?
Then Bobby Petrino left Louisville for 13 games with the Atlanta Falcons before signing a lucrative deal to coach at Arkansas.
In came Steve Kragthorpe, out went Louisville's national ranking, and the Cards haven't beaten the Mountaineers since. In fact, West Virginia is 8-2 all-time against Louisville.
--The folks at The Smoking Musket somehow got a hold of Steve Kragthorpe's personal diary.
--Louisville isn't the only squad limping into action Saturday afternoon. The Mountaineers are battered and bruised following last week's 30-19 loss to South Florida.
--Despite that, WVU head coach Bill Stewart hasn't made any major changes in preparation for Louisville.
--Pat White's gone, Noel Devine isn't, and Louisville hasn't been very good on the road.
--Annndddd game notes.
2 comments | 0 recs |
Will Stein will start against West Virginia
by Mike Rutherford on Nov 6, 2009 3:23 PM EST
in Football
13 comments
13 comments | 0 recs |
Former Cards selected in D-League Draft
by Mike Rutherford on Nov 5, 2009 10:54 PM EST
in Basketball
15 comments
Former Louisville great Reece Gaines was selected by the Bakersfield Jam with the 13th pick in the second round of tonight's NBA Developmental League draft. In the 2003 NBA Draft, Gaines was selected by the Orlando Magic with the 15th overall pick. I'm guessing this is a rare feat.
Perrin (PERRIN!) Johnson also heard his name called when the Springfield Armor took him in the sixth round.
Best of luck to both in their continued efforts to make money playing a game.
And now, because I can...
15 comments | 0 recs |
Louisville 88, Bellarmine 65
by Mike Rutherford on Nov 5, 2009 1:21 PM EST
in Basketball
19 comments
To be perfectly honest, I've been fairly pessimistic about the upcoming basketball season since the '08-'09 squad went down to Michigan State. Not "football program" pessimistic, just "I think we may be taking more of a step back than some people think" pessimistic. There's the loss of two lottery picks, the offseason Pitino scandal and a tough Big East from top-to-bottom to deal with. I think lowered expectations are understandable.
While reading into any November game, especially an exhibition, is foolish, Wednesday night was the biggest shot of optimism for me since that loss in Indy last March.
Louisville was never really tested by a Bellarmine team that played pretty well and will challenge for the Division-II national title. The Cards shot well, defended well and cut down on a lot of the mistakes they'd made a week earlier against Georgetown. Overall, this was the most solid exhibition performance from a U of L team in recent memory.
It's safe to say that Peyton Siva again stole the show...
It's impossible to replace the excitement that T-Will brought to the Hall, but the kid is certainly trying.
Bellarmine simply didn't have anyone who could guard him. There was a string of about three minutes where it looked like he was playing a basketball video game against the computer with the difficulty set at "Beginner." Siva would make a simple move and blow past his man, take a couple more dribbles and have an uncontested lay-up or an easy pass to make.
He's insanely quick, he's insanely athletic, he's got terrific vision and apparently an extraordinary attitude.
Again, by the time he leaves Peyton Siva will have become one of the most beloved Louisville basketball players of all-time.
On a team loaded with good shooters who lack the ability to create their own shot, Preston Knowles' ability to knock down the contested jumper with the same ease as when he's left all alone may be the single most valuable skill any player on this team possesses.
PK was advertised as a streaky shooter coming out of high school, a characteristic I thought would stick with him throughout his collegiate career. Not quite sure how it happened, but suddenly he's one of the biggest outside threats in the Big East.
He also plays defense.. and does cool re-enactments of Peyton Siva dunks for his teammates.
With all of the attention Peyton Siva has received today, it should be noted that it may have been Edgar Sosa who played the better all-around game. He hit several shots early to set the tone, finished with a team-high four assists and did a good job of covering Bellarmine's outside threats.
Solid move by Pitino to call off the press and go strictly man against the Knights. Matching up for 40 minutes against a smaller team with several terrific outside shooters was a big test for a pretty young Louisville team playing its second exhibition game. Even though Justin Benedetti and Braydon Hobbs both got several really good looks from beyond the arc, the Cards still handled a difficult task very well.
