Cards open '09-'10 season with exhibition victory over Georgetown College

*Zombie Nation has been replaced with Pitbull’s Hotel Room Service as the intro song. Maybe I’m the only one who finds this hilarious?

*I think we were trying to get a feel for the squad tonight, but in my eyes, we aren’t putting our best foot forward unless we either a.) go with three guards or b.) play Samardo and Jennings at the same time, and it’s possible we’d be best served if we made both of these moves. Swop, Kuric and Reggie seem like the same players to me, and I just don’t know if we can count on big minutes from them in big games.

*Assuming we don’t go with three guards, I’d be pretty concerned right about now if I were Edgar. Siva’s got an unbelievable motor a nasty first step, and doesn’t seem to take defensive possessions off. It’s hard to imagine him not starting in some capacity by the middle of the year. This is not a knock on Sosa, no. 3 is just that good, and I already feel like he’s going to be one of my all-time favorite Cards. Damn, I told myself I wasn’t going to jump to too many conclusions after two halves against a D-II team. Oh well.

*The rest of the freshmen appear to be works-in-progress. I have no idea how Buckles was player of the year in 4A Florida ball (one friend asked how many classes they have down there), both he and Marra looked tentative and awkward out there. Maybe it’s nerves, but I don’t see either being a significant contributor this year. I also feel like I’m cheering for Eric Devendorf’s little brother with Marra. It’s dirty and not altogether enjoyable when he’s out there.

*Finally, and I’m afraid this is going to make me seem like l’m about 80, but I think the most important addition to our team this year, besides Siva, is Ralph Willard. I was close enough tonight to sense the calming presence he brings to the bench (in addition to looking like Don Nelson), and I think his Xs and Os reputation and long-time friendship with Pitino may help in those in-game situations where our Armani’ed general is too stubborn for his own good. He has the exact personality we need in a first mate. I honestly think there are going to be times this year when we basically have two head coaches, and that’s a good thing.

*Great to be back for the final year in Freedom Hall, but why the hell is this game on Oct 28?

Curious to hear what others thought…

We’ll find out a lot about him when the big east starts, but I’m really high on him too.

G-town ran out with 11 minutes to go. I think 11:15.

Big minutes this year.

They have, by far, the most confidence and basketball IQ of anyone on our team.

If you watch Kuric’s eyes when a shot goes up he seems to track the flight of the ball so well that he knows where the rebound will go before it even hits the rim. The only other guy I’ve ever seen do the same thing was Tyler Hansbrough. I told anyone that would listen that #14 was my favorite player and he needed to be on the floor more. He’s improved his hops (how’d ya like that put-back slam off a rebound) and is not a liability defensively. Like everybody has been saying, what does Delk do better than Kuric (very little) and what does Kuric do better than Delk (a whole lot).

Basically the same can be said of the PG battle. Siva has supreme confidence in his game. I remember watching his in the McD A-A game and it looked like he made it his mission to produce a highlight reel for everyone but himself. He naturally does the little things, like a headfake on the break to draw his defender into the air so that he can make an easier pass to his trailing teammate, that Edgar still hasn’t LEARNED. As it was also said, he doesn’t take plays off on defense and has the quickness to keep upwith anyone. Pairing him with Preston will flustere just about any backcourt in our league.

With that said I also understand that This game is probably not completely indicative of what we will be. Rick said he had only installed 2 offensive sets and we’re only working on two weeks of practice compared with two months for the opponents.

A very underestimated aspect of last night’s game and where we are as a team is that our truest senior leader just fathered a child less than 2 weeks ago. Anyone who has kids can attest that with your first one the frist 2 months are just about the sacriest time of your life.

And to be a 22 year old college senior, life couldn’t get any weirder. We hear all the time about pros leaving a game at halftime to go to the birth of their child or have a great game when they come back and think its no big deal.

But i’d have to guess that for a college kids the dynamics are very different. If Jerry has any soul he has to have been very moved by the birth of his kid and wants to be a part of caring for it. To couple all of the pressure, fear, and emotion of that with the trainwreck of an offseason that your surrogate father and coach had has to be distracting the guy a bit.

Adding to all of that is the fact that you senior backcourt teammate is barely hanging on to his starting position, has been known to pout more than any other play in the program, and is about the least equipped player on the team to handle adversity has got to make Jerry’s basketball life even more complicated.

I’d like to tink that Jerry is superhuman and can handle all of this but I understand if he struggles for a while. Here’s to hoping for the best from a guy that we need nothing but the best from.