Really surprised that Kuric didn't get the start and even more surprised that he played so sparingly, but it's a safe bet that the five starters on Wednesday will be the same five being introduced before the game come late February/early March. I know Pitino's mad at Jennings, and I agree that he doesn't appear all that much improved from a year ago, but that combination may have more potential than any other quintet on the roster.
I really think Jerry likes faking defenders out and making them jump more than he likes scoring points. It's the only explanation.
"Run This Town" was a solid improvement for the pregame video. Still, the highlight choices need to be re-edited as the year goes on. I'm looking at you, unnecessary Kuric dunk at the end of the Arizona game.
This was the most impressive performance Jared Swopshire has put forth yet. He snagged some contested rebounds, made a couple of big hustle plays and also scored off some nice moves with the ball.
Here comes the putter throw...wait a minute, maybe this is a new Jared Swopshire.
He also looks like he might be trying to grow his fro back out, which, I have to tell you, I'm completely in favor of.
Reggie Delk also stepped up and had a nice game. I don't think there's a player on the roster whose '09-'10 season is more difficult to predict.
Pitino had the following to say about freshman Mike Marra's shooting struggles:
"He's a very nervous young man, he's from a prep school league where the largest crowd he's played in front of was probably 300 or 400 people. We've got to get him some exposure."
You'd think that if you had the balls to sport those tatoos in public every day not much else would phase you, but who knows. Keep shooting, Mike.
A ladybird messed up during the second routine.
I'm not going to stand for this, girls. How badly do you really want that 877th straight national title?
Rakeem Buckles is a mixture of Otis George and Juan Palacios. This, coupled with the fact that his name is Rock Buckles, has made making him my new best friend the lone goal in my life.
Stephen Van Treese has really taken Pitino's "just rebound" philosophy to heart. He snagged an offensive board right around the rim and did not even think about going up with it. His skill set might be limited, but he's a very big boy and he can be a contributor if he develops a little bit.
Chris Smith: I applaud your outfit.
Dating back to last season I've correctly picked four straight winners in the Kentucky Lottery race thing. What's up, Vegas?
Not sure why but I really, really wanted Chris Brickley to score. The three seconds after he missed that jumper were the most upset I was all night.
The Cardinal Bird jumped on the platform by the railing right behind me and it scared the absolute shit out of me.
Ready for Arkansas.
19 comments | 0 recs |
Red-hot rivalry ready to burn across the Kentucky bluegrass
Big article from USA Today this morning on college basketball's most intense rivalry.
Up the road in Louisville, some are immune to the Kentucky hype.
"They had the same buzz two years ago," Louisville athletics director Tom Jurich says. "Remember when they were recruiting eighth-graders?"
That was a route taken by Gillispie that became fodder for sports talk shows and bloggers.
Louisville, which won 1980 and 1986 NCAA titles under coach Denny Crum, has enjoyed far more success than its state rival in recent years. It made the Final Four in 2005 and advanced to the Elite Eight the past two seasons.
"We are the No. 1 revenue producer in college basketball," says Pitino, whose program raked in $23,519,846 in 2008 in operating revenue, according to the latest NCAA figures. "Nobody's close. (Kentucky is) going to say, 'We have the most wins in college basketball.' I've painted the argument on both sides."
1 day ago
Mike Rutherford
6 comments
0 recs
20 % = Edgy Eddie ?
by Zakem2002 on Nov 5, 2009 4:39 AM EST
22 comments
I am starting to become a very nervous University Of Louisville Cardinal fan, and what follows is a series of disjointed insights that, when compounded together, help to explain my anxiety.
1. I believe that this UofL basketball team's shooting skills will rival those of the Final Four team of Garcia, Dean, and O'Bannon. The long range shooting potential that exists between Jerry, Preston, Marra, Delk, Edgar, Kyle, even "Rock," is exciting just to think about.
2. I believe that this UofL basketball team's rebounding skills will rival those of the team that lost Garcia, O'Bannon, Miles, and Otis and entered the Big East. That team's inability to rebound was painful to watch, and I fear that this year's team will struggle mightily on the boards.
3. After considering those two points at the same time, I am beginning to think that the key to our team's success will be the guards' ability to play together, sub in and out seamlessly, and score score score unconciously.
4. On a busy sports night across the land (World Series clincher, NBA games coast to coast, etc.), 20% of Sportscenter's Top 10 Plays was dedicated to your boy, my boy, OUR BOY Peyton Siva. Coming in at #7 was Peyton coming from the other side of the lane and jumping 26 feet in the air to block a Bellarmine shot. At #2, Siva reverse slamming a Jerry layup that rolled off the front of the rim.
5. Here is my concern. I hope that every person affiliated with Cardinal basketball gets a chance to see the Top 10. The fans, the coaches, Peyton himself along with his teammates, everyone. Well... everyone but one special player that has become so near and dear to our hearts. I hope that Edgar "Get fouled,score the bucket, check to make sure that you're ready for the camera, pose for the camera during the middle of a Sweet 16 game" Sosa forgot to pay his cable bill and never gets the opportunity to witness Siva's national media exposure (which Edgar so violently craves) before we even tip the ball off when it counts. My concern is that this team's success hinges on the ability of our guards to play unselfishly, to think team, to make the extra pass, to not dribble into the lane without a plan and cross your fingers for a bail out foul, to play team defense; ultimately, to do all the things that seem to come so naturally to freshman Siva, but seem to escape senior Sosa. I am willing to bet that if you sat and had lunch with Sosa and Siva together without having any previous knowledge of either, you'd be able to tell in less than a minute which was the senior and which was the freshman. In other words, I am sure that during his time at UofL, Edgar has matured into a great young man. But I'm also sure that Edgar Sosa did not come to Louisville to pursue a degree in Upstaging a Freshman in Maturity Level at a Hypothetical Lunch; he came to get better as a basketball player.
6. I'm just starting to think that by conference time, playing Peyton a majority of the game will be the high percentage choice, and I just don't know how either Edgar or Pitino will react to that reality. And if this scenario does in fact become a reality, Edgar's ability to adjust to a role playing spot up shooter in his senior year may be the difference between a good year and a special year. I just hope that this year, Edgar's last, is the year that he begins to make mature decisions on the court for the betterment of his team.
22 comments | 0 recs
Open Thread: Louisville vs. Bellarmine
by Mike Rutherford on Nov 4, 2009 6:00 PM EST
in Basketball
117 comments
117 comments | 0 recs |
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Cardinals Basketball Schedule
Next 5 Games
@
Arkansas
|
Tue 11/17 | 7:30 PM EST |
| East Tennessee St. | Sat 11/21 | TBA |
| Morgan St. | Sun 11/22 | 1:00 PM EST |
| Appalachian St. | Mon 11/23 | 7:00 PM EST |
| @ UNLV | Sat 11/28 | 4:00 PM EST |
Big East Conference Standings
(updated 11.6.2009 at 4:30 PM EST)
| Conf | Overall | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
| Villanova Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
West Virginia Mountaineers
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| St. John's Red Storm | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seton Hall Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| South Florida Bulls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Syracuse Orange
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pittsburgh Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Providence Friars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Louisville Cardinals
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marquette Golden Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
Georgetown Hoyas
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Connecticut Huskies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DePaul Blue Demons | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Bearcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cardinals Football Schedule
| Indiana St. | Sat 09/05 | W 30 - 10 |
|
@
Kentucky
|
Sat 09/19 | L 27 - 31 |
|
@
Utah
|
Sat 09/26 | L 14 - 30 |
| Pittsburgh | Fri 10/02 | L 10 - 35 |
| Southern Miss. | Sat 10/10 | W 25 - 23 |
| @ Connecticut | Sat 10/17 | L 25 - 38 |
| @ Cincinnati | Sat 10/24 | L 10 - 41 |
| Arkansas St. | Sat 10/31 | W 21 - 13 |
|
@
West Virginia
|
Sat 11/07 | 12:00 PM EST |
|
Syracuse
|
Sat 11/14 | 12:00 PM EST |
| @ South Florida | Sat 11/21 | TBA |
|
Rutgers
|
Fri 11/27 | TBA |
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